Tag: Filmmaking

Awards Season, Director Spotlight

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Director Tamás Yvan Topolánszky on Never Give Up!, the Business of Short Film and Why Words Can Outlive the People Who Speak Them

Oscar-qualified filmmaker Tamás Yvan Topolánszky talks independent financing, discovering a remarkable nine-year-old first-time actor, the economics of ambitious short filmmaking and why his latest film asks a deceptively complicated question: who really owns a message? There is a deceptively simple question at the centre of Topolánszky’s Oscar-qualified short Never Give Up!: Do words belong to the person who says them, or to the person who ultimately gives them meaning? Produced by … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT: Director Tamás Yvan Topolánszky on Never Give Up!, the Business of Short Film and Why Words Can Outlive the People Who Speak Them

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Short Film

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

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Film Review

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

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Short Film

HollyShorts Film Festival Unveils Full 2026 Programme and Official Poster

The Oscar®-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival has unveiled the full programme and official poster for its 22nd edition, with an expansive lineup of 430 films spanning narrative, documentary, animation, sports, music videos and emerging voices from around the world. Running August 13–23, 2026, across the TCL Chinese Theatres and Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival once again cements its position as one of the industry’s … Continue reading HollyShorts Film Festival Unveils Full 2026 Programme and Official Poster

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Academy Awards

AWARDS RULES AND CAMPAIGN PROMOTIONAL REGULATIONS APPROVED FOR 99TH OSCARS®

The Academy’s Board of Governors has approved awards rules, inclusion standards and campaign promotional regulations for the 99th Academy Awards®. For Academy Awards consideration, a feature film must have a qualifying theatrical release between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Substantive awards rules changes include:  Awards submission deadlines and additional key dates are as follows: Thursday, August 13, 2026: First submission deadline for Animated Short Film, Documentary … Continue reading AWARDS RULES AND CAMPAIGN PROMOTIONAL REGULATIONS APPROVED FOR 99TH OSCARS®

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