The second night of the 21st Annual HollyShorts Film Festival has arrived, and with it comes dozens more incredible films from some very talented people. Specific blocks of films have now begun, with the best in short film from Animation, Family Drama, LQBTQIA+, Shot On Film and Horror joining us for today. The films listed below are only scratching the surface of what’s in store, and is just a preview of what’s coming throughout this week or so of spectacular filmmaking. Tickets to future days of the festival can be found here, with streaming available for every film after their screening on BitPix. Stick around after the recap for an interview with today’s highlighted filmmaker Klimovski, whose film Attagirl! was one of the standouts of today’s slate of films.
ANIMATION
Retirement Plan – John Kelly’s animated short is a wistful and touching film, with added star power from lead Domhnall Gleeson that focuses on Ray, a man who spends his time in the film listing the elaborate and wishful ways in which he’s going to spend his retirement, once he’s able to reach it. From the common to the eccentric, the many, many things Ray sees himself spending his golden years doing are all delivered with calm and satisfied passion, with Gleeson really delivering on the emotional weight of it all.
FAMILY DRAMA
There Will Come Soft Rains – Elham Ehsas delivers this fantastic film about a daughter dealing with the combined trauma of losing her father and the impeding doom of climate collapse in this film that stars Olivia D’Lima and Priya Davdra. Mira (D’Lima), just over a year out from losing her father, is troubled by the knowledge she hears about London’s flood gates not being able to handle what will be increased changes in sea level thanks to climate change. With her father’s burial site near a river, this fear transforms into protection of her father’s remains, going to extreme lengths to enlist her sister Fatima’s (Davdra) help to get his body moved somewhere safer, even at risk to herself. It’s a touching and brilliant way to show the mental damage done by losing a loved one, combining that with the existential dread of the future, and how those two may interact with one another.
LGBTQIA+
elle/elle – Kelley Kali’s gorgeous queer film is one that touches on an important aspect of finding one’s gender identity: how it affects those around you, and the changes it can bring in those relationships. Elle (la georgea) is a transgender woman living with her husband, who for most of her life lived with them as a cisgender gay man. As Elle has transitioned, it has caused strife between her and her husband Fritz (Dan Bucatinski), leading to a difficult marriage that is only further challenged by Fritz’ own thoughts on his identity as a gay man, feeling as though being married to a woman would invalidate that. At a dinner with a client, Elle chooses to be the most glamorous and beautiful version of themselves as they can be, with help from their friend Jaz (L’lerrét Jazelle), a fellow trans woman. It’s a hard film, given how things play out, but one that is sure to hit home for a lot of people, regardless of gender identity or orientation, as it strikes true on not only and primarily those things, but also general feelings of love and acceptance through change. Kali and writer Shonnie Jackson deliver an excellent film that is sure to be both emotionally challenging as well as thought provoking, and will hopefully give those who are either unsure or reluctant to be accepting a chance to see how painful that can be for those you love.
SHOT ON FILM
Attagirl! – Written and directed by Klimovski, this noir action film stars Leyna Bloom and co-stars Amanda Lepore, Violet Chachki and Jazzelle. Siren (Bloom), a bookie with little patience and even less ability to control her temper. When a debtor attempts to skip out of what they owe, Siren hunts them down, taking to the streets to get back what’s hers. It’s a very fun story that also highlights actors of various marginalized groups, something that is rarely seen in films and is such a delight.
HORROR
Sundown – Rafael Agustin’s short film about two people of color who find themselves in the proverbial “Sundown Town” is one that is thrilling and terrifying in multiple ways. Starring Havon Baraka and Khadijha Red Thunder, the two find themselves not only unwelcome, but actively pursued by the white populace of the small town in efforts to rid them of people of color, the setting of the sun an old world curfew of sorts for non-whites to be out of town or face consequences. Seeing the kind of racism reserved for early last century modernized is an incredible move, using the methods of old to speak about not only the history of racism, but its prevalence today.
And as today’s added bonus, here’s an interview with Klimovski, who was gracious enough to take the time to talk with us. Check out the interview below!
What inspired you to make films?
I was a bit of an outsider as a kid. I wasn’t the type to go outside and play. Instead, I would stay in and watch movies. Whatever my dad had on VHS. Scorsese, Coppola, Tarantino. That love of cinema has carried through to today, but I would say my main motivator for making movies was wanting to see queer characters step into roles I wasn’t seeing them play. Roles where they could be messy antiheroes, and fuck up without apology.
What message were you trying to communicate with this film?
My main thesis with ATTAGIRL! is showing how trans women can play any role they’re dropped into. They’re able to exist in a cinematic world that doesn’t demand they talk about their sex or gender expression or queer identities and instead can be running the NYC crime underground and be badass bosses in their own right. I wanted to showcase their strength, their polish, and their fury in a world that doesn’t ask them to tone it down in any way. It’s bold and it’s violent, on purpose.
What kind of challenges did you face when making this film?
I think the challenges anyone faces when making a micro-budget short. A lot of stolen shots and half permits for one, haha. We shot this on KODAK 250D 16mm film, and a lot of these girls aren’t professional actors and so the nature of shooting on finite celluloid, amongst the chaos of NYC streets, it was ambitious. But it all came together in the end, as all films do when you have a crew of brilliant creatives who all help see it through to the end.
How does it feel to be a part of this year’s HollyShorts?
HollyShorts is an awesome fest that’s always supported my work. I’m excited to be back this year.
What’s next for you?
I have two new shorts in pre-production, both of which deal with grief but in fundamentally different ways, and I’m currently working on developing my first feature while knocking another feature screenplay out by the end of the year. Lots of exciting things in the works. A lot to look forward to.
That’ll do it for today’s films! A big thanks to all the filmmakers for showing off their incredible talents, and an extra thank you to Klimovski for taking the time out to talk to us! Be sure to check back with us tomorrow for Day 3 of the 21st Annual HollyShorts Film Festival!
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