“Joke,” “Bobby,” “Little Bug,” “Next,” “Birds of Paradise,” “Grown” at HollyShorts
Judi Dench in “Joke” at HollyShorts 2026.
“Joke” is British and features Judi Dench in a scene that is closest to the end and lasts for under 5 minutes.It is 13’20” of jokes that Mooncalf Presents—itself a funny opening. None of the actors rang any bells in my head, with the exception of Dame Judi Dench, but the jokes are pleasant. So, what are the jokes of “Joke?”
1) A deacon is critiquing the very first sermon of a young girl who, among other things, entered by sliding down a banister, ripped up her sermon and threw it in the air after delivering it and—suggests the older priest ever so gently—“When you mention David and Goliath,you might say that David slew Goliath, rather than saying he went medieval on his ass.”
2) A deaf patient is told that his headaches might be alleviated if he put his head between his wife’s breasts. The patient is asking about his wife’s hearing and is told to ask her something softly and gradually move up towards her repeating the question. We learn by the end of THIS joke that the deaf one is not the wife but the husband. And the doctor assumed that the patient understood the breasts in question were attached to the patient’s wife, not the doctor’s!
3) A joke that involved confusion between yachting, versus anal sex was my personal favorite. It’s too long for the set-up, but suffice it to say that the punch line, “He only did it twice. Once he got sick and the second time his hat flew off,” was worth a chuckle.
4) The opening Archbishop of Canterbury joke and the piece involving masturbation were weaker than the others, but upheld the British tradition of randy references. The joke that Dame Judi was cast in (last of the short) was the weakest and involved a rooster; use your imagination.
“BOBBY”
This was a minute and a half and it was fantastic! Henry Burge wrote and directed and there is great action. The low pulsing beat of the music by Connor Musarra with sound design by Eliot Connors was terrific. Bobby has apparently taken at least $10,000. There are some people after him; they aren’t kidding around. I definitely want to see this one as a feature length film or TV series. I hope Anthony Skordi, Siri Miller, Noam Shapiro, Charlz Williams return in a longer feature length film. Director of Photography was Travers Jacobs. This minute and a half was riveting entertainment!
“LITTLE BUG”
Martin Freeman in “Little Bug” at HollyShorts 2026.
Starring Martin Freeman and written and directed by Matt Branston, a very cute Russian dog is chosen to go into space in 1957. Laika, the dog, is being sacrificed for experimental purposes. The pup is so cute and friendly that the phrase we hear from Alexandra Barredo and Martin Freeman, as father and daughter, is “I’m sorry we picked you.” Launched into space in 1957 and officially named Laika, “Little Bug” was the affectionate nickname of the small pup. At the end of the short film onscreen it says, “We did not learn enough to justify the death of this dog.”
“BIRDS OF PARADISE”
Stand-up comic Janeane Garofolo portrays Carmella Camin, a resident of Staten Island who is sick and tired of the hordes of feral wild turkeys that poop all over the place. At one point, she is shown bagging 149 pounds of turkey droppings and lugging it from the grounds. This is apparently a real thing in Staten Island, with no solution in sight. Sean Price Williams directed with Music Supervision by Nick Crane.
Michael Rapaport as Jake Rabinowitz in “Next”at HollyShorts.
Janeane Garofolo is the sole performer. She is great in the part.
“NEXT”
Michael Rapaport appears as actor Jacob Rabinowitz, who is auditioning for a role at the Denizen Theater in Water Street, New Paltz, New York. Denizen is the only European style Cinema Arts Venue in New York and collaborated on this 14’49” film written by Neil LaBute and directed by AdanPeltier.
Rapaport shows why he was used so regularly in Woody Allen movies, displaying true acting chops. He enters the audition with some credits in television and theater, including “guy at the next table in an episode of The Sopranos.” But it is the director—well-played by Mark Feuerstein as Tom (“Tommy”) Jeffries—whose memory conjures up their 7th grade year at Bowman East Junior High School, where the two were classmates.
MarkFeuerstein as Tom (“Tommy”) Jeffries in “Next” at HollyShorts 2026.
Apparently young Jake, when in junior high school with the director now casting his next project, bullied little Tommy Jeffries pulling his pants down in the school cafeteria and taking his lunch money.
Jake, who was the bully, is now to perform the monologue from “The Iron String” for its Writer/Director. I couldn’t help but think about another man with power who loves to humiliate others as retribution.
Director Jeffries has Jake do the scene over and over, changing the notes he gives him and ends by dismissing his childhood nemesis with a curt “We’ll let you know.”
Both actors were terrific in their parts. The piece was an exercise in humiliation but also perhaps a seasoned actor’s way of commenting on directors, in general. Perhaps the message beneath the words is to always be nice to others, because those you abuse on the way up you may meet on the way down.
I watched this one more than three times, to enjoy the great performances by the two leads and to ponder the message.
“GROWN”
An Honorable Mention should go here to the 15’ 16” film “Grown” that featured three girlfriends going out for a night on the town with fake I.D.’s. I laughed out loud when one of the three, getting her first look at her fake I.D. said, “Why are we from Idaho?” She also remarked that the photo was one submitted for a doctor’s appointment (facial work?). Sounded perfect.
As the trio sets off on their adventure, via subway, they encounter a loud drunk who leers suggestively at them. They immediately bury their faces in their phones. When the drunk comes close and says, “Where are you going tonight, ladies?” one of the three pipes up, “Your Mom’s house.” This is not well received by the drunk.
As they exit the subway ( I saw Bergen on a large sign, which is the only city In New Jersey I’ve ever been to; it was subsequently absorbed by Jersey City, New Jersey) one of the girls gets her period. Attending to this becomes a major need, including a stop at a convenience store. Frankie is the only one who has money, which the store clerk demands in order to let them use his rest room. Frankie slaps down a $100 bill and bolts for the rest room in the back.
The three reach the club where the bouncer (Zachary Zamski) immediately calls out the fake I.D.’s and denies the trio entry to the club. One feisty member of the trio even attempts to rush the bouncer, which does not work out well. At that point, a comment is made about the night’s planned entertainment and whether they can, indeed, take in the concert (which may have precipitated rushing the bouncer.) One of the girls says, to Frankie,“That was the plan, before we almost got triple fucked on the subway and you free-bled all over Brooklyn.” The line caused me to laugh so hard that Diet Dr. Pepper came out of my nose.
Kudos to Audrey Circello who wrote and directed. Writers don’t get enough credit, and this writing was exceptionally funny. Additional priase for Olivia Scott Welsh (Shawna), Sydney Leisir (Sabrina), and Savy Jackson who played Frankie. Willa Troy edited. The music was great (Selfish Soul, performed by Sudan Archives.)
An entertaining 15-minute short at HollyShorts 2026.
Synopsis: “Christmas Angels follows a single mother and her young daughter as they navigate poverty, and a mother’s determination not to let their circumstances rob her child of joy.” The duo are homeless, but (apparently) using wire (later used to make Christmas ornaments) to pick locks and find shelter from the wintery blasts. Loosely inspired by writer and co-director Ida Hoffman’s own life with a mother trying to raise three kids by herself, the film marks Ida Hoffman’s debut as a filmmaker.
Ida wrote the piece, directed it and stars in it with a skeleton crew and shot on a shoestring budget. Writer/Director Ida and Co-director Remington Hoffman do a great job of presenting the very attractive mother/daughter duo in distress. Remington deserves praise for the cinematography.
Una Bay Hoffman plays the part of Ida’s young daughter. She is charming in this real-life role. Any mother of a girl thinks their daughter at this age is the cutest child ever. Una certainly is in the running for that title in this film. She reacts with completely genuine familiarity. Most of the charm of the piece comes from watching the mother/daughter duo interact, although it is unlikely that homelessness was ever this much fun in real life or carried out in such high-style surroundings.
PLOT
It was a bit difficult, at first, to understand why Ida and her child hide from the male figure who enters the house, seemingly to pick something up. We later figure out that it is supposed to be Mitch Keeler, the real owner of this pricey piece of real estate.
When the security guard (Benjamin Chamberlain) discovers the mother and child within the house, dressed in large fluffy bathrobes, he apologizes, at first believing Ida’s story that the two are house-sitting. A quick call to Mitch Keeler quickly reveals that “Sarah Smith” is not really house-sitting. The security guard informs Ida that he is going to have to contact the police. At this point, the resourceful Mom Ida asks for a bit of time behind the door to change the two into clothes. They immediately flee.
However, in the very next scene, (apparently somewhere close by), the mother/daughter duo are shown knocking on doors selling home-made wire Christmas tree ornaments house-to-house (to buyers Niles Antoli and Josie O’Brien). The mother/daughter trespassers learn from Niles and Josie that most other residents in this upscale neighborhood have already left for the holidays, which is helpful news that comes at the right time.
The last scenes depict Ida once again picking the lock to gain entry.
CONCLUSION
The lovely homes—exterior and interior—and the beautiful child and mother make the cinematography (by Remington Hoffman) interesting and beautiful, featuring Christmas decorations and lovely homes. Watching the two frolicking and seeking shelter from the elements as occurred at the first Christmas in Bethlehem (in a manger and a stable) is touching. The film—shot with natural light—is beautifully photographed; the sound design is by Lucas Heinel.
The 13’ 25” short is pitched as “timely” in depicting the disparity between the “haves” and the “have nots” in today’s society. The only thing wrong with that logic is that the ability to lock-pick one’s way into posh lodgings for free seemed incredibly easy and unbelievably fast, since the two bogus lodgings seem to have been right around the corner from one another.
Plus, the mother/daughter duo appeared to be the legitimate residents. They are clean and cute and well-dressed in large fluffy robes that they also have apparently “borrowed.” Said the synopsis: “The story feels especially relevant now as economic inequality continues to grow and impact vulnerable populations, including single parents. While conversations around poverty often focus on statistics, Christmas Angels brings the human experience into the foreground and reminds audiences that dignity, imagination, and love are vital and exist far beyond someone’s circumstances.”
At times, this looked like an advertisement for luxury bedding or super-fluffy lounging bathrobes. The sets are beautiful and so are Ida and Una.
Homelessness never looked so good IRL .
Director Rosell Tursi retells the story of her 72-year-old Italian grandmother, Rosa Tursi, who was taken hostage by bank robbers Bernard Belisle and Pierre Racicot in Montreal, Canada on September 1, 1983 in the 25-minute mini-doc “The Time My Grandmother Was Held Hostage by Bank Robbers.”
THE STORY
Convict Bernard Belisle had escaped from Parthenais Prison, where he was doing seven years of time. Bernard and an accomplice, Pierre Racicot, chose to rob a Royal Bank at Bernar and Park Avenue in Montreal. When things did not go smoothly and they were on the run, they saw the open door of Rosa Tursi’s nearby first floor flat and entered.
Armed with guns and a grenade, the duo took Rosa hostage. Bernard recalled that Rosa resisted being handcuffed saying, “She was a tough lady.” The stand-off lasted for 24 hours, during which time Bernard drank a Mountain Dew from Rosa’s refrigerator, offering to pay her for the beverage. Bernard remembered vividly the smell of Italian tomato sauce in the kitchen. He vowed that he would rather die than go back to prison.
THE DIRECTOR
Pierre Raicot in 1983 at the crime scene.
Rosa’s granddaughter, Rosella, who has been editing movies (14) and television shows (28) since at least 2018 decided to track down the truth behind the oft-repeated family story. Rosa, herself, died in January of 2006 at age 94, so it is relatives like Anna Tursi Cirino (daughter) and Morena Taylor and one of the bank robbers, himself (Bernard) who tell the story behind the story. As daughter Anna Tursi Cirino put it, “She was sitting there watching her soap operas and then her life became a soap opera.”
THE ROBBER
One of the robbers, Bernard Belisle, appears and is interviewed. His vow regarding death over imprisonment caused him to inject himself with ethanol, used in veterinarians’ offices, before being taken prisoner and carried from the house on a stretcher. Bernard was taken to the hospital where he remained in a coma for 3 days.
Bernard Belisle in 1983 at the scene of the crime,
Bank robber Bernard Belisle today.
Officials tacked on another 10 years in prison for Bernard as punishment for the escape and the bank robbery. Now reformed, he works at St. Thomas of Assissi Church in Montreal. Bernard knew nothing about his former partner in crime.
ROSA TURSI
Grandma Rosa Tursi on the left, as seen in photographs from “The Time My Grandmother Was Taken Hostage by Bank Robbers” at the HollyShorts 2026 Film Festival.
Rosella’s grandmother refused to move from her first floor home, despite expressing concern that all in the family keep their doors and windows locked from then on and the Tursi family’s concerns for her safety. She lived there, alone, until her death in January of this year.
The story, written by Christine Champagne in collaboration with Rosella, was interesting, and original music was provided by Mandy Hoffman. Newspaper photos and actual testimony from the reformed criminal himself (after 40-some years) made this 25-minute short about a feisty grandmother from Italy, who emigrated from Italy to Canada in 1952 into an interesting and entertaining mini documentary.
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HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2026 AWARD NOMINEES
Top 10 Live Action Short Film Finalists Vie for the Festival’s Oscar®-Qualifying Award
The HollyShorts Film Festival today announced the nominees and finalists for its 22nd annual edition, recognizing standout achievements in short-form filmmaking from emerging and established storytellers around the world.
Taking place August 13–23, 2026 in Hollywood, HollyShorts brings together filmmakers, talent and industry leaders for screenings, panels, networking events and celebrations of independent cinema, culminating in the annual HollyShorts Awards Gala on Sunday, August 23.
At the center of this year’s competition are the Top 10 Live Action Short Film Finalists, competing for HollyShorts’ coveted Oscar®-qualifying awards, Grand Prix and Best Live-Action. They will also vie for the Best Director Award.
TOP 10 LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM FINALISTS
- Callback
- Echoes
- FAUX BIJOUX
- I Am the Prize
- Life Goes On
- Meeting Your Maker
- Never Give Up
- PALE SUN
- Talk Me
- VULTURES
BEST ANIMATION
- Apart
- Captives
- Gauze
- Saba
- With Tapes and Toasts in the Car
BEST DOCUMENTARY
- I Got My Brother
- The Chimney Sweeper
- The Second Life of Freddie Nole
- The Time My Grandmother Was Held Hostage by Bank Robbers
- When the Revolution Doesn’t Come
BEST DRAMA
- Copy, Save
- For Niko
- Gobstopper
BEST COMEDY
- Callback
- Disc
- The Oracle
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Hyena
- Shutterspeed
- The Kalgan Horse
BEST EDITING
- A Crime Across Four Landscapes
- How Brief
- HYENA
BEST HORROR
- Banshee
- Benny’s Second Birthday
- Thick Skin
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
- Betty St. Clair
- King of the Iron Will
- La Lucha de Lucia
BEST STUNTS
- Floor
- kaya (ᜃᜌ)
- The Impression
BEST INTERNATIONAL
- FAUX BIJOUX
- Souvenir
- VULTURES
BEST MIDNIGHT MADNESS
- MORTY
- Thanks to Meet You!
- The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
- Archbishop Harold Holmes
- The Macks – Dually of Man x The Modern Grape
- Weval — Open Up That Door
BEST PERFORMANCE
- Down the Length
- I Am the Prize
- Katya
BEST PRODUCER
- Bobby
- Last Stand at Butte City
- Laundreams
SAGINDIE AWARD
- Them That’s Not
- FarEye
- Woman Land
SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
- AMERICA
- EXTREMIST
- Water Cooler
BEST SCI-FI
- EUROPA
- Imprint
- Infinite Rifts
BEST STUDENT FILM
- Crisis Actor
- Pankaja
- See You, Soon
HOLLYSHORTS × FILMIO STUDIOS AUDIENCE SHORT FILM DISCOVERY PARTNERSHIP
HollyShorts and Filmio Studios have also revealed the Top 10 finalists for their Audience Short Film Discovery Partnership, with five winners set to share $15,000 in cash prizes:
- Another Day in New York — Adam & Sean Pine
- Anxiety — Vladyslav Fidryk
- Christmas Angels — Remington Hoffman
- DOMINO SPRINGS — Dan Hertzog
- From Way Up Here — Celeste Chaney
- Girl | Dad — Lianzi Fields
- Jes and Lora — Patrick Coleman Duncan
- Naughty Maids — Rommel Rojas
- Size Queen — Kenny Fierro
- The POP — Eric J. Rodriguez
KODAK AWARDS
KODAK BEST SHOT ON FILM — 35MM
- It Comes in Waves
- Kink
- Signal
KODAK BEST SHOT ON FILM — 16MM
- El Tiguere
- FAUX BIJOUX
- Gobstopper
BEST TV
- Do I Know You From Somewhere?
- Savage
- Too Romantic
BEST EFFECTS
- Europa
- Oneiros
- The Color
BEST WEB SERIES
- Birth is for P*ssies
- Love Bomb Squad
- Why Do You Hate Me?
MADE IN LA AWARD
- Aaron and His Dad Try To Find Closure & Lucy Celebrates Andie’s Birthday at Universal Citywalk Hollywood
- Christmas Angels
- Spill the Frijoles
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
- Beatport x Miller Mix: Georgia
- Reflections Under the Electric Sky
- shut the fuck up, when WE speak
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
- Miles of Life
- SET PACE
- Zina
BEST PODCAST
- abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast
- Don’t Worry, No One’s Listening
- TWO THOUSAND AND LATE
ABOUT HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL
The Academy Awards® and BAFTA®-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival celebrates its 22nd edition in 2026, continuing its mission of championing short-form filmmakers and connecting emerging and established storytellers with audiences and entertainment-industry leaders.
The 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival runs August 13–23, 2026, headquartered at the TCL Chinese Theatres and venues throughout Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. The festival culminates with the HollyShorts Awards Gala on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
For festival information, schedules and tickets, visit HollyShorts.com
I watched three of the documentary short offerings from HollyShorts tonight. There are usually 4 or 5 such shorts queued up, but tonight there were seven. I still have some to go, and I’m still wondering how I can summon specific films for watching, like “Little Bug.”(Martin Freeman).
ERUCTATION
Kayla, of “Eructation.”First I watched the 7-minute short “Eructation,” about Kaley, who wants to set the world record for the loudest burp, (currently 107.3 decibels.)
Kayla gives us 4 sure-fire methods to help create gas to facilitate burping: consume cereal, soup, beer, sip through a straw and lay down for at least 4 minutes.Cinematographer Max Henderson captures Kayla’s husband, Eric, who is not amused by her obsession with eructation. Says Kayla: “I think he’s super-ready for me to be done. It’s hard on the marriage. I think he’s kind of jealous.”
In the course of the 7-minute film from Director Victoria Trow we learn that different household appliances have different degrees of loudness: Hairdryer- 87 decibels; Vacuum- 74 decibels; Blender – 95 decibels; Barking dog – 76 decibels; Lawn mower – 93 decibels; Leaf blower -105 decibels; Forest – 35 decibels.
Kayla does not break the world record for burping. Maybe she can go for farting next?
PLUMPED
This 12’11” Rolling Stone short gives credit to Kylie Jenner and 2013/2014 for giving insecure women permission to spend as much as $20,000 to improve their faces (in particular their lips) by having them injected with Botox in an attempt to “feel sexy.” One girl, pictured having a needle inserted into her lips, said it was painful, but added, “but it’s good pain.”
Ouch!
A MAN WHO TAKES PICTURES OF FLOWERS
A gorgeous film! Bravo!
Korean native Jung Myung Kim was the photographer who spent 40 years taking pictures of flowers in Korea. He described for the documentarian, who collated 6,000 hours of movie clip of flowers in Korea to make this gorgeous film, how he actually stole his first camera and then learned to operate it.
One surprising bit of information, for me, personally, was this:
Convallaria majalis) or Lily of the Valley is a highly toxic plant containing over 30 cardiac glycosides (like convallatoxin) and saponins. Every part of the plant—including the leaves, flowers, roots, berries, and even the water in a vase—is poisonous and can cause severe gastrointestinal and cardiac illness if ingested.
Yikes!
My parents had a flower bed of Lily of the Valley planted right outside the ground floor window of my bedroom. It was customary for me, on Saturday mornings, to climb out the window and wade through the bed of Lily of the Valley and disappear in the neighborhood, in an attempt to avoid my mother’s favorite early Saturday morning wake-up call to “pitch in” and begin cleaning the house.
Mom was a kindergarten teacher. She routinely roused me and my four-years-older sister Kay to help clean the house early on Saturday mornings. It was not high on our list of “favorite things to do.”
My sister generally weakly resisted Mom’s directions to “pitch in.” Kay probably evaded it using some health ploy, as that seems to have been her M.O.
I took more evasive action. I actually climbed out of the ground floor window, wading through the Lily-of-the-Valley plants, and took off. I used a similar strategy to avoid going to the dentist (Dr. Lowell Schrader), although that avoidance technique was launched from elementary school and never worked well, long-term. This technique might not be something that today’s youth could safely do, but in small town America then, it was not only safe, but savvy. Never knew I was risking life and limb by wading amongst the Lilies-of-the-Valley, however.
Let’s enjoy some of the gorgeous flowers that a
ppear in the 
short:
Iman Karram as Yara in “It’s Complicated,” screening at the HollyShorts Film Festival.
The 17’ 42” short “It’s Complicated”, executive produced by Zoe Saldana, is an Iman Karram one-woman show. Written, produced by and starring Iman Karram, It’s Complicated follows Yara, “a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles, whose online Arabic lessons with Hana (Dina Shuhaiber), a poet and teacher living in Gaza, blossom into a profound friendship built on shared ambition, humor, and sisterhood. Mainly, we learn about Hana as she attempts to tutor Yara via Zoom, helping her to master speaking Arabic.”
CAST
Besides Iman Karram and Dina Schuhaiber as the pregnant tutor from afar, Liz Charky was the Director of Photography and Tarek Yamani contributed an original score. Darine Hotait co-wrote with Iman Karram. Amongst those thanked as supporters, in addition to Zoe Saldana, were Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Pedro Pascal, the Arab Film and Media Institute and the Islamic Scholarship Fund.
IMAN KARRAM
“Iman Karram is an Arab American actress, writer, and producer from Washington, D.C. …She spent her early years dancing competitively, interning on Capitol Hill, and performing in regional theater before earning degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Film at UCLA.
She recently starred opposite Michael Angarano and Michael Cera in the Tribeca-premiering feature “Sacramento”. Her project “Like The Tide”, was written, produced, and led by Iman. Celebrated for both her comedic instincts and her athletic background, recognized by LeBron James and the LA Rams, Iman brings a dynamic physicality and emotional intelligence to every role she takes on.”
Writer/Director/Actress Iman Karram of “It’s Complicated” at HollyShorts Film Festival.
The above 2 paragraphs, quoted from IMDBPRO, explain who Iman Karram is. I did not notice any “dynamic physicality” in her role as Yara. Yara’s conversations with the distant Hana, who is pregnant and awaiting the birth of a child, were not very dramatic, given Hana’s situation. We hear Yara attempting to master Arabic and cooking. While interesting, it seemed to skirt the very real life-and-death issues enveloping the Gaza Strip.
THE BACKDROP
With all the recent publicity involving Israel and Palestine and the Gaza Strip, a great deal of drama was omitted from this short that could have informed us about the ongoing Gaza Strip situation. That message was not driven home with any forcefulness. We see Iman cooking and chatting with Hana, but the short is largely lifeless regarding the visceral issues laid bare after the assault on Israel by 6,000 Hamas warriors on October 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,200 Jewish civilians and the abduction of 251 hostages to Gaza (what has been dubbed “the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.”)
THRUST/COUNTER-THRUST
That invasion of Israel by Hamas triggered the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike back at Gaza. There are estimates of 73,000 direct deaths, 463 famine death, and 10,000 presumed buried under rubble in the Gaza Strip, according to Wikipedia.
At least 173,900 Palestinian Arabs have been injured. Gaza now has the most child amputees, per capita, of any nation in the world, with more than 21,000 children disabled and 50% of casualties being women and children.
As of May, 2024, 84% of Gaza’s health centers had been destroyed or damaged, as had all 12 of Gaza’s universities. Eighty-five per cent of Gaza’s population were forcibly displaced and the government of South Africa instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice alleging a violation of the Genocide Convention.
CONCLUSION
There was definitely an engrossing story that could have been told to add to the viewer’s knowledge of what is going on in the Gaza Strip.
This wasn’t it.
Nolan Gould of “The Liars of Black Mountain Road” at HollyShorts.
Nolan Gould, who played Luke Dunphy for 247 episodes of “Modern Family” between 2009 and 2020, appears in the HollyShorts 12’ 37” film opposite Millie Gibbons as Abbie. Gibbons played Kelly Neelan on “Coronation Street” for 172 episodes between 2019 and 2022. Millie also appeared in “Dr. Strange.”
Also mentioned in the credits of this Parker Groff directed short is Aidan Gould, Nathan’s brother, as Music Supervisor, with Ian Chase in charge of sound design. Perhaps the most remarkable music choice was the use of “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Anslem Douglas of Baba Men.
MUSIC
Gould removing the dead dog from the highway.
The choice of “Who Let the Dogs Out?” coincides nicely with the theme of the short, which involves a couple who accidentally hit and kill a dog on a highway (filmed near Los Angeles) and then attempt to do the right thing and contact the owner. There is a chip on the dog’s collar with the owner’s phone number and the couple does stop and notify the owner (Bill Welden) who drives out to recover the dead body of his pet.
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES ?
But does Ethan (Nathan Gould) tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth in letting the owner know how his pet died? That is Abbie’s (Millie Gibbons) repeated question for Ethan. She feels it incumbent to tell the bereaved owner the whole truth of the tragedy. (A second song used is “There Is So Much Pain in the World,” performed by Touching Ice, but the tune that burrows its way into your consciousness is “Who Let the Dogs Out?”)
Who, indeed?
Millie Gibbons with Nolan Gould in “The Liars of Black Mountain Road” at HollyShorts Film Festival.
We never learn the answer to that question. You can draw your own conclusions as to which member of this couple—-Ethan or Abbie—is the most truthful and honest.
It was fun to see Nolan Gould as a much-older version of Luke Dunphy, although his remark on a talk show interview that he is a member of MENSA defies believability based on past performances as the youngest male “Modern Family” member. We can assume that he is such a good actor that he portrayed a dim bulb beautifully.
As always, smart to have a car be the “set” for this small slice of life, which has us pondering issues about truth and transparency that are germane with what’s going on in today’s world—especially the political world.
Michael Keaton in “Sweetwater,” a HollyShorts offering.
Michael Keaton directed and starred in a 20’ 52” Holly Shorts short entitled “Sweetwater” that also featured veteran actress Kyra Sedgewick. It was a stroll down memory lane into the past for main character Robert (Bobby), who is returning to the home once occupied by his now-deceased mother, a former Hollywood singer/actress.
The mysterious gift-giver of what appears to be a black 8-ball that Michael Keaton’s character (Robert/Bobby) rolls across the floor of his mother’s house after entering summons an apparition of Mom during life. The disembodied voice says it is “a token of appreciation” and “something that your incredible mother deserved.” The gift allows Robert (Keaton) to interact with Mom one more time, from beyond the grave—but not in a spooky or scary fashion.
DENOUEMENT
Michael Keaton’s character of Robert/Bobby is the son of the dead woman who is now able to show up and give him, one last time, a tour of the house where she lived during life with her Teddy Bear of a husband for 42 years.
The interesting thing, for me, was seeing Michael Keaton again, credited as Michael Keaton Douglas. The 75-year-old has not been as present on our movie screens since his Oscar-nod in “Birdman” in 2014, 12 years ago. Keaton’s real name is and was Michael Douglas; he merely adopted Keaton to cut down on the confusion with the other Michael Douglas and has never legally changed his name.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Michael Keaton (5’10”) (Douglas) and 6’3″son Sean Douglas.
The script was written by Sean Douglas, who also composed the music. Cinematography was by Christopher Ripley. The special effects were as good as those used on the TV show “Ghosts,” a UK import. In that series, a couple inherits a house that they hope to turn into a bed-and-breakfast,only to learn that it is inhabited by ghosts. One of the new owners develops the ability to see the ghosts, which leads to humorous situations.
Here, humor is missing, conflict is missing, and it’s as if Jackie Kennedy rose from the dead to take us on another of her tours of the White House. It was kind of an odd dispirited tour when Jackie was alive (yes, I’m old enough to remember it) with Jackie speaking in that Marilyn Monroe-like Little Girl voice. If Jackie O. had led us on that tour as a spectre or a wraith it would have been even stranger , but not necessarily any more engrossing or entertaining. Just….odder.
This short led me to think that, like “Chop Cheese” that featured Christopher Meloni helping launch his daughter Sophia’s directorial career, Michael Keaton (Douglas) is trying to help a family member (son Sean) get a start on a larger career in Hollywood. Or maybe it marks a new chapter for the 75-year-old Oscar-nominated Keaton himself, who is already a producer. He’s been somewhat quiescent since his 2014 Oscar-nomination for “Birdman,” (although he did suit up for “The Flash” in 2023 and was in “Morbius” in 2022), so maybe he’s going in a new direction?
SEAN DOUGLAS
Sean Douglas Michael’s son, is the 43-year-old father of two (married in 2014), who attended Washington University in St. Louis. He has already established a strong career as a songwriter. A Grammy Award-nominee,[5] he co-wrote Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man“, which won the ACM Award for Single of the Year,[6] the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Song,[7] the CMA Award for Single of the Year[8] and the BMI Award for Song of the Year.[9] The song, released in 2016, was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.[10] Douglas also worked on Lizzo’s “Like A Girl” and “Soulmate” from her Grammy-winning album Cuz I Love You.
The music is solid and Kyra Sedgewick gets to sing, which she does well.
Kyra Sedgewick in the HollyShorts film “Sweetwater,” directed by Michael Keaton Douglas.
CONFLICT
For me—a genre fiction writer and University of Iowa grad—there should be some conflict in a story—even a short one— to hold the reader’s interest. Here there is none. The deceased Mom seems to have had a lovely life and a great career and takes us on a pleasant tour of her former home. Michael Keaton just stands around or walks around the now-empty house. (Jackie Kennedy Onassis does not chime in with commentary, which would have been an interesting, if inexplicable, turn the plot might have taken just to keep us interested.) The film was the equivalent of sitting down with your grandmother to leaf through her photo albums, which, as we all know, is the favorite thing for Generation Z movie-goers—who are rushing off to see “Obsession” at the theater—to do.
With old pros like these two involved, the end product is okay. But, for me, it was not riveting storytelling and I’m not sure that a longer version of this would attract today’s audiences.
Executive-produced projects from Zoe Saldaña, Margot Robbie, Barry Keoghan, Idris and Sabrina Elba, Serena Williams and more also headline the 2026 programme for HollyShorts, on now..
The HollyShorts Film Festival now in its 22nd edition, continues its legacy as one of the world’s premier showcases for short-form cinema. Taking place August 13–23, 2026, at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatres and venues throughout Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, the Oscar®-qualifying festival will present 430 films selected from thousands of submissions from filmmakers around the globe.
Martin Freeman in Little Bug
Among this year’s headline premieres is Renée Zellweger’s directorial debut They, while Martin Freeman stars in Little Bug, the story of Laika, the first dog to orbit Earth aboard a Soviet space mission. Michael Keaton directs and stars opposite Kyra Sedgwick in Sweetwater, while Alexandra Shipp makes her directorial debut with For Niko, in which she also stars. Vincent Cassel leads the sports drama The Colosseum, and Michael Caine lends his voice to the poetic wartime drama Bobby.
Additional marquee selections include Selah, Lara Everly’s comedy-drama starring Milana Vayntrub; It’s Complicated, written by and starring Iman Karram and executive produced by Zoe Saldaña; and The Sisters of Scott County, featuring Kaitlyn Dever and Ava Phillippe. Michael Gandolfini and Christopher Meloni lead Sophia Meloni’s coming-of-age comedy Chop Cheese, while Lara Condor, Owen Teague and Kaia Gerber star in Get Her Back!, written by acclaimed New York playwright Leah Nanako Winkler and executive produced by Margot Robbie.
Other featured titles include Renée Marie Petropoulos’ Souvenir; See You, Soon, starring Asante Black and Isaiah John; Gregory Kasunich’s Meeting Your Maker, starring Jonathan Kite; Callum Adams’ Townies (or, My Little Town), starring Maren Lord and Michel Gil; and Rachel Olson’s Homebodies, starring Sam Richardson and Martha Kelly.
Other notable live-action shorts include the Jordan Peele-produced horror Spilled Milk, directed by Jared Leaf and starring J. Alphonse Nicholson and Kid Cudi; Charlie Dennis’ The Pigs Underneath, executive produced by Jordan Peele; Alanna Longo’s Am I a Bad Person?; the comedy-horror FruitHead, starring Bradley Whitford; Emily Alpren and Marchelle Bradanini’s Floored, starring Mara Wilson; Hazart’s Stay for the Q+A, starring Jim Cummings; Kendra Jo’s Please Return Your Cart, starring Russell Hornsby and Kimrie Lewis; Aristides Mantilla’s In the Still of the Night, starring Academy Award winner Yalitza Aparicio; and Nell Riley’s Missed, starring Anna Camp.
Dame Judi Dench in Joke
Among the standout British entries is Joke, directed by Bob Cryer, son of legendary comedian Barry Cryer, featuring an all-star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry and Alison Steadman. Pippa Lore Feldberg Collins’ Gobstopper, starring Mia McKenna-Bruce and Annabel Scholey, is executive produced by Barry Keoghan and Simon Curtis, while BRUVVAS, directed by and starring Katie McGuinness, features Ben Whishaw. Also screening is Darius Norowzian’s Fox, starring Todd Von Joel and Kierston Wareing. Zak Jarvis’ Signal starring Emmy award winner, 2 x BAFTA nominee Christopher Eccleston as Ray, a railway Signalman whose routine night shift turns into a race to save a life after spotting Billy – a distressed young man trespassing on the tracks, played by BAFTA winner Jack Rowan.
Other notable British selections include David Ledger’s sock-puppet comedy Odd Socks, starring Sandi Toksvig and Paterson Joseph; Alex Lanipekun’s Echoes, featuring Ashley Walters, Nathalie Emmanuel and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and executive produced by Nicholas Pinnock; Sai Karan Talwar’s I Am the Prize, starring Russell Tovey; Still Life, starring Ophelia Lovibond; How to Hide It, executive produced by Idris and Sabrina Elba; Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt’s Life Goes On, starring David Bradley; and Catherine Joy White’s documentary Swim Sistas, narrated by Naomie Harris, exploring the relationship between Black women and swimming.
The documentary programme includes The Revolution Against Death from Oscar-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer; Daniel Straub’s A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil; and Victoria Trow’s Eructation, following the woman attempting to break the world record for the loudest burp.
Animation highlights include Pigeons, directed by Amos Sussigan and featuring the voice of Andy Serkis, and Stephen P. Neary’s Sundance-winning Living with a Visionary, narrated by James Cromwell. Natasha Lyonne, Yara Shahidi and Daveed Diggs lend their voices to ChikaBOOM!, while Oscar-nominated Butterfly and Academy Award-winning The Girl Who Cried Pearls further strengthen the animated programme. Also screening is Apart, directed by Pola Maneli and written by Academy Award winner Spike Lee, a moving story of two boys whose friendship is tested during apartheid in South Africa. Rounding out the programme is Send Nudes, directed by Student Academy Award nominee David Sick.
The festival’s music video programme includes Gorillaz’s The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God and Jack White’s Archbishop Harold Holmes, starring John C. Reilly.
Led by Emmy Award-winning producer Jessica Badawi since its launch in 2024, HollyShorts’ Sports programme returns with another exceptional lineup. Serena Williams executive produces Zina, a documentary chronicling the remarkable life and career of tennis pioneer Zina Garrison, while four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry joins two-time Academy Award® winner Ben Proudfoot to co-direct The Baddest Speechwriter of All, exploring the extraordinary life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s trusted lawyer and speechwriter, Clarence B. Jones. Also featured is Grenadye Alaso! 1974–2026, directed by Leo Volcy and executive produced by Grammy Award-winning Haitian producer and DJ Michael Brun alongside U.S. soccer legend Jozy Altidore, celebrating Haiti’s return to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years.
As one of the world’s leading Oscar®-qualifying short film festivals, HollyShorts offers Academy Award® qualification in four categories: Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Live-Action Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short, making it a key launchpad for filmmakers seeking recognition on the international stage.
Expanding beyond this year’s official selection, HollyShorts is launching two global film fund initiatives with a combined $40,000 in prizes.
The HollyShorts Film Festival Short Film Fund will award one filmmaker a $25,000 prize package, including a $10,000 production grant from IMGN, a Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, one-to-one mentorship from acclaimed filmmakers and industry executives, Kodak production support for both the winner and runner-up, and an official world premiere at the 2027 HollyShorts Film Festival.
The festival is also introducing the HollyShorts & Film.io Audience-Validated Competition, presented in partnership with Film.io Studios and the Film.io platform. Open to completed short films, the initiative provides filmmakers with an audience-driven discovery platform where they can build momentum, compete for $15,000 in cash awards, and position future projects for financing opportunities.
Celebrating more than two decades of championing emerging talent and bold storytelling, the HollyShorts Film Festival continues to be a vital force in discovering the next generation of filmmakers from around the world.
Luca Rickman,Dante.
“Chop Cheese” was directed by 25-year-old Sophia Meloni from a story idea from her 3-years younger brother Dante Meloni. There is a brief appearance near the end of the 15-minute short from Dad Christopher Meloni, familiar to fans of “Special Victims Unit” as Detective Stabler, who appeared opposite Mariska Hargitay in that role from 1999 until 2011.
Mariska Hargitay, godmother to Meloni’s son (Dante) and daughter (Sophia), is credited for her contribution at film’s end.
The short opens with three teen-aged boys entering a bodega to order chop cheese sandwiches from the old-timer manning the grill, Enzio (Mark Lake). Chop Cheese, spicey mayo seems to be the favorite for all three boys. They are en route to their own New York homes via the subway. One boy takes Train One. We learn that Luca’s character, Dante, has two moms and lives in the West Village.
The grizzled cook (Mark Lake as Enzio ) represents a sort of male model for Dante. He is familiar to the boy and always calls the young man “Boss.” Dante compliments the chef at the Village Gourmet Deli saying, “You’re the man.”
Enzio replies that he doesn’t own the grill; he just works there.
Mark Lake as Enzio the cook.
MORAL
When Mom Isabel Gillie notices that Dante’s purchases are mounting up, she insists that he get a job. Veteran character actor Lawrence Gilliard, Jr. (“The Wire”) makes an appearance here, as Dante’s co-worker, delivering Coca Cola and other food supplies, set in a large warehouse.
Upon returning to the Village Gourmet Deli, late in the short, Dante encounters two strangers behind the grill, played by Michael Gandolfini (son of James Gandolfini) and Christopher Meloni. Dante asks about the missing cook.
Enzio has left. This underscores the film’s main message, “People move on. Things change.”
At one point in the dialogue the Bodega chef had told the teenager, “It’s time to move on.”
Dante responded, “People move on.” Mark Lake, the grizzled short order cook said, “That they do, kid, or they don’t.”
CONCLUSION
I recently read a college application letter from a 17-year-old who commented that the normal routines of her life will change dramatically with her looming graduation from high school and subsequent entrance to college. It is true that young people sometimes fail to realize that there will be drastic changes to their lives as they grow up . In this short, we see Dante encountering that very fact of maturity, as represented by Enzio, the short order cook, who has simply left his long-time post and drifted out of Dante’s life.
The only constant in life is change; Dante is just realizing this as he matures into adulthood.
As the famous line from “The Outsiders” put it, “Nothing gold can stay.”