‘CELESTE IN THE SUMMER’ Director Hobby Holmes on Love, Control and Building a World Where Nothing Is Quite What It Seems

The filmmaker behind the HollyShorts World Premiere discusses blending romance and science fiction, creating an idyllic world that gradually turns unsettling, the influence of more than a decade making cinematic music films, and his approach to visual storytelling. With CELESTE IN THE SUMMER, writer-director Hobby Holmes takes what initially appears to be an idyllic summer romance and gradually reveals something far more unsettling beneath the surface. … Continue reading ‘CELESTE IN THE SUMMER’ Director Hobby Holmes on Love, Control and Building a World Where Nothing Is Quite What It Seems

‘LITTLE BUG’ Turns the Space Race Into an Intimate Story of Love, Loss and Connection

Writer-director Matt Branston on bringing Laika’s final days to the screen, shooting from a dog’s perspective, and using the 1957 space race to tell a deeply human story The story of Laika, the Soviet space dog sent into orbit in 1957, has become one of the most haunting chapters in the history of space exploration. But in LITTLE BUG, writer-director Matt Branston deliberately moves away from … Continue reading ‘LITTLE BUG’ Turns the Space Race Into an Intimate Story of Love, Loss and Connection

‘BLEEDER’ Director Jeremy Max on Turning Physical Pain Into Emotional Survival: “I Wanted to Give My Character the Win I Needed Myself”

Ahead of the psychological drama’s World Premiere at HollyShorts, the filmmaker discusses the personal tragedy behind the film, casting former professional boxer John Duddy, its visual language and the feature adaptation now in development. Jeremy Max’s BLEEDER began during a period when the filmmaker found himself questioning his relationship with the things he had once loved most. That introspection became the foundation for a psychological drama about … Continue reading ‘BLEEDER’ Director Jeremy Max on Turning Physical Pain Into Emotional Survival: “I Wanted to Give My Character the Win I Needed Myself”

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

HOLLYSHORTS FEATURE – Meeting Your Maker Is an Oscar-Worthy Masterpiece of Dark Comedy

Meeting Your Maker is one of those rare short films that catches you completely off guard. What begins as an outrageous premise, a beloved children’s television puppet contemplating suicide before his 300th episode, evolves into a surprisingly profound, emotionally resonant and genuinely unforgettable meditation on creativity, purpose and self worth. Writer director Gregory JM Kasunich has crafted something wonderfully original, a film that balances razor … Continue reading HOLLYSHORTS FEATURE – Meeting Your Maker Is an Oscar-Worthy Masterpiece of Dark Comedy