Now in its 19th year, the HollyShorts film festival remains a trailblazer with a diverse and inclusive lineup. The festival proudly offers four OSCAR®-qualifying awards in different categories: Documentary Short Film, Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation, and Best Short Live Action. The festival is known for promoting outstanding short films across various genres, highlighting its importance as a platform for emerging filmmakers to gain global recognition and shine on the world stage.
The organizers behind this prestigious festival have recently announced the esteemed members of its 2023 Jury. Comprised of eighteen celebrated industry professionals, this panel will have the crucial task of selecting the winners of all HollyShorts awards, including the four shorts that will qualify for the Academy Awards®.
This year’s festival will showcase a remarkable collection of over 402 short films, with an impressive 43.3% crafted by talented female filmmakers and 30.5% by BIPOC filmmakers. The commitment to representing diverse voices and perspectives highlights the festival’s dedication to inclusivity in cinema.
Members of this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival jury include Oscar® nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Zoey Deutch (Not Okay), Alexandra Shipp (Barbie), Josh Whitehouse (Daisy Jones & the Six), Christina Chong (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Run the Burbs showrunner, Nelu Handa and Academy® Award winner Jaime Ray Newman (Skin).
Joining the jury are Tom Berkeley and Ross White, who won a 2023 OSCAR® with their film AN IRISH GOODBYE, 2022 Academy Award® Winner Aneil Karia (The Long Goodbye), the 2023 OSCAR® nominees Pamela Ribbon (My Year of Dicks) and Wendy and Amanda (The Flying Sailor). Returning this year will be double OSCAR® winner and animation guru Joanna Quinn (Affairs of the Art), Academy Award® winner Alice Doyard (Colette), and 2023 OSCAR® nominee Joshua Seftel (Stranger at the Gate).
Esteemed industry professionals also serving on the jury include Variety journalists K.J. Yossman and Eric Kohn, Executive Editor & Chief Critic of IndieWire and Awards Daily’s Joey Moser, Short of the Week’s Céline Roustan, alongside journalists Sandro Monetti and Zorianna Kit.
Also judging this year’s films are Alexander Shekarchian, Ari Tan, Fanshen Cox, George Valentin Burcea, Jennifer Bertling, Jake Mitchell, Joel Walden, JT Mollner, Juliet Berman, Kalani Dreimanis, Lauren Bixby, Leah Philpott, Nelu Handa, Rakhee Morzaria, SJ Main Muñoz, Vivian Lin, Yulissa Morales-Silva and Zach Cox.
This year’s hybrid celebration of short films will take place in person with screenings at the world-renowned TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood and virtually through the official festival streaming platform, BITPIX.
HollyShorts screenings will occur from August 10-20 at the TCL Chinese Theatres, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. 3rd Level, Hollywood, CA, 90028, followed by the annual awards gala on August 20th.
For more information and tickets, visit: www.hollyshorts.com
