The Winners of the 2024 Hollyshorts Film Festival
by William J. Hammon, ActuallyPaid.com
Previously, I took a look at some of the best entries from this year’s Hollyshorts Film Festival, where over 300 projects got their moment in the spotlight. Here now we’ll examine the films that can actually claim to be the best, as they took the four coveted prizes that clinched eligibility for next year’s Academy Awards in their respective categories. So don’t be surprised if you hear one or all of these names called when it comes time for the shortlists in December or the final nominations in January.
Best Animated Short — Wander to Wonder — Directed by Nina Gantz
This was the one winner I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see, but I’m chomping at the bit for another chance. Featuring the voices of Amanda Lawrence and Toby Jones, the film is a stop-motion story about dolls and puppets used as props in an 80s children’s show, left abandoned after the death of the creator. The trailer alone looks spectacular, so while I missed out this time, I’m eager to see it as soon as I possibly can.
Best Live Action Short — Anuja — Directed by Adam J. Graves
Set in India, Anuja is a poignant story about the impossible choices facing those on the bottom rung of society as they attempt any sort of betterment for themselves. The title character, played by Sajda Pathan, is an orphan along with her older sister Palak (Ananya Shanbhag). They live in an abandoned building that’s fallen into disrepair, and work together in a textile sewing factory for little more than a slave wage.
Anuja is presented with two possible paths forward with the arrival of Mr. Mishra (Gulshan Walia), a government inspector and school teacher who recognizes that the girl is too young to be working legally. She and her boss Mr. Verma (Nagesh Bhonsle) lie about her age, but Mr. Mishra insists that Anuja should be getting an education, highly encouraging her to take an entrance exam for a local boarding school. The test alone costs more than Anuja and Palak have, but because the young woman has great skills in math, she could easily get a scholarship.
Palak hatches a scheme to get the money needed for the exam, but Anuja is hesitant. She’d prefer it if Palak used the cash to save for an arranged marriage so that they can get a stable home, and she certainly doesn’t like the idea of going to a boarding school and being away from her sister. On the other side of things, Mr. Verma, noticing her abilities, offers her a part-time promotion as his personal accountant, threatening to fire Palak if Anuja refuses.
Thus we get the horrible dilemma. Does Anuja put her smarts to use in the short term to stay with the only family she has, knowing that upward mobility will be all but impossible, or does she take a chance on advancing herself, knowing she has to leave her current life completely behind, and indirectly harm Palak at the same time? It’s the kind of conundrum that only those without socioeconomic standing will ever face, both hopeful and tragic.
Graves does an admirable job directing here, with excellent use of hot lighting and a camera perspective that’s almost always kept at Anuja’s level. Further, Sajda Pathan really sells the character, with the film being dedicated to children like her who live in group homes due to harsh upbringings and family situations. During the credits, we get some adorable footage of her entire house watching the film with her, blushing as they all cheer her on.
Best Documentary Short — The Final Copy of Ilon Specht — Directed by Ben Proudfoot
If you’re an Oscar obsessive like me, you definitely know Ben Proudfoot’s name by now. He’s won the Documentary Short category twice over the last three years, for The Last Repair Shop and The Queen of Basketball, and the year before that he was nominated for A Concerto is a Conversation. The man has certainly carved out his niche in a very short space of time.
He has another strong shot at a nomination with The Final Copy of Ilon Specht, another entry in his series of films about unsung heroes and inspirations to the youth of America. Told from the perspective of its subject in the last days of her life, as well as her stepdaughter Alison Case, the documentary celebrates the “take-no-crap” attitude that turned a young girl’s life around and created an enduring part of our cultural zeitgeist.
You may not know who Specht was, but you definitely know her biggest contribution to our collective lexicon. Working in the Mad Men-esque 1960s advertising industry, where women’s products were pitched from the angle of how they could be used to make women more appealing to men, Specht broke through the proverbial glass ceiling by originating L’Oreal’s now timeless slogan, “Because you’re worth it.”
Not only did Specht’s inspired tagline revolutionize how beauty products were sold, but she also brought value to Alison’s life. Growing up with an abusive mother and never quite fitting in, it wasn’t until her father married Specht (they worked at the same ad agency) that Alison was able to see what a strong, supportive matriarch looked like, serving as a microcosm for the effect that Specht’s work had on the entire world.
The combination of Specht’s inspirational story and her acerbic wit makes for a delightful film that cements her legacy and shows how even the smallest actions can leave an indelible mark. In the previous Hollyshorts installment, I highlighted my two favorite entries from each category, except for documentaries. That’s because this was in my top two and it actually won.
Best Short Film Grand Prize — Amplified — Directed by Dina Naser
The overall winner of the festival is Amplified, a fairly standard story told in a very intriguing way. When I first started watching, I thought there was an issue with the sound mix, as I could barely hear anything, but it was clear from the subtitles (the film takes place in Jordan) that dialogue was happening. As it turns out, our main character, Hind (Malak Nassar), is partially deaf, and the fluctuations in the sound is an approximation of her hearing ability, allowing the audience to experience it as she does. This is a fantastic bit of audio design, similar to the Oscar-winning Sound of Metal from a few years ago.
Hind is a Karate student, one of the best in her class, having already attained a red belt and aiming to qualify for a black belt demonstration. However, things take a turn when her sensei (Nadeem Rimawi) acts very inappropriately towards her. This leaves Hind in a very difficult situation, wondering what to do next.
Sadly, the idea of a predatory figure victimizing a young girl is nothing new, even when you add in the element of breaching the student-teacher boundaries. What makes the film shine, however, is in how it’s depicted from Hind’s perspective. All of her work, all of her strength, has been reduced to nothing in a matter of seconds. Were her accomplishments just the artificial praise of a monster trying to get closer to her? Can she tell anyone? Would anyone believe her, especially in a society where women have fewer rights? She has a supportive mother (Suhad Khatib), but is that enough?
This heartbreaking depiction gives the audience an gut-wrenching, but ultimately beautiful, visual and aural metaphor. Hind’s life is in part defined by when she chooses sound and silence (she wears hearing aids). Now she herself is in a position where silence surrounds and envelopes her, because she may not have the power to say or do anything about it. What choice does she honestly have? How can she reassert her own personal worth? The way Dina Naser answers those questions is likely why this film took top honors.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on September 1, 2024.
