Forget All Night Long - The 3rd Annual HollyShorts Short Film Festival Keeps the Party Going All Weekend Long!
Written by: Naomi Wiggins
Just down the road from the Pantages Theatre and only doors away from after party venue vice, the 3rd Annual HollyShorts Short Film Festival celebration nestled itself nicely into the sprawling upper floor of Cinespace Digital SuperClub in Hollywood, California for its three day August run. With soft candlelight playing across booths and tables, festival goers tucked into endless food and drinks all the while relaxing into the darkness to watch the nearly sixty accepted short films dancing across the screen.
Kicking off on Friday, August 10, 2007, the HollyShorts Short Film Festival lit up Club Nacional with a line around the block and the Hollywood premiere of Entourage star Adrian Grenier's short film Euthanasia. Revolving around a tragedy that befalls two young girls driving on their own for the first time, the film is surprisingly dark and . . . surprisingly funny. As the first few minutes ticked by, the crowd stood in uncertain silence but one look at Grenier's face quickly told every festival-attendee they were indeed free to laugh.
The laughs just kept coming as the party rolled through the night and spilled over into Saturday, August 11th. Moving to Cinespace Digital SuperClub for the remainder of the festival run, thirty films screened in hour segments throughout the first full day of the festival. And while each selection was varied and unique, it was clear that every filmmaker had the same goal - to find a little nugget of truth and package it, as best they knew how, within the confines of an entertaining and aesthetically pleasing short.
Standing out from the crowd with precise editing and stunning cinematography, the HollyShorts selection Joseph Henry snatched up the first award of the festival - Audience Choice. Through a broken and fragmented story line, the film outlines one man's journey through life, love and trials before coming to a subtle but eloquent end. Director Phil Allocco was expectedly thrilled with the warm reception and lead actor Andrew Ramiglia was on hand to bask in both the film's selection and success.
On Sunday, August 12th, day three of the HollyShorts Short Film Festival dawned and with it, nervous anticipation for the quickly approaching closing ceremony. But there was plenty of action left to enjoy before the trophy hand outs as thirty more shorts, enlightening Q & A's with filmmakers and Superpanels brimming with industry professionals traipsed their way across stage and screen.
After Stomping Grounds, the final film of the night, finished following legendary DJ Biz Markie through the neighborhoods of his home town and faded to black, Brandon Maxwell - Director of The Maxwell Multiple Climax, Dago Rodriguez - Director of Wilbur, Karen Dee Carpenter - Director of Sarah & Dee, Leah Meyerhoff - Director of Twitch, and David Branin - Director of Honey I'm Home took to the stage for a round of interrogation and questioning by HollyShorts host Viviana Vigil.
Several questions were directed towards Brandon Maxwell and his controversial experimental film The Maxwell Multiple Climax. Shot with the tone and pacing of an infomercial for men, the film goes step by step through a technique men can use in a quest to achieve multiple orgasms. Maxwell confessed to interested, laughing festival-attendees that the technique was indeed real and that DVDs could be bought online for only $19.95.
Moving the party next door to vice, the third annual HollyShorts Short Film Festival wound to a close with its much-anticipated awards ceremony. John Thompson's Songbird, a superbly rendered and visually stunning tale of a meek housewife who finds the courage to break free of her domineering husband, took home top honors with the Best Short Film award while Kohl Glass' epic and artistic Der Ostwind secured Best Student Film. With trophies, hugs and cries of "Congratulations" swirling through the crowd, Biz Markie himself took over and did what he does best - kept the party going all night long.
For further information on the HollyShorts Short Film festival, visit www.hollyshorts.com.
