OSCAR CONTENDING DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT – Tom Koch on OLIVE “In the edit, through Lesley Ann Warren’s performance, I realized something even more powerful”

The awards season is heating up, and among the standout contenders is a deeply affecting short film that has quietly become a festival favorite. With its poignant narrative, elegant direction, and a powerhouse performance from the legendary Lesley Ann Warren, OLIVE is more than just a film, it’s a meditation on love, memory, and the human spirit. At the heart of OLIVE is filmmaker Tom Koch, a rising … Continue reading OSCAR CONTENDING DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT – Tom Koch on OLIVE “In the edit, through Lesley Ann Warren’s performance, I realized something even more powerful”

OSCAR CONTENDING SERIES – MONEY TALK$ — A Gritty, Original Short with Oscar-Worthy Potential

By Jane Fitzgerald In MONEY TALK$, director Tony Mucci delivers a gripping and uniquely structured short film that grips you from the first frame and doesn’t let go. Set in the gritty, chaotic heart of 1981 New York City, the most violent year in the city’s history, the film tells its story not through a single protagonist, but through the journey of a $100 bill. This … Continue reading OSCAR CONTENDING SERIES – MONEY TALK$ — A Gritty, Original Short with Oscar-Worthy Potential

FILM BUSINESS 2026 OSCAR CONTENDER SERIES – Jack Howard’s The Second Time Around: An Oscar-Qualified Short That Lingers Long After It Ends

By Jane Fitzgerald With The Second Time Around, filmmaker Jack Howard makes a strikingly confident leap from comedy into dramatic territory, crafting a short that feels both intimate and cinematic in scope. Already Oscar and BAFTA qualified, and a recent Best Sci-Fi winner at HollyShorts, the film arrives with real awards momentum, and deservedly so. Set on a rain-drenched London night, the story pairs rising British star Hannah … Continue reading FILM BUSINESS 2026 OSCAR CONTENDER SERIES – Jack Howard’s The Second Time Around: An Oscar-Qualified Short That Lingers Long After It Ends

Film Review – BAFTA-Winning Rock, Paper, Scissors Storms into Oscar Contention with HollyShorts Selection

Fresh off its win for Best British Short Film at the 2025 BAFTAs, Rock, Paper, Scissors has emerged as one of the most powerful short films of the year and it’s now poised for even greater acclaim with its official selection for the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. Directed by Franz Böhm and produced by Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer, the 21-minute war drama is a raw, unflinching portrayal of … Continue reading Film Review – BAFTA-Winning Rock, Paper, Scissors Storms into Oscar Contention with HollyShorts Selection

Philippe Grenier’s MUSCAT – a painful story of self discovery

Philippe Grenier’s Muscat is a powerful and emotionally charged short film that delves into themes of incommunicability, sexual awakening, and the harsh realities of societal taboos. Set against the backdrop of Morocco, where the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals remains a poignant issue, the film follows 16-year-old Samir, a fisherman struggling with his emerging attraction to men. His world is turned upside down when he meets Louis, a … Continue reading Philippe Grenier’s MUSCAT – a painful story of self discovery