‘CERTAIN THOMAS’ Writer-Director Henry K. Hwang on Algorithmic Supremacy, the Rise of “Dataism” and Why Sci-Fi Is the New Realism: “Our Future Won’t Just Be Shaped by Data, It Will Be Governed by It”

Ahead of the film’s HollyShorts Film Festival run, the filmmaker discusses building an algorithmic totalitarian world through restraint, using Thomas as a reflection of the system around him, the visual language behind The New State and the feature film now in development. Henry K. Hwang’s CERTAIN THOMAS drops audiences into a dystopian America governed by an algorithmic totalitarian regime, but rather than explaining the mechanics … Continue reading ‘CERTAIN THOMAS’ Writer-Director Henry K. Hwang on Algorithmic Supremacy, the Rise of “Dataism” and Why Sci-Fi Is the New Realism: “Our Future Won’t Just Be Shaped by Data, It Will Be Governed by It”

Must-See Films at HollyShorts Film Festival 2026

With more than 430 films screening at this year’s Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival (August 13–23), narrowing the lineup isn’t easy. Here are standout shorts that should be high on your watchlist: Meeting Your Maker (Dir. Gregory J.M. Kasunich | Starring Jonathan Kite, Thomas Lennon, Lenny Jacobson & The Sklar Brothers) A brilliantly original comedy with a delightfully offbeat premise, Meeting Your Maker blends big laughs with surprisingly thoughtful ideas about identity … Continue reading Must-See Films at HollyShorts Film Festival 2026