HOLLYSHORTS SPOTLIGHT: Sam Rudykoff’s HALFWAY HAUNTED Flips the Script on Gentrification

In a medium where short films often meander before finding their hook, Sam Rudykoff’s Halfway Haunted grabs your attention immediately, drawing you into a world that feels deeply bizarre yet anchored in familiarity. Rudykoff’s cold open finds Jess (Hannan Younis) alone in a dingy apartment, practicing for a job interview – only to be interrupted by blood dripping from the ceiling and a fridge door … Continue reading HOLLYSHORTS SPOTLIGHT: Sam Rudykoff’s HALFWAY HAUNTED Flips the Script on Gentrification

HollyShorts Film Festival Celebrates 21 Years With Star-Studded Lineup

Featuring Stephen Fry, the Late Michael Madsen, Lena Waithe, Stormzy, Idris Elba, Slick Rick, Kit Harington, Chris Pine, Letitia Wright, Snoop Dogg, Viola Davis and Chloë Sevigny With more exciting films Executive Produced by Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Issa Rae and Patty Jenkins The HollyShorts Film Festival returns this summer for its 21st edition, continuing its legacy as one of the world’s premier showcases for … Continue reading HollyShorts Film Festival Celebrates 21 Years With Star-Studded Lineup

Film Review: Jake Wachtel’s THE SENTRY delivers with precision

Writer-director Jake Wachtel’s The Sentry is a short film with big ambition—and it delivers with precision. Officially selected for SXSW London, Raindance, and Palm Springs International ShortFest, this genre-bending action-comedy is far more than a clever twist on spy tropes. It’s a deft meditation on complicity, power, and the unseen human cost behind global intrigue. And it firmly establishes Wachtel as one of the most exciting directorial … Continue reading Film Review: Jake Wachtel’s THE SENTRY delivers with precision

A Soul-Stirring Triumph of Queer, Spiritual Cinema

Every once in a while, a short film arrives that doesn’t just move you—it reorients your emotional and moral compass. WITNESS, the extraordinary new work from directors Radha Mehta and Saif Jaan, is one of those rare pieces. Bold, tender, and quietly revolutionary, this film is a masterclass in storytelling that pulses with empathy and moral clarity. Bold, tender, and quietly revolutionary, Set in a devout, … Continue reading A Soul-Stirring Triumph of Queer, Spiritual Cinema

RAINDANCE SPOTLIGHT: Tristan Loraine on His Two Documentaries Premiering at Raindance 2025

In this interview, former airline captain turned filmmaker Tristan Loraine talks about his two documentaries – This Is Your Captain Speaking and Our Journey with Lobular Cancer – that will be making their world premiere at the 2025 Raindance Film Festival this June. Your route into filmmaking is quite unique. Can you tell us about your journey into becoming a filmmaker? In 2006, I was … Continue reading RAINDANCE SPOTLIGHT: Tristan Loraine on His Two Documentaries Premiering at Raindance 2025