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The Oscar^® qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, one of the world’s most influential short festivals, is presenting its  first annual HollyShorts HOT LIST, their ranking of some of the best short films from emerging and diverse storytellers. These landmark films are breaking the mold, winning a variety of accolades and being sought after for adaptations into longer form content. 

Distinguished for its eye for discovering new artists along with a growing track record for Academy Award^® nominees and winners, the festival has qualified such Oscar^® nominees as: Siqi Song (Sister), Yves Piat (Netfa Football Club), Kevin Wilson Jr. (My Nephew Emmett), Skye Fitzgerald (Lifeboat), Jamie Donoughue (Shok) and Bryan Buckley (Saria), and such Oscar winners as Guy Nattiv (SKIN), Rayka Zehtabchi (Period End of Sentence), Marshall Curry (The Neighbor’s Window), and Carol Dysinger (Skateboarding in a Warzone). HollyShorts is already in preparation for its 17th edition later in 2021 and currently accepting submissions.

The HollyShorts HOT LIST will be an annual tradition. The 2020 HollyShorts Film Festival showcased 428 short films with 128 international short films coming from 36 countries, selected from over 6,000 submissions from 110 countries. In 2021, the festival anticipates over 7,000 entries. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the festival had a who’s who of major talent and filmmakers participating this year including: Oscaar Isaac and Elvira Lind, Tyrese Gibson, CeeLo Green, Dylan McDermott, Kat Coiro, Stephen Daldry, Indie Spirit Award-winner Fredrica Bailey, Zach Woods, Kevin Alejandro, Phoebe Tonkin, Esmé Creed-Miles, Troian Bellisario, Ed Westwick, among others.

HollyShorts continues to be the precursor of what short films to expect in the Awards season race in the categories of Live Action Short, Documentary (Short Subject), and Animation Short.

The 2021 HollyShorts HOT LIST is:

• 123 All Eyes On Me by Emil Gallardo
• All Inclusive by Teemu Nikki
• Alive by Jimmy Olsson
• An Uninvited Guest by Richard B. Pierre
• Anna by Dekel Berenson
• Birthday Girl by Portia A. Buckle
• The Birth of Valerie Venus by Sara Clift 
• Bittu by Karishma Dube
• The Coin by Siqi Song
• David by Zach Woods
• Da Yie by Anthony Nti
• End-O by Alice Seabright
• Fourth Wall by Kelsey Bollig
• Henet Ward by Morad Mostafa
• Hunger Ward by Skye Fitzgerald
• If Anything Happens I Love You by Will McCormack, Michael Govier
• Killing Small Animals by Marcus Svaberg
• Mister Cachemire by Iouri Philippe Paillé
• Narrow by Anna Chazelle
• Nahjum by Sebastian Torres Greene, Manuel Del Valle
• November 1st by Charlie Manton
• O28 by Otalia Causse, Geoffroy Collin, Lousie Grardel, Antoine Marchand, Robin Merle, and Fabian Meyran
• Simulacra by Curry Sicong Tian
• Sticker by Georgi M. Unkovski
• Two Different Strangers by Travon Free
• The Letter Room by Elvira Lind
• The Van by Erenik Beqiri
• USA vs Scott by Ora DeKornfeld, Isabel Castro
• Welcome Back by Tiffany K. Guillen
• White Eye by Tomer Shushan

About HollyShorts
HollyShorts Film Festival is an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 40- minutes or less. Categories include Short Animation, Short Live Action, Short Documentary, Music Video, Webisode, Commercials and Digital Microbudget.