Teachers inspiring students is a familiar theme in films. Tinā, from writer/director Miki Magasiva, is the latest in a long line of such films. In this film, as in most such films, it is a two-way street as a teacher may not only bring something new to the students,...
“Into death and beyond it.” There are many times that I will think of a film derisively as hagiography (life of a saint). I say derisively, because it seems to be making someone look far better than they really were. So what am I to do with Anthony D’Ambrosio’s...
On the surface, Pools, written and directed by Sam Hayes, is about escaping the heat into the cool blue water. There are currents at work below the surface that occasionally take us deeper into questions of how we find the meaning of our lives. Kennedy (Odessa A’zion)...
Real life is often fodder for filmmaking. Films that are “based (or inspired) by true events” are not uncommon. That is true for shorts as well. Here are a few of the films at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival that have their genesis from real...
Among the hundreds of films at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, there were several that involved religious perspectives. I’d like to share a few that show just a touch of Jewish life. Babka (17 minutes) directed by Serena Dykman. Set in a Hasidic...
Lots of stories involve finding an important connection—or failing to find one. It’s the basis of romcoms, but also of more serious romances. Here are a few such stories from the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. The Painting & the Statue (20 minutes)...
Horror and magical realism aren’t really my favorite genres, but when they are in smaller doses I can be enticed to watch a few. Here are some that are part of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. The Pearl Comb (20 minutes) directed by Ali Cook. This is a...
Since I fit in the demographic, I like to check out the way shorts treat aging and the changes that come with years that have piled up. The “Golden Age” section at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival had several different perspectives. I find it a bit...
Documentary shorts have the ability to introduce people to issues and people that we need to know about. They can show us a world in need of healing and community. Here are a few of the short docs from the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival that call us to pay...