We’re reaching the near mid-point of the year, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a special selection of films available during this month’s screenings. With over a dozen films between two screening blocks, there should be something for everyone with our official selections for this month’s series. As usual, the screening will be held in person on May 28th at the LOOK! Dine-In Cinemas in Glendale, California, with virtual screenings and access going live on BitPix directly afterwards. Let’s not waste any more time and get on with a synopsis of what’s going to be shown at this month’s HollyShorts Monthly Screenings!
Souvenir Drunk – Jacqueline Postajian’s black and white short is a beautiful period piece, set in the 1960’s. Starring Anya Whelan-Smith and Brandon Mendez Homer, it sees a pair of former flames meeting only last time before a big life change. Autry (Homer) is stopping by Clara’s (Whelan-Smith) place right before her move to New York for a job to pick something up, and the two of them begin to revisit their past with one another, for better and worse. Wrapped around a sense of nostalgia, the two talk about their life, both in present and past tenses, what was and what will now never be. It’s a touching and beautiful story that puts so much focus on the two stars, each of whom deliver brilliant, impactful performances that helps to tell the tale of these two ex-lovers, through dialogue and intense emotional acting.
The World Is Ours (Her Story) – Areg Azatyan’s heartbreaking but impactful film makes a return after appearing in our January screening, and it’s just as powerful as it was the first time around. It follows Lusine (Anais Lilit), 17 year old Armenian American living in Los Angeles and harboring a pretty big secret: not only is she dating, but she’s dating outside of her race, as she enjoys the relationship she has with her boyfriend Matthew, who is African-American. This is further complicated by the fact that she’s also pregnant, and these secrets threaten to blow up her entire life, as the reactions of her family don’t exactly inspire hope in the acceptance of her situation. It’s a film that focuses a spotlight on culture, bias, the pressures of being young and making mistakes, young parenthood and a plethora of other complicated issues, making it both harrowing and engaging, with a cast that really expresses these ideas in an excellent way.
My Dearest Artsakh – Journalist Balin Schneider’s documentary about the conflict in the region of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno- Karabakh), an area of disputed land between Armenia and Azerbaijan that has caused the displacement of over 100,000 Armenians, thanks to a campaign of starvation and attack by the forces of Azerbaijan. The documentary follows one of those who were displaced, eighteen year old K’nar, whose family was forced to leave their small village within Artsakh during the displacement. Now with her family but not feeling home, she, along with her family and many thousands of others, have to begin again, in an unfamiliar place, in a country ravaged by war and conflict. It’s a beautiful film that shows the very human element of something like this, giving faces and names to the people who were affected and continue to be affected by disputes such as this.
Tethered – Christopher Moore directs this Diran Shahrik film that stars Freddie O’Donohue, Al Pagano and Veronica Kelegian. Pagano and O’Donohue are the main focus, the two of them starring as a father-son pairing that sees seventeen year-old Derick suffering from the psychological and physical abuse of his bitterly divorced father after Derick reveals he wants to delay the birthday plans made with his father to a later date to spend the day with his mother, who presented him with the gift of going to a basketball game. The seemingly casual and friendly relationship between the two quickly sours, with Derick’s father getting more and more upset about the situation, eventually resorting to various forms of violence to instill fear and control in his son. It’s a difficult but important subject to address, and this film does it excellently, sitting in the discomfort, the abuse, and the aftermath in a way that is important to see, no matter how difficult it is.
Pomegranate – Directed by Zoe Morgan Cheswick and written by Abi Zakarian, this film is a serious contender for one of the most difficult but excellent films in recent memory. It stars Daphne Alexander, who plays Tatevik, a mother doing her best to assimilate and focus on the present while living as an Armenian in America, alongside Jessie Bedrossian, who plays her daughter and Kevork Malikyan as Tatevik’s father, who refuses to use English for most of the film, to his daughter’s dismay. After a visit from a neighbor (Alice Lowe) looking for Tatevik to test out her homemade soap, the film turns when the family is attacked and seemingly killed by unknown assailants, only for the day to begin again and repeat through various snippets of what we’ve seen, sped up as it happens time and time again. As the pattern begins to get recognized, the film truly delivers its message about the history of Armenia, focusing on the 1915-1917 genocide in the country, which saw millions of lives lost and is only recognized as such by a mere 34 countries to this day. It’s a film that truly stands out, with a heartbreaking but important message presented in such a powerful way, with Malikyan’s performance at the end truly breathtaking.
Drifters – Garrett Smith and Paige Smith direct this heartwarming and incredibly sweet short film written by Steven Blows that sees four transient friends on a mission: to find a lost pair of glasses. Lisa (Trieste Kelly Dunn), Buck (Jandres Burgos), Randall (Garrett Smith) and Jermone (Eric Burton) travel their home base of Key West, accompanied by their beloved couch, to spots all over the city on their way towards finding Lisa’s glasses and maybe going to the beach. It’s such a lovely film, with the four actors having incredible chemistry and weaving this heartwarming and gorgeous story of perseverance, friendship, and finding joy in the little things.
Definitely Something – It’s Emo Night between two old flames in Justin Andrew Davis’ film, which was directed and written by him and also stars him alongside Heidi Denae Crane. Featuring a few favorites from the early 2000’s emo punk genre, it sees the two hanging out at Paul’s currently closed bar as the high school sweethearts reunite once more to go to an Emo Night in Brooklyn, dressed in their cringiest outfits to fit the theme. With a few hours to spare, the two reconnect, catching up in various ways while the actions of the past catch back up with them. It’s a beautiful and painful story of two people who will always love one another, even if their actions in the pas have caused a great deal of pain. With undeniable chemistry and the scars to match their time knowing one another, it’s ambiguous where Paul and Jill go from where the film ends, but in a way that feels all too familiar. Both Davis and Crane were excellent, bringing the complexities of Paul and Jill’s love story to life in ways that both hurt and instill hope for the viewer.
Paranoid – Junda Wu’s film, co-written with Michael O’Harlem, is an intense and brutally honest film that explores phycological thrillers in a really interesting way. When violinist Isabelle (Isabella Björkman) is accidentally injured by Selene (Neva Leoncini), it unlocks the paranoid delusions living within Selene’s mind, causing the injury to lead down an even darker path. It’s a tense and emotionally gripping examination of guilt, paranoia, delusion and illness that should speak to many people, and for those without first-hand knowledge as well.
Little Orange Flags – Julianna Gelinas Bonifacio writes and directs this short film that focuses on twelve year old Iris (Bella Miah Estrada), who is sent to live on a rural Pennsylvania farm by her mother after an incident with her mother’s boyfriend (Chris Henry Coffey). Living with Nana (Lisa Emery) and Pruey (Bella Price), the former of which is the same age as Iris, is a big change, with myriad rules from the older Nana, who sustains her own private and solitary life with Pruey, something which doesn’t seem to bother the young girl much, but is a big change for Iris. While the girls don’t fully understand the weight of what’s happening and why there was a case for a change, the undertones are heavy throughout the film, adding a sense of looming dread and horror at what Iris has gone through. It’s done so brilliantly, approached with both a subtlety and a directness all at once, especially near the film’s climax.
Egg Timer – Zoe Winters and Babak Tafti star in a film that should be pretty relatable for anyone in their thirties without kids. Daphne and Reza are a mid-thirties couple who have always wanted kids but didn’t feel ready just yet. But when a chance interaction with a child with no filter prompts another discussion, the two go on an imaginative journey through their fears about having kids, the effects it could have on them in myriad ways, and the joys of parenting they see in their future, all acted out in front of them in hilarious and heartfelt ways. Directed by Annie Tippe and written by Claire Rothrock and Ryann Weir, this film is a great metaphor for couple in a similar situation to Daphne and Reza who are thinking about it, but know they have to make a choice soon, because time is beginning to wind down in terms of being able to do it safely.
That’ll do it for this month! As a reminder, the screening will occur live on May 28th at the LOOK! Dine-In Cinemas in Glendale, with virtual access coming at midnight the next day, right after the screening. Thanks for joining us, and we look forward to next month’s screenings!
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