2019 HollyShort Film Festival - Film

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   2019 HollyShorts Film Festival - Film

Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

The 2019 HollyShorts Film Festival Celebrated Fifteen Years In Style!

    

      The 2019 HollyShorts Film Festival celebrated 15 years of excellence and opportunity for film makers and fans. The event was held at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood. The ten day fest saw sold out screenings daily and packed attendance at panels, social mixers, after parties and of course the grand finale; the awards night presentations that took place at the Harmony Gold Screening Room on the world famous Sunset Strip.

     The fest opened with a keynote conversation with industry heavyweight Anthony Russo. A host of other informative panels provided participating film makers with the opportunity to dialogue via Q&A upfront and personal with knowledgeable industry brass, then socialize with them afterward during the post panel social mixers. This also provided ample opportunity for everyone to power network

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     HollyShorts co-founders Theo Dumont and Daniel Sol along with fest director Nicole Castro has built a powerhouse film fest that is now recognized worldwide with film entries from over 80 countries. HollyShorts is also a Hollywood Film/TV industry go to mainstay and has 3 Oscar qualifying categories of which a couple of their film makers have won. One such film is “Skin” by Oscar winning director Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman, which was the feature awards ceremonies closing night film.

     “The Orphan” received the Oscar-Qualifying Best Live Action award and “SISTER” snagged the Best Animation award. The three films – “Balloon,” “The Orphan” and “SISTER” are officially now qualified to be in the running for an Academy AwardⓇ in 2020. 

L-R: Raraka Ito & Mako Hironaka; Impossible Dream & Dest Director Awards for "Homesick"

  “Homesick” was recognized with two top prizes including Best Director and Best Grand Jury Impossible Dream Award, which will be turned into a feature courtesy of Impossible Dream Entertainment and is notably one of the biggest prizes of the night.

   

Award Winners On Stage

  “Mum’s Hairpins” took home the Best International Award which includes a generous roundtrip to London and badges to C21’s Content London, courtesy of Studio 21; at the conference they will have the opportunity to pitch their shorts as a series. Best Screenplay is sponsored by Seattle Film Summit for the second year in a row and the winner “Desmond’s Not Here Anymore” will see the script made into a short and premiered at HollyShorts 2020. Film Augusta will be flying out both Best Comedy “Adams” and Best Drama “The Neighbors’ Window” to Augusta, Georgia to meet with Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. and the Augusta Film Commission. 

    

Crowd Filing Out For A Festive After Party!

“Esta Es Tu Cuba” won the Best Panavision Future Filmmaker Award and will receive $15K Camera Package from Panavision. Stampede Ventures awarded “Tangles and Knots” the Best Female Director Award, “STARBOY” went on to win Revry’s Distribution deal for Best LGBTQ+, “The Old Wolves Club” was awarded the PaperChase Film PitchFest Award, and “T A L K” won the ISA Story Award.

HollyShorts Film Festival 2019 Awards Winners

Best Action – Mama Bear

Best Animation – SISTER

Best Cinematographer – On The Border

Best Comedy – Adams

Best Coming of Age – Now You Know

Best Director – Homesick

Best Diversity – Catch A Girl

Best Doc – Lazarus

Best Drama – The Neighbors’ Window

Best Editing – For The Love I Show

Best Female Director – Tangles and Knots

Best Grand Jury Impossible Dream Award – Homesick

Best Horror – Oscar’s Bell

Best International – Mum’s Hairpins

Best LGBTQ+ – Starboy

Best Live Action – The Orphan

Best Music Video – Pa’lante

Best Narrative – Lady Parts

Best Panavision Future Filmmaker Award – Esta Es Tu Cuba

Best Period Piece – The Legend of Grayson Crockett

Best Producer – Piel Canela

Best Romance – Evelyn x Evelyn

Best Sci Fi – Storm

Best Screenplay – Desmond’s Not Here Anymore

Best Short Film Grand Prix – Balloon

Best Shot On Film – Spin Cycle

Best Student – Tree #3

Best Thriller – Shehita

Best TV Category – Rainbow Ruthie

Best VFX – The Shipment

Best Web Series – Black Girls Guide to Fertility

Honorable Mention – A Million Eyes

ISA Story Award – T A L K

PaperChase Films Award – The Old Wolves Club

Screenplay Runner Up – Fireflies

Screenplay Runner Up – Meadow Valley Dollhouse Competition 

 © 2019 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

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