The 22nd Annual HollyShorts Film Festival is officially underway! With double digit days of hundreds of incredible films, this year’s festival is sure to blow away fans of short films. Hundreds of entries from some incredible creators, the 22nd installment of this legendary festival is sure to the best yet. The festival runs from August 13th to August 22nd, with tickets for the full festival or on a day to day basis available here. The opening night program has some of the most anticipated films from the entire selection, and here are a few of the highlights. While every film is absolutely deserving of being here, these are a few that are getting a bit of an extra spotlight for what they bring to this year’s celebration of short film.
The Baddest Speechwriter Of All – Directed by prominent documentarian Ben Proudfoot as well as four time NBA champion Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, this film focuses on one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement: Doctor Clarence B. Jones, musician lawyer, speechwriter and all around incredible man. All of these paths have lead him to what he will be best known for: his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including on the “I Have A Dream” speech, which will be etched into the minds of the American People forever. While we mourn Doctor Jones’ passing earlier in 2026, this film, which features him as the sole subject recounting his life and his time with Dr. King, will serve as a reminder of how important his role was, and the trust he’d earned from King himself. It’s an absolutely fascinating film, full of stories told by Dr. Jones in all his charm and wit, up to and including the iconic speech, where he is credited as writing the first seven paragraphs of. It’s a celebration of the movement and Dr. Jones’ role in it, told by the man himself.
Echoes – Ashley Waters and Leo Gregory star in this heart-wrenching film by Alex Lanipekun about two close friends from boarding school who find themselves at very different places in life. When they happen to reconnect by chance, Andre (Waters), a man who seemingly has his life together as an adult and Robert (Gregory), whose life has taken him on a different path, leaving him struggling and unhoused, memories of their past being to haunt Andre. This leaves him attempting to reconcile the way he’s described his past previously, history coming back much messier as Robert reminds him of some of the things he locked away into the darker recesses of his mind. It’s a film that is difficult but important, the subject of sexual impropriety in a hall of education one that seems to never have a lack of stories. Lanipekun’s tale is one of the more impactful, showing the true, lasting trauma of these kinds of events, and how they can affect you well past the event itself.
America – Laura New’s film about a school shooting is a jarring and emotionally powerful piece about the dangers of an event that has taken America by storm in the worst possible way. Focusing on a mother of two with a son who socially isolates himself and seems to show all the signs of being inoculated against gun violence, and perhaps even comfortable enough with it to use it to their means. While struggling to find a way to give her kids a better life, attempting to move to the west coast, Valerie (Kim Berrios Lin) finds her world turned upside-down when news of a shooting at her children’s school reaches her, leaving her to scramble to find out more information. It’s a film with a message about the prevalence of gun violence in America and the real lives these deadly events affect.
Down The Length – Milo Edwards writes and directs this short film about Jake (Joseph Quinn), a young painter with potential who is struggling with making something worthwhile as a gallery deadline hurtles towards him. In an effort to find inspiration, he begins to record his dreams, which get increasingly more disturbing as time goes on and he delves deeper into the recesses of his psyche. It’s a story of avoidance and grief, how the two inevitably race towards each other, and the effects that it can have when grief inevitably strikes.
Get Her Back! – Directed by Leah Nanako Winkler, Lana Condor, Owen Teague and Kaia Gerber star in this short film about a bad relationship and the way perception can change as things continue to be revealed. Kyle (Teague), absolutely loves Leah (Condor), enough to put himself on the line in public to declare his affections and attempt to win her heart again. Leah is definitely not on board, much to the surprise of Laura (Gerber), who seems to have some affections of her own towards Kyle. But Kyle is adamant, trying his hardest to win Leah back despite her obvious disinterest, the conflict revealing more and more about their previous relationship and explaining further about why Leah is not only not interested, but angrily unwilling to entertain Kyle’s overtures. It’s a film that shows that what’s on the surface isn’t always what’s really there, as Leah, who is seen as unreasonable for much of the film in opposition to the loving and dedicated Kyle, puts together more and more pieces for the audience as to what’s really going on. It’s a very important film about what’s beneath the surface, trusting your instincts and not wavering when you know the truth.
As an additional treat for all of us who got to see these excellent films today, we were given the gift of a conversation with Get Her Back! director Leah Nakano Winkler. Please enjoy!
What inspired you to make films?
I was born in Japan but when my parents moved our family to Kentucky mid-childhood – I had an identity crisis. Things also were rough at home – and I started to act up and was lost. It wasn’t until I took a drama and film class taught by this amazing public school teacher hat I started to process my emotions. I found my sense of self in plays and movies. I couldn’t get enough. Before I knew it, it was all I cared about and I didn’t even know I was being brave by pursuing it as a living because I loved it so much.
That being said this is my first short! And the first time I’ve directed anything I’ve ever written for any screen.
I’ve been a working playwright for the last twenty years though and a TV and screenwriter for the last ten. I was inspired to also direct Get Her Back! because the story is so personal and I knew I genuinely was the best person to do it. I process monumental personal experiences through my writing, but being able to shape performances, pacing and the visual language as the director, let me truly reinvent that specific trauma into art. It was extremely empowering.
I also knew it was the only way I could reclaim as much agency as possible in this narrative .
What message were you trying to communicate with this film?
I wanted to make a film that showed how women are vulnerable to violence, harassment and being “unlikable”– when we stop fitting into stereotypes and stand up for ourselves. I also wanted to explore how we are a little conditioned (and willingly so) by movies, TV shows, and the news cycle into over accepting disturbing behavior from romantic white guys until they do something horrific and violent. We’re still surprised when this violence happens though – which means that we aren’t paying attention as these guys become radicalized in patterns that we created and perpetuated. I find our complicity in this to be pretty rich and interesting.
I also began thinking about how Asian women are often portrayed throughout history: submissive, accommodating, grateful and sexually available which creates expectations and entitlement in the wrong men. I think when this orientalist mirage is broken, it can actually be dangerous. We can suddenly be seen as cold, ungrateful, and deserving of extreme punishment.
That being said, I also wanted to make something entertaining and not too didactic. Since this film comes from a very personal place, I felt totally comfortable finding the humor and humanity in the most messed up moments. Mixing comedy with the horrible things in life is my natural voice.
What kind of challenges did you face when making this film?
We shot “Get Her Back!” in two days, and the coffee shop scenes, which I underestimated as the easier shoot, was on the first day. I got everything I wanted from the shot list Karina Silva (the amazing DP) and I made but in post I realized I didn’t have all of the coverage I needed to set up the film in the way I wanted. I spent hours and hours combing through the footage to find moments of the actors being in character before the scene actually started so that I could make up for it. I couldn’t believe it worked. It was truly stressful and a lesson learned to really challenge myself to think visually outside of the text. Also shout out to my editor Casey Brooks – I knew restructuring happened in the editing room from my experiences working in television, but I was most surprised by how much is possible. Going into production – -I wanted to make the exact script I wrote. But now I realize so many wonderful discoveries happen after set, and you have challenge yourself to let your initial ideas evolve and grow.
How does it feel to be a part of this year’s HollyShorts?
It feels awesome!!!! I’m so excited.
What’s next for you?
I want to direct a feature adaptation of my play Kentucky about a woman who returns to Kentucky to try to stop her 22-year old sister’s wedding to a born-again Christian. If you’re a producer please get in touch 🙂 I also have a toneal comp to Get Her Back! called Nevada-Tan that I want to get off the ground as well.
In the meantime –
My musical Memoirs of Amorous Gentleman with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik is opening in New York in the fall.
Then my play You Seem Sad is opening there in the spring.
I’m also writing the book forthe musical version of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians! directed by Jon M. Chu.
That will conclude our coverage for today, but be sure to check back for more coverage of each day of the festival! We’ll be here with more coverage, more information, and more celebration of these talented filmmakers and the excellent work they’ve brought to this year’s HollyShorts. See you soon!
BITPIX TV News 