Rufus Dorsey, Director and Writer of "Dick (The Short)," Winner of HollyShorts 2005 Best Short Film Award


DICK (THE SHORT) BIG WINNER AT HOLLYSHORTS! (You can view the trailer by clicking here)
Congratulations to Rufus Dorsey, Director Writer and Producer of "Dick (The Short)" for taking home the 2005 HollyShorts Best Short Film Award. Dorsey was awarded a $150 gift certificate courtesy of The Writers Store.

The Audience Choice Awards were presented by Indiepix. Saturday's winner was "Bluff Point," written and directed by Kelly Rigg and Natashia McGough. Sunday's Audience Choice Award went to "The King of K-Town," written by Aaron Caine and Michael Moeller and Directed by Aaron Caine. The winning short films also win the option to be in the HollyShorts Compilation DVD, which will be available on Indiepix, an online community devoted to independent filmmaking.


Congratulations to all of the weekends big winners!

Brett A. Simmons, Director of Husk , addresses the crowd at HollyShorts 2005


HollyShorts 2005 Festival attendees mingling during an intermission


HollyShorts opening night party-goers at The Bungalow Club


Justin Liberman, Writer and Director of Y Nada Mas; Actor Peter Mark Vasquez; Andrew P. Waruszewski, Director of Photography and Producer Brooke Dammkoehler


Theo Dumont, Co-Founder of HollyShorts; Robert McGee, C.S.A. and Dan Sol, Co-Founder of HollyShorts


Dan Sol (left), Co-Founder of HollyShorts with Aaron Caine, Writer and Director of The King of K-Town and Theo Dumont, Co-Founder of HollyShorts


crowd


Actor Michael Sandy with Writer/Director Justin Liberman


Dan Sol of HollyShorts with Daniel Dreyfus of Passionate Marketing and Theo Dumont of HollyShorts

INAUGURAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL DEEMED SUCCESSFUL

HollyShorts, Short Film Festival Comes to an End With "Dick (The Short)" Taking Top Honors

Robert McGee, C.S.A. Addresses Filmmakers During Q&A Session On Independent Film Casting

23 Short Films Screened From the U.S., Poland, Canada, India and U.K.


HOLLYWOOD, CA AUGUST 15, 2005---The inaugural HollyShorts, Short Film Festival came to a close last night at The Space Theatre in Hollywood with top honors of HollyShorts Best Short Film going to "Dick (The Short)," Directed and written by Rufus Dorsey USA (13 minutes). The event, which took place August 13-14, showcased 23 short films, 30-minutes and under.

Robert McGee, C.S.A. participated in a Q&A session with the standing room audience, giving young filmmakers insight on casting for independent films. The official opening short film for the event was "Y Nada Mas," Directed and writen by Justin Liberman, which debuted at Tribeca earlier this year. Liberman participated in a discussion with the audience after the screening. The closing short film, which was showcased at Sundance earlier this year was "Husk," Directed by Brett A. Simmons. Simmons also gave advice to the filmmakers in attendance.

"We were thrilled to showcase the best short films from around the world," said Daniel Sol, festival co-founder. "Having industry experts such as Robert McGee participate at HollyShorts was an honor. We look forward to next year's event."

The opening night private party took place at The Bungalow Club on Melrose, with over 200 directors, writers and film enthusiasts in attendance. The Audience Choice for Best Short Film on Saturday, August 13 went to "Bluff Point," Directed and by Kelly Rigg and Natashia McGough USA (2 minutes and 22 seconds). The Audience Choice for Best Short Film on Sunday, August 14 went to "The King of K-Town," Directed by Aaron Caine and written by Aaron Caine and Michael Moeller. The night came to an end with a special musical performance by local act Golden Ratio.

About HollyShorts
HollyShorts, Short Film Festival is an annual short film festival showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe. HollyShorts is devoted to the advancement filmmakers through screenings, Q&A sessions and networking events. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 30- minutes or less. For more information, please visit www.hollyshortsfilmfestival.blogspot.com.
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HOLLYSHORTS 2005 Schedule!

Opening night party: The Bungalow Club 7174 Melrose Blvd. TIME: 8p.m.

Special Panel: Sunday, August 14 at 3:30 p.m. Q&A Session with Casting Society of America

Festival Awards Presentation sponsored by The Writers Store, Sunday, August 14 TIME: 5:30p.m.

Closing night cocktails, Sunday, August 14 TIME: 6p.m.

Special Musical performance by Golden Ratio, Sunday August 14 TIME: 7:15p.m.


Saturday, August 13, 2005

3 p.m. Wine, cheese, registration and cocktails in lobby of The Space Theatre
3:30 p.m. Welcome to Holly

4p.m. Screenings
OFFICIAL OPENING FILM sponsored by STASH DVD MAGAZINE: Y NADA MAS (19 minutes) Directed and written by Justin Liberman, Y Nada Mas, which debuted at Tribeca earlier this year, is a cinematic tapestry of four vignettes depicting the Mexican-American man and his place within our society. Writer/Director Justin Liberman threads dialogue and visceral imagery through four simultaneous stories of the Mexican culture. Centered around the human spirit, all four stories are perceived through a prismatic context utilizing simplicity as a metaphor for life's most meaningful moments. (This film is not in competition)

THE LONER Directed and written by Patrick Kirk Gillock THAILAND (5 minutes). A comedy about a man who loves to be alone. What happens when the ultimate loner falls in love? The answer might surprise you.

A SHORT FILM ABOUT STILLNESS Directed and written by Martin Clarke UK (4 minutes and 30 seconds). A moment of choice---to move on, or to stay still? To be held back or to break away? Also, a train journey.

RUNWAY JOB Directed and written by Alex Alba USA (30 minutes). This documentary tracks three individuals and their different goals in organizing and executing a New York City fashion show. As we follow the event planner, fashion designer and runway model, during the development stages of the fashion show the characters overcome
various obstacles to set up and produce a monumental event.

LOVE MATH Directed and written by Kent Carpenter Zambrana USA (10 minutes). Based on actual events, by way of couplings, coincidence and interconnections, a young man retraces the variables between his dream girl, an ex-girlfriend, a former football star, an amateur pornographer, two sisters, a recluse with a speech impediment, and his mortal enemy. But, if love factors into this equation, how does it all add up?

AN EYE FOR AN EYE Directed and written by Natalie Shy USA (11 minutes and 45 seconds). A teenage girl copes with disturbing memories and the on-going trauma of her abusive father.

FINAL STATION Directed and written by Tomasz Piech POLAND (30 minutes). A seemingly normal train ride through the Polish countryside takes on elements of the sixth sense surreal as Piotr, a painter, now an old man and protagonist of the film sees his life’s sweetest and saddest moments in a series of flashbacks. .

BLUFF POINT Directed by Kelly Rigg, written by Natashia McGough USA (2 minutes and 22 seconds). A reality show hoax goes wrong when the groom to be of an engaged couple enlists his unaware fiancee onto "Scare Factor," to obtain $10,000-for their wedding.

LEMON GRASS Directed and written by Avinash K. Lalwani INDIA (24 minutes). A young man and his friends run into some unforeseen circumstances and end up engaging in a tightly night party in a jail cell.

PLANET FAR AWAY Directed and written by Paula Moreno USA (18 minutes). A 10 year old boy decides do look for his missing father with his pet turtle after he has a confrontation with his mother about his fathers where-abouts.

Sunday, August 14, 2005
Screenings 2pm

IMAGINE Directed by Colin Orr and written by Chris Ayala USA (13 minutes). The story of a little boy with a big imagination.

TRIBUS Directed by Ledit RenArt MONTREAL, CANADA (4 minutes and 53 seconds). A riveting documentary collage with controversial footage.

"DICK" (THE SHORT) Directed and written by Rufus Dorsey USA (13 minutes). Daryl is a "big-time" player. But there's just one problem---his fiancé. After years of cheating on her, his karma has finally caught up with him.


MAN, WHERE'S MY SHOE? Directed by the young women at the Aviva Center and Directing Mentor Rachel Goldberg USA (22 minutes). Switzerland Harris takes a strange journey through the halls of her new high school after waking up from class to discover that one of her treasured shoes has treasured.

BROKEN Directed by Alex Ferrari and written by Jorge Flores Rodrigues and Alex Ferrari USA (19 minutes). A gun blast, a flash of light, and a young woman awakens to the comfort of her own bed. Bonnie Clayton has it all, a great relationship, a challenging career, and the burden of a dream that grows more vivid and disturbing with each passing night. But when Bonnie is abducted by a sadistic stranger and his colorful entourage, she discovers that the key to her survival lies within the familiar realms of her recurring dream.

A VOID Directed and written by Justin Woiwode and Ray Skinner USA (3 minutes and 33 seconds). Breathtaking visuals and edgy animation propel a man through a nightmare.

THIRST Directed and written by Joseph R. Hunt USA (14 minutes). Would you give a man dying of thirst a peanut butter cracker?

MERLOT Directed and written by Matthew S. Morris USA (12 minutes and 20 seconds). Miriam's reality is shattered when she finds out her friends love story is not about her.

DOLLS WITH ISSUES Directed and written by Frederick Taylor USA (8 minutes). In these turbulant times the voice of reason is plastic. Host Jerome X interviews the late great Sigmund Freud, reincarnated in his doll form. It's the Activist vs. the Analyst in a witty spoof of issue oriented talk shows starring dolls.

VAMPIR Directed by Conrad Haber and written by Aaron Johnson USA (8 minutes and 35 seconds). One man's soul seeking the truth is forced to choose between what he was and what he has become-for what are we but victims to our own divine purpose.

THE KING OF K-TOWN Directed by Aaron Caine and written by Aaron Caine and Michael Moeller USA (19 minutes and 4 seconds). Bikes rule...will he?

TWO APARTMENTS AND A HALLWAY Directed and written by Michael Prkic USA (13 minutes and 30 seconds). Oh, I just love jigsaw puzzles.

Official closing short film, presented by New York Film Academy: HUSK Directed by Brett A. Simmons, and screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival's Shorts program, Husk is a 27-minute short film. Four men, a stalled car, corn fields and scarecrows. Is that a house in the distance?

HOLLYSHORTS 2005!
Holly Shorts Ent.

For your convenience, The Space Theatre 665 N. Heliotrope, Los Angeles CA 90004
Holly Shorts Ent.

HOLLYSHORTS IN THE NEWS

As we prepare for the inaugural HollyShorts, Short Film Festival August 13-14, we have secured some press stories on the event. Indiewire, the premier online resource and community for indie filmmakers ran a wonderful story on HollyShorts yesterday.

Here's a snippet from IndieWire.com's feature article:


HOORAY FOR HOLLYSHORTS!

Short film fans in Hollywood should mark their calendars for Aug. 13-14, when the inaugural HollyShorts Film Festival is set to launch at Tinseltown's Space Theater.

Organizers have programmed an international selection of 22 films, including Justin Liberman's Tribeca favorite Y Nada Mas and Brett Simmons' Sundance-screened thriller Husk. The twenty other shorts in competition represent an international array of filmmakers from as far away as Poland, India and Thailand.

You can view the entire article by going to Indiewire.com

Y NADA MAS (Official festival opening film, not in competition)
Directed and written by Justin Liberman, Y Nada Mas, which debuted at Tribeca earlier this year, is a cinematic tapestry of four vignettes depicting the Mexican-American man and his place within our society. Writer/Director Justin Liberman threads dialog and visceral imagery through four simultaneous stories of the Mexican culture. Centered around the human spirit, all four stories are perceived through a prismatic context utilizing simplicity as a metaphor for life's most meaningful moments.



HUSK (Official closing night film, not in competition)
Directed by Brett A. Simmons, and screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival's Shorts program, Husk is a 27-minute short film. Four men, a stalled car, corn fields and scarecrows. Is that a house in the distance?


Tickets for the general public are available now. You can purchase them here

HollyShorts announced today The Bungalow Club will host the official opening night party for the inaugural HollyShorts, Short Film Festival on Saturday, August 13, 2005. The festival will take place August 13-14 at the Space Theatre in Hollywood (665 N. Heliotrope, Los Angeles, CA).

"We are thrilled to have our opening night party at The Bungalow Club," said Dan Sol, co-founder of HollyShorts, Short Film Festival. "We've been looking forward to hosting our event for quite a while and its an honor to celebrate the first night of our festival at such a reputable club."

The organizers have an exclusive guest list for festival participants to partake in the opening night party festivities. The Bungalow Club is located at 7174 Melrose Avenue, just three miles west of The Space Theatre. Street parking available and valet parking is $5. To RSVP, please call the Holly Hotline at (818) 760-9897 or email us at hollyshorts@hotmail.com.

About HollyShorts
HollyShorts, Short Film Festival is an annual short film festival showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe. Comprised by Cali Shorts Society, a group devoted to the advancement filmmakers through the short film genre, the HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 30 minutes or less. The inaugural event will feature various genre's of short films, a special musical performance, and awards. For more information, please visit www.hollyshortsfilmfestival.blogspot.com. For advanced tickets, please contact Karen Worden (hollyshorts@hotmail.com).
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Shorties Watching Shorties. Check out Sorrel Ahlfeld's award winning 10 second short film "Walking Haiku" on Ten Second Films. Sorrel won first place in the contest, which consisted of over 1000 entries.

Ten Second Film contest winner
According to the site, Sorrel has directed numerous music videos, short form promos, and motion graphics.

Holly Shorts would like to congratulate Writer/Director John Harden on his Best Narrative Short Film award at last week's LA Film Festival for "La Vie d'un Chien."
According to the Shorts competition Jury, "It was our goal to recognize films that pushed outside the limits of tradition, while rewarding us on several levels simultaneously visually, aurally, thematically, narratively and viscerally."

We See You! David Kobznatsev, appearing in next week's Fight For Fame on E Entertainment TV. David participated in the last actor showcase event which took place back in March. Here's the synopsis of next week's episode. If you're the Next Big Thing, you gotta know how to party, right? So, this week, five new actor hopefuls raise the roof at an on-camera frat party, trying to impress Industry big shot Gil Junger (producer of Hope and Faith, director of 10 Things I Hate About You). But only one of these Hollywood party monsters gets the keys to the animal house--and an agent.

With a budget of a whopping $135 million, Spielberg's "War of The Worlds" leads the charge this weekend for the top spot at the B.O. On wednesday, the film premiered
and racked up $21.3 million from 3,908 theaters according to Variety. The film stars Tom Cruise film and is based on the HG Wells classic which has the same name. Good luck finding good seats, we recommend a matinee viewing.

La Vie d'Un Chien

HOLLY Q&A with La Vie d'un Chien Writer/Director John Harden

Holly Shorts had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A this week with Writer/Direct John Harden. Harden's short film La Vie d'un Chien is being showcased at the Los Angeles Film Festival. If you haven't hand the chance to see the short, it will be shown one last time on Sunday, June 26 at the DGA Theatre (1:30 p.m.). La Vie d'un Chien is a 14 minute short in French with English Subtitles and is an account of a scientist who devises a way to turn into a dog. It was our privelage to interview such an esteemed filmmaker. Enjoy.

HS: How long have you been writing and directing? When did you get your start?

JH: I grew up (and still live in) in northern California. I made my first film when I was in the 7th grade. It was an extra credit project for my Spanish class. When they saw it, my teacher and classmates totally freaked out. In a good way, that is. I got an A, and was delighted to discover that making a movie was a way to get people's attention and simultaneously hide in the back of the room where no-one would look at me. Perfect. After that initial success, I never really stopped making films. I went on to study film history and production at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, and screenwriting at The College of Marin.

HS: Where did you get the inspiration for La Vie d'un Chien? How did the idea come about?

JH: Two inspirations combined to get me started making this film: In my days at SRJC, I must have seen Chris Marker's 1962 short, "La Jetee" a half-dozen times. My film instructor loved it and showed it ever semester. Then one night late in 2003, I had a dream that people were congregating in an alley late at night, and taking a drug that turned them into dogs. I started thinking about the possibilities of writing a script around that, and for some reason I thought of "La Jetee." Now, if you're not familiar with that film, it's a 30-minute montage of black-and-white still photos, with a French narrator telling the story in voice over and (in the version I saw) English subtitles. It's an interesting way to tell a story, and it occurred to me that it was a perfect way to tell my story. It gave me a voice. Once I had the voice, writing the script went very quickly. Then I storyboarded my script, shot thousands of stills (digital and 35mm black-and-white) and assembled my story in Final Cut Pro. Then I posted a notice to craigslist.com, and found Julien Fadda Ð he's a transplanted Corsican living in San Rafael, a film student at College of Marin. He translated my English script into French and did the voice-over.

Writer/Director John Harden

HS: What was the biggest challenge you encountered making this short?

JH: Eyestrain. Carpal tunnel. There was a lot of Photoshop compositing and retouching to the images, I'd say 75% of my time spent on this film was time spent in image manipulation. I faked most of my street scenes, using Santa Rosa or Petaluma CA to stand in for Paris. But I needed the real thing for some establishing shots. I didn't have a budget to go to France, so again I went to the internet. I recruited filmmakers and photographers who lived in Paris via a posting at mandy.com. I emailed them storyboards of what I needed, and they went out at night and found the locations, photographed them, and emailed the pictures back to me!

HS: Where do you see yourself five years from now in the industry?

JH: Hopefully working! People are really responding to this short, and I'm making a lot of good contacts. I've got some new feature-length scripts in the works. We'll see what happens.

La Vie d'Un Chien
>

HS: Any other notable short films on your resume people can check out?

JH: If they go to John Films.com, they can watch my sort film "Crutemobile,' and read a script for an as-yet-unproduced short film. You can even buy a copy of "La Vie" there...

HS: Anything else you'd like to plug feel free.

JH: I'm always interested in talking to any agents, managers, or producers out there.

GET AWAY on Ifilm Getting Chuckles

Get Away Making Strides on Ifilm.com

Weekend GET AWAY, the chaotic comedy is earning top chuckles on various message boards this week. The 9 minute short can be viewed by going to IFILM . Here's the synopsis:
Warning: Two things you need to know about this film. 1) This is an intricately woven comprehensive mind puzzle. 2) You'll never figure it out.

IFILM

ROOM SERVICE

Holly Shorts got a chance to check out The Dreamhouse Ensemble's new play Room Service. You can catch the play at The Space Theater in Hollywood. The play is by John Murray and Alan Boretzand is directed by Stephen Alan Carver.

AOL and Ford Get Together For Shorts

AOL Online announced yesterday a deal with Ford Motor Co. to present an ongoing online short film fest that will begin next week. The shorts will be showcased on Moviefone.com. Fords Mercury Milan will be the sponsor.

"We understand that consumers want more engaging video content, and advertisers want more opportunities to show video ads," said Steven Yee, VP and general manager at Moviefone. "We see people looking at all kinds of video content on our site, and we felt that short films are an under-appreciated next generation of video content that will really take off on the Web."

Beginning next week, at www.moviefone.com/shorts, visitors can view and rate the first 13 short films. Both live-action and animated, they include several comedies previously seen only at major offline film festivals like Sundance and Tribeca.

Holly Shorts, Short Film Fest DEADLINE JULY 1!

Holly Shorts would like to thank the esteemed filmmakers for submitting their best work for the first annual event. We've received some great shorts from around the world. The festival takes place August 13-14 at the Space Theater in Hollywood. The deadline for entries is July 1 and the selected shorts will be announced on SATURDAY, July 2. Stay tuned!

Top at the B.O.
Holly Shorts Ent.

TOP 5 BOX OFFICE

Can Bewitched knock off the Bat? Very Doubtful as Sony's pick opens this weekend. Here's the top five as of today:
1 Batman Begins
$70.8
2 Mr. & Mrs. Smith
$38.0
3 Madagascar
$16.7
4 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
$14.3
5 The Longest Yard
$12.5

HIGH END Makin Moves with New Album

Holly Shorts recently had the opportunity to catch up Rudy Mangual (AKA HighEnd), one of the most creative music producers based out of Los Angeles. Mangual's new album High End puts a modern twist on lounge music, with elements you usually hear in underground tracks.

HS: For those out there who aren't aware of your music, how would you describe the sounds?

RM: We're calling it Urban Lounge. Kind of a mix between downtempo, hip-hop, and jazzy lounge from back in the day. It can be pretty moody at times, but there's always a nice groove and a lot of Latin influence.

HS: Where did you get the inspiration to put together your new album. Was there a particular source?

RM: I've always been very inspired by visuals, so in my mind I had a sort of noir-ish kind of movie running through my head while working on the album. To get the album rolling, I had sent out a bunch of demos to various labels, and Groove Gravy was the first label to show interest. The label head, Roy Shakkid, acted as a sort of Executive Producer, by giving me a lot of direction with overall vibe and sound of the album. Roy's an excellent musician himself, so musically there was a lot of good feedback and help structurally from the label end.

HS: Would you ever consider doing a score for a short film? If so, can our readers contact you?

RM: absolutely! I've already been approached about doing some incidental music and possibly score work for a video game that's in production. I've never worked with film, but it's always been something I've been dying to do. The right music with the right visual can be such an amazing thing.

HS: How has the response been locally?

RM: It's been good! I'm still trying to decipher the radio and sales reports that the label guy shows me, but from what I understand, it's getting a great reception. Also, I've been blown away by the fact that it's getting good college airplay all over the country. Especially in the south and north west. I never really imagined people from all over the country would ever hear my music - it's pretty incredible.

HS: With your father being a musician, how influential was his sound in your music? Have you learned a lot from him musically?

RM: I basically learned all my basics from my dad. He's an amazing percussionist, and music has always been an important part of my family life growing up. The hip-hop and electronic elements to my music I learned later in life from friends and just figuring things out, but all the basics, especially dealing with rhythm, come from my father.

HS: Where can people hear you spinning records?

RM: Just dj'ed for the Groove Gravy 3rd year anniversary party out in Hollywood a few weeks ago. I'm still taking things slow since finishing the album, but should have some clubs setup soon enough.

Anyone interested in checking out the album can visit: www.groovegravy.com




Holly Shorts Ent.

WELCOME TO HOLLY SHORTS!

Welcome the official Holly Shorts Blog! Here you'll find info on the inaugural Holly Shorts Film Festival, Entertainment Industry News, resources for short filmmakers and interviews with change agents.
Holly Shorts Ent.

Y NADA MAS TO OPEN INAUGURAL HOLLY SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(LOS ANGELES, CA) June 11, 2005 The organizers of the inaugural Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival announced today that the compelling short film by Director Justin Liberman "Y Nada Mas," will be the opening short film to headline the event. The festival takes place at the Space Theatre, August 13-14 in Hollywood.

"It is an honor for us to open the first ever Holly Shorts with such a riveting short film," said Dan Sol, co-founder of Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival. "We look forward to providing the industry, filmmakers and enthusiasts a platform to share ideas, see great shorts and learn from the best in the business."

Y Nada Mas premiered at Tribeca, successfully with three sold out shows. The cast includes: Emilio Rivera, Danny Martinez, Peter Mark Vasquez, Margarita Reyes, Los Chavos, Jacob Valenzuela and Jeff Magnus.

About Y Nada Mas
Y Nada Mas is a cinematic tapestry of four vignettes depicting the Mexican-American man and his place within our society. Writer/Director Justin Liberman threads dialogue and visceral imagery through four simultaneous stories of the Mexican culture. Centered around the human spirit, all four stories are perceived through a prismatic context utilizing simplicity as a metaphor for lifeÂ’s most meaningful moments.

About Holly Shorts Film Festival
Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival is an annual short film festival showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe. Comprised by Cali Shorts Society, a not for profit group devoted to the advancement filmmakers through the short film genre, the Holly Shorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 30 minutes or less. The innaugural even will feature various genre's of short films,a special musical performance, and awards. For more information, please visit www.hollyshortsfilmfestival.blogspot.com. For advanced tickets, please contact Karen Worden (hollyshorts@hotmail.com).
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CONTACT:
Theo Dumont-Los Angeles
p. 818-760-9897
e. hollyshorts@hotmail.com

Need Inspiration? Short Films 101

A wise man once recommended this book...
Short Films 101: How to Make a Short Film and Launch Your Filmmaking Career. The book is a great resource for people getting in the game and is a comprehensive guide to creating, marketing, and publicizing your short. It's available on Amazon for about $10 and it's also available at The Writers Store. The book shows readers how to find the right concept, finance the film, and use the finished project to launch a professional career as a filmmaker.

Holly Shorts Ent.

BROKEN MAKING STRIDES FOR SHORTS

Broken is one of the hottest short films out right now. The 20 minute, flick by Alex Ferrari is generating a lot of buzz in the industry. The film is about Bonnie Clayton, a woman who has it all, a great relationship, challenging career etc. She then becomses abducted by a sadistic stranger and his entourage. She goes on to discover the key to surviving relies on the realms of her recurring dream.



Good luck if you want a screener. The demand is so high for the short that they won't be available for purchase until the end of June. You can check out Ferrari's official website at: What is Broken. Get on the mailing list to grab a copy.





Holly Shorts Ent.

Play premiering next week to The Space Theatre. Stay tuned for details.
Holly Shorts Ent.

Short Films for PSP

A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Sony Corp., hoping to promote sales of the new PSP will sponsor a series of short films for the hand-held device from Atomfilms.com. Two of the premier shorts include "In God We Trust" and "Rockfish," and are available in MPEG format. Stay tuned for more shorts.

FYI: a still from the New Zealand critically acclaimed contemporary short film "A place to Stand."
Directed by Peter Burger, written by Wiremu Grace and Produced by Catherine Fitzgerald. Official Selection (Critics Week) Cannes 2003, Winner Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Finalist Best Script in NZ Film Awards 2003, Cannes Selection (Rome, Mexico, Spain), Best Sound Drifting Clouds Festival Wellington 2004, Wairoa Film Festival 2005.

Holly Shorts Ent.

TOP 5 AT THE BOX OFFICE

1 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
$70.0
2 Madagascar
$61.0
3 The Longest Yard
$58.6
4 Monster-in-Law
$12.8
5 Kicking and Screaming
$ 6.5

Holly Print Collateral

Creative Director Liane Ojito, unveiled the new Holly Shorts Call For Entries flyer this week. You can catch us posted in various retail spots, film schools, coffee shops and music stores next week in Hollywood. If you are interested finding out more about Liane's design services, you can reach her at: lojito@hotmail.com

Holly Shorts Ent.

UT at Austin Hollywood Showcase at DGA

Holly Shorts would like to thank the University of Texas at Austin for allowing us to attend the 9th Annual Student Film Showcase, which took place this past week at the Directors Guild of America Theatre. We had the opportunity to see some of most creative and original work compiled by the UT students. Some of the filmmakers have had their work showcased in last week's Cannes Film Festival and Sundance. We had the opportunity to watch "Milton is a Shitbag," Directed by Courtney Davis. An animated short, which has been showcased at SXSW, is about a small orange kitty Milton, who hates your guts. "Test Day," by David Fabelo, explores the world of Anthony, a child of mixed heritage who encounters many options for his identity. "Wake," by Keun-Pyo "Root" Park, is the heartbreaking story about a 5-year old girl who spends four days in a small apartment when her mother doesn't wake up from sleeping and not understanding the concept of death. Kent Carpenter Zambrana's "Love Math," is a story based on actual events, a young man retraces the variables between his dream girl, an ex-girlfreind, a football star, an amateur pornographer, two sisters, a guy with a speech problem, and his mortal enemy. "North of Ojinaga," a 24-minute tale about tow young immigrants in search of their dreams are smuggled accross the US border from Mexico and abandoned in the unforgiving Texas Desert. The film is directed by Rommel Eclarinal. "Below The Break," by Melissa Henry Pratt. This film was seen at Slamdance and is about a young paraplegic woman, who ventures out into the singles scene in vibrant New Orleans with the help of her street-wise roomate . "The Faith of Joey Rail," Directed by Matthew Robertson is a 7 minute short about a boy and girl who leave church and head to the backwoods of East Texas to take a closer look at the big picture. "Lead Role: Father," directed by PJ Raval. A film with incredible cinematography, Lead Role is about writer and director Joseph Chu puts out an open casting call for his new film based on his family, he never expects his own father to audition for the lead role. Joseph is forced to confront his own hypocrisies and realizations. "The Toaster," Directed by Javier Bonafont, is about an impoverished old groundskeeper who discovers the secret of success.
Holly Shorts Ent.

Sith, Full Force

Heading into the Memorial Day Weekend, Paramount's "The Longest Yard," and DreamWorks' "Madagascar" will try to unseat Star Wars. Here's a rundown of the top 5 from this past week:

1. STAR WARS: EP.III-REVENGE SITH/ TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX/ Sci-Fi $150,428,880
2. MONSTER-IN-LAW/ NEW LINE/ Comedy $19,831,373
3. KICKING AND SCREAMING/ UNIVERSAL/ Comedy $14,138,575
4. CRASH LIONS GATE FILMS/ Drama $8,034,972
5. UNLEASHED/ FOCUS FEATURES/ Action $5,884,360

Need Inspiration?

The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films is a book we think you'll find interesting. The book is by Kim Adelman, who is based in Los Angeles has produced nineteen short films. For more information about the book, you can visit: www.mwp.com/books/short-film/shortfilm.php4


Holly Shorts Ent.

WELCOME TO HOLLY

Welcome to the Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival Blog. On this site, you'll find information about the inaugural event, which takes place August 13-14 at the Space Theatre in Hollywood. We accepting all genre's and the deadline for submissions is July 1. To receive the entry forms, please email us at hollyshorts@hotmail.com. The entry fee is $10 and you can send your short films to:
Holly Shorts Film Festival/
Co Dan Sol/Theo Dumont
3640 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #113
Los Angeles, CA 90034

On this blog, you'll also find news relating to the film industry, interviews from key players in the biz, useful tools for you to make your short, and much much more. We are pleased to announced Alex Sol, owner of the Space Theatre in Hollywood has made several substantial improvements to the theatre. We look forward to showcasing the best short films from various regions in August. For additional information, you can call the official Holly Shorts hotline at 818-760-9897.

This Week in the Biz

This past Wednesday, Harvey and Bob Weinstein announced their slate of films that they are developing with their new Weinstein Co. venture. They have finacial backing from Goldman Sach's and one of the most significant projects set to be released Spring '06 is "Grind House," two films packaged together from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. The famed directors will each write and direct a 60-minute horror film and will have individual trailers. The Weinsteins, also announced this week, they are taking Miramax distribution chief Mike Rudnitsky with them to their new company after September 30. According to Gregg Kilday of The Hollywood Reporter The Hollywood Reporter, here's the film slate for Weinstein Co.:

"Wolf Creek," the Australian horror film directed by Greg McLean, which the Weinsteins acquired at the Sundance Film Festival, will open Nov. 18.

"Matador," a black comedy about a hitman, co-financed by Disney, starring Pierce Brosnan and directed by Richard Shepard, will open as an exclusive release Nov. 18.

"Transamerica," a film by Duncan Tucker for which Felicity Huffman won the best actress award at the Tribeca Film Festival for playing a transsexual, will open an exclusive release Dec. 2.

Chen Kaige's epic "The Promise," a partnership between IDG New Media Fund and the Weinstein Co., will open exclusively Dec. 16.

"Mrs. Henderson Presents," another Disney co-financed project, directed by Stephen Fears and starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, will open exclusively Dec. 25.

"The Gathering," a thriller from Brian Gilbert starring Christina Ricci, is set for release Jan. 6.

"Feast," director John Gulager's horror film, which was the subject of Bravo's "Project Greenlight 3," will open Jan. 20.

"Pulse," a remake of the Japanese horror film "Kairo," will be released by Dimension on March 3.

"Killshot," directed by John Madden, adapted from the Elmore Leonard novel by Hossein Amini and executive produced by Tarantino, will open March 17.

"Scary Movie 4," a Disney co-production reuniting director David Zucker and his creative team from "Scary Movie 3," will open wide from Dimension on April 14 for Easter weekend.

"Sin City 2," a sequel to the Rodriguez/Frank Miller film, another Disney co-production, will be released by Dimension in summer 2006.

Casseus Set
Holly Shorts Ent.

August 13-14, Space Theatre, Hollywood

The Inaugural Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival will take Place August 13-14 at the Space Theatre in Hollywood. The Space is located at 665 N. Heliotrope. If you have a short film you'd like to submit, it's not too late. The deadline for submissions is JULY 1, 2005. Entry fee is $10 Send submissions to:
Holly Shorts Film Festival
c/o Theo Dumont/ Dan Sol
3640 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #113
Los Angeles, CA 90034

This is a practical and inspirational guide to students and independent film-makers. It is the only book to describe and explain the whole process, from creating an original or adapted script, through producing and directing to finance and distribution. Whether you are embarking on a short film project by yourself or are planning a more ambitious, collaborative project, Making Short Films gives you the low-down on everything you need to know, including: information on new, digital technology, a range of complete scripts for award-winning shorts with commentaries by the film-makers, insider tips on making deals, renting equipment, securing funding and getting your short shown, details on the all major film festivals, and a glossary of film terms. According to Amazon readers, “this book is destined to become the "bible" for anyone who wants to make a short film.”




Holly Shorts Ent.

Revenge of The Nerds...Oops, Sorry Sith

Star Wars HIts a record with $50 million first-day domestic gross.

Holly Shorts Ent.

American Short Film Shining At Cannes Film Festival, Short Film Category

Kit Hui's short film "Missing" is the only film from the U.S being showcased in the Short Film competition. Credits for the short include:
Terence YIN as Samuel
Jovinna CHAN as Jenn
Camy TING as Sister-in-law
David CHO as Brother-in-law


Holly Shorts Ent.

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL HOLLY SHORTS BLOG.

Pictured here are the filmmakers having their short films in competition for the prestigious Palm D'or at the Cannes Film Festival this week. This category is exclusively for short films. The films include: Bébé Requin, in which director Pascal-Alex Vincent develops "the idea that the teenagers of today have trouble asserting themselves as individuals," and Kitchen, an arena where director Alice Winocour pits a young woman against two live lobsters.

Other European short films competing for the Palme d'Or: Before Dawn, by the Hungarian Balint Kenyeres leads us through a long, dialogue-less single-shot sequence about illegal immigration; Podorozhni, a film by the Ukrainian Igor Strembitskyy about how "childhood never returns"; Schijn Van De Maan, a fantasy film by Belgian Peter Ghesquiere about a little boy whose family lives under the boot of a dictatorial regime; and The Man Who Met Himself by the British Ben Crowe.

The island-continent Down Under is also represented in the competition with Clara, an animated short by Australian Van Sowerwine, which gives us a peek into a little girl's brightly pastel yet disturbing inner world, and the noir comedy Nothing Special by New Zealander Helena Brooks. As for the United States, its sole contender in the race for a Palme d'Or is Missing

Holly Shorts Ent.

Shorts Competing for The Palm D'or

At the Cannes Film Fest this week, there are nine short films in selection for the Palm D'or, the prestigious winning film. Pascal-Alex Vincent's Bebe Requin is getting rave reviews. The French director's film deals with teens getting to know themselves. Another short up for the top prize is Before Dawn from Hungarian Balint Kenyeres. The film is about illegal immigration. Australian Van Sowerwine's film Clara als has a buzz down in the South of France. The film is about a young girl's distrubing inner world. The big short representing the U.S. is Missing by Kit Hui. According to Hui, below is the cynopsis:

"Samuel's girlfriend, Jenn, is missing. To search for her, Samuel follows a mysterious trail of words written on pieces of paper left by Jenn in the most unlikely places. As he uncovers the mystery of Jenn's disappearance, Samuel catches a haunting glimpse of New York City and realizes something unexpected."

Holly Shorts had the opportunity to catch up with Russ J. Lichterman, co-founder of Insomniac Film Challenge. The competition is one of the most unique opportunities for filmmakers. You make a movie in one weekend. You have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and get it in the mail.
HS: How did this initiative begin and who thought of the idea?

RL: The Insomniac Film Challenge was created to give filmmakers a new outlet for creative filmmaking. There are two other big contests with similar rules, but we thought we could provide something new and different, less constraints, less paperwork, more fun. The idea was conceived by myself and Jeff Stoltzfus. We are the co-owners of Super-Nerve Entertainment, LLC, and have competed in these type of competitions in the past. We are filmmakers, first and foremost, and thats what the contest is all about, making films. We heard some complaints from other filmmakers about other contests, and we shared the opinion that there was room for improvement. We felt that we were up to the challenge, thus the Insomniac Film Challenge was born. Our philosophy is simple, make movies, have fun.

HS: How many entries have you received for this year's challenge?
RL: We are up to almost 20 entries, and with the entry deadline on May 15th, we expect several more before the deadline.

HS: Have you had any response from Hollywood on this opportunity for filmmakers?
RL: We have not heard anything from Hollywood yet, but we do have several festivals and screenings interested in showing the top 10 films. Since this is our first year presenting the contest, I suspect we'll be generating even more press after the finished films are available online and for screenings.

HS: Where do you see the challenge in five years?
RL: Our hope is for the Insomniac Film Challenge to get larger and larger, so we can provide the opportunity for as many filmmakers as possible to make a short and get there work out there. We will expand the contest as the interest continues to expand. The bigger and more popular it gets the more people will see the films, and thats what every filmmaker wants. We will present the competition every year, maybe even every 6 months as long as the interest is there.

HS: Anything else you'd like to plug?
RL: I hope any of your readers that are interested will visit www.insomniacfilmchallenge.com and consider participating in this years contest, its going to be a blast. Feel free to contact me at russ@insomniacfilmchallenge.com with questions or comments, or visit our message boards.
Also, Super-Nerve Entertainment, LLC is in Pre-Production on our next feature length film "Victim's Song" beginning principle photography in August 2005. Visit www.super-nerve.com for details. Super-Nerve Entertainment, LLC is the presenter of the Insomniac Film Challenge.

Holly Shorts Ent.

Gus Van Sant's Kurt Cobain-inspired "Last Days," has a good chance at winning the prestigious Palm D'Or at the 58th annual Cannes Film Festival. The film is in competition now and the event is taking place May 11-22. According to Rober Ebert, "the film is wonderfully photographed by Harris Savides, who captures a damp, chilly world of cold stone houses isolated in a dark, gloomy forest. Blake is first seen wandering in the woods, mumbling to himself, sliding down a hill, splashing in a stream, and sitting beside a campfire defiantly shouting “Home on the Range” into the indifferent night."




Holly Shorts Ent.

Entry Deadline July 1, 2005

Just a reminder:
This is the official Call For Entries for Entries for the inaugural HollyShorts Film Festival, which will take place at the Space Theatre, August 13-14, 2005.
All Genre's accepted. Entry fee $10. The deadline for entries is Friday, July 1. Showcase your work to industry peers! For film submission information, please email us hollyshorts@hotmail.com.

Call for Sponsors

It's still not too late to explore sponsorship packages for the first ever Holly Shorts, Short Film Festival. The event will reach thousands of filmmakers, directors, writers, producers and film enthusiasts in Los Angeles and beyond. Participating companies include Landmark Printing, The Bliss Art House Cafe. For sponsorship information, please contact Dan Sol or Theo Dumont at hollyshorts@hotmail.com or
818-760-9897.

Bootay Success on Ifilm

"The Humpalicious Bootay Bottle," a four minute short film by Dave Branin debut on Ifilm.com has been a tremendous success racking up over 1400 views in two weeks. According to Branin, here's the synopsis:
"Imagine if there existed a bottle that could bring all of your sexual fantasies to fruition? Provide you with the stamina of 10 men? Turn you into a goddess of the night? It's time you discovered the Humpalicous Bootay Bottle." Check out the flick at
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2666484

Holly Shorts Ent.

As the 58th annual Cannes Film Festival gets underway (May 11-22), we have our eye on the Short Film Corner. The initiative launched last year, allows participants to get together and screen some of the best short films from around the world. Its a place where folks can present films to a large international audience: broadcasters, publishers, film selectors, journalists, producers, agents looking for new talents. It's a great place to chat with decision makers. If you are there, let us know how it's going. If you wish you were there or would like to go next year, check out

www.shortfilmcorner.com

Planning the last Dream Regime Actor's Showcase. Another Showcase event is comming soon to the Space Theater in Hollywood.
Holly Shorts Ent.

WE ARE HERE! Welcome to Holly Shorts Official Blog!
Holly Shorts Ent.

HOLLY SHORTS SUPPORTER!
Holly Shorts Ent.