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) directed by Freddie Fox. This story spans 250 years! It is told almost entirely through the eyes of a statue and a painting. When the new ancient statue of an athletic young man arrives in an English manor, it can’t quite be seen by the virginal young woman in a painting on the wall. Through the years things get moved about, but there is always something that prevents the two from seeing each other. Until, a guide at the manor turns them just a bit. The connection is made—and is it!
The Second Time Around (12 minutes) directed by Jack Howard. On a stormy night, as a waitress is closing up her café, a strange older woman appears having left her umbrella earlier. As she has a cup of tea, she tells the waitress the story of meeting the love of her life there many years before. Her lover eventually took her own life. The woman wishes she could tell her how loved she was. The twist at the end is fairly predictable, but enjoyable all the same.
Freyr (17 minutes) directed by David Telles. Not all connections are romantic. This is the story of Tom, a man with very odd facial features who begins a new job. He assumes he’ll be something of a pariah because of his looks. But he’s befriended by Frank, a man with no thumbs, but a hand growing out of his chest. Through their friendship Tom gets a chance to discover that “normal” may not be as important as he has always thought.
My Favorite Murderer (9 minutes) directed by Tina Carbone. Gayle is a true crime fanatic. For her birthday, her boyfriend throws a crime theme party, which thrills her. He also asks her to move in, which thrills her more. But late that night she discovers a side of him she never knew. Will it destroy their relationship…or make it stronger?
Max Distance (15 minutes) directed by Marissa Goldman. A woman sits through Zoom work meetings as she fantasizes about her neighbor across the street. She’s a bit of a stalker. She tries to figure out what will impress him. She undermines his other dates. When they finally meet, her past tricks come back to haunt her.
It’s Not You…It’s the Aliens! (7 minutes) directed by Taylor Anthony Miller. When a man tells his girlfriend about his encounter with extraterrestrials, it’s a bit weird. But it gets even weirder when he tells her one of their messages to him was that they need to break up. She is not at all pleased. When she storms off, he’s left in the street, until a light shines down on him.
