Thursday, August 28, 2008

Thursday, August 07, 2008

LOS ANGELES TIMES: HollyShorts Festival: At the Egyptian, every minute counts.

Los Angeles Times

Screening Room
HollyShorts Festival: At the Egyptian, every minute counts.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 7, 2008
The 4th Annual Holly- Shorts Festival kicks off this evening at the Egyptian Theatre with Josh Brolin's "X"; Bill Purple's "Hole in the Paper Sky" starring Jessica Biel; Jeff Vespa's "Nosebleed" starring David Arquette; and Alex Ferrari's "Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence." Friday features a music video celebration at the Nacional in Hollywood. It all then moves to the Laemmle Sunset 5 on Saturday and Sunday where 50 short films will be screened. www.hollyshorts.com

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences examines the sound and the music of animated films with "The Sound Behind the Image II: Now Hear This!" presentation Friday at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Sound designer and rerecording mixer Mark Mangini hosts the exploration of sound and the role it plays in animation.


Sunday at the academy's Linwood Dunn Theater, Oscar-nominated composer Michael Giacchino ("Ratatouille") hosts "Normand Roger and the Animation Soundtrack." Roger has scored 13 animated shorts, including six Oscar winners. Also taking part will be Oscar-winning animator Frédéric Back in conjunction with the opening night of the exhibition "Frédéric Back: A Life's Drawings" in the Linwood Dunn lobby. www.oscars.org

During the 1950s and early '60s, director Richard Quine made a series of sharp comedies, films noir and dramas at Columbia -- several with his then-girlfriend Kim Novak. And the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosts a retrospective that kicks off Friday with 1954's gritty "Pushover," with Fred MacMurray and Novak in her film debut, and "Drive a Crooked Road," penned by Blake Edwards and starring Mickey Rooney. On tap for Saturday is the evocative 1960 melodrama "Strangers When We Meet" with Novak and Kirk Douglas as illicit lovers, and the 1956 comedy "The Solid Gold Cadillac" with Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas. www.lacma.org

The American Cinematheque presents the U.S. premiere Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre of the new animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." A benefit for the Cinematheque, director Dave Filoni and producer Catherine Winder will attend.


Tuesday, the Cinematheque honors the late composer Peter Ivers and the release of his biography with a restored print of David Lynch's seminal 1977 "Eraserhead," for which Ivers wrote the song "In Heaven." A discussion with Josh Frank, author of "In Heaven Everything Is Fine," will follow. www.

susan.king@latimes.com

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

ANGELENO MAGAZINE: LONG AND SHORT OF IT


Angeleno Magazine
The Long and Short of It
The HollyShorts Film Festival started in a tiny, hole-in-the wall theatre in Hollywood four years ago with just 23 films on the roster, but this month, it moves to the Egyptian with more than 70 domestic and international entries. Founded by industry insiders Daniel sol and Theo Dumont (who work, respectively, in distribution at Lionsgate and public relations at MGM), the festival is now gunning to be L.A.’s own Sundance with big names and big independent spirit. Josh Brolin is making his directorial debut with X, a film starring his daughter, eden. David Arquette also stars in an opening-night film, and even Jessica Biel gets in on the action, as both star and producer for a flick called Hole in the Paper Sky. The founding duo---who were basketball teammates while attending high school in Miami---additionally host monthly screenings at the echo Park Film Center, where “higher-ranked entries that don’t make the cut for the festival have the option of screening,” says Dumont. That means the HollyShorts community is a year-round platform and not just a one-off summer celebration. August 7-10. Fri-Sun., times vary. Tickets $10. At the Egyptian theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood and the Laemmle Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd. , West Hollywood. www.hollyshorts.com ---Alexis Johnson

HOLLYSHORTS TO HONOR DAVID LYNCH, PAUL HAGGIS AND ACTRESS PAULA GARCES


HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR DAVID LYNCH, PAUL HAGGIS AND ACTRESS PAULA GARCES AT OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATION EVENT


LOS ANGELES August 7, 2008--- The organizers of HollyShorts announced today three special awards that will be presented at the 4th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival opening night celebration, which takes place on Thursday, August 7. Creative mastermind David Lynch (Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Visionary Award. Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis (Crash, In the Valley of Elah) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Outstanding Achievement in Film Award and actress Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, “Knight Rider”) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Future Star Award.

The awards will be presented during the festivals special opening night celebration which takes place at Egyptian theatre in Hollywood in conjunction with the American Cinematheque. The HollyShorts Film Festival opening night celebration begins at 8pm and will be hosted by Jill Simonian, correspondent “Dailies” for ReelzChannel. The event will feature a number of high profile short film projects including "Hole in the Paper Sky," produced by and starring Jessica Biel and directed by Bill Purple, "Nosebleed," starring David Arquette and directed by Jeff Vespa, as well as the Hollywood premiere of actor Josh Brolin's short film "X." HollyShorts opening night will also feature “Verboten” by Martin Keegan, “The Outlaw Emmett Deemus” by Stephan S. Fleet and “ Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence” by Dan Cregan.

In addition to Lynch’s Visionary Award for his dedication to craft and the art of filmmaking, HollyShorts is partnering with The David Lynch Foundation to launch The HollyShorts David Lynch Foundation Student Short film competition. The contest, which launches in January will call for high school and college short film short films 15 minutes and under, which will be selected and screened during the 2009 HollyShorts Film Festival. A portion of the proceeds will go to The David Lynch Foundation. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

Paul Haggis is the recipient of the 2008 HollyShorts Outstanding Achievement in Film Award for transcending a dream into one of the most compelling and successful careers in Hollywood. Paula Garces is a fast rising actress in Hollywood. With starring roles in the Harold and Kumar franchise, she will next make her appearance on NBC’s upcoming series “Knight Rider.” She will be presented the 2008 Future Star Award by the late legendary filmmaker Stanley Kramer’s wife Karen Sharpe-Kramer and her daughter actress Katharine "Kat" Kramer.

HollyShorts has several events taking place in the Hollywood area during the 4th Annual Festival. On Friday, August 8 there will be 11 music videos in competiation during the festival’s inaugural music video celebration at Nacional in Hollywood. August 9-10 will feature 50 short films in competition during special screenings at Laemmle's Sunset 5 theatres 10:15am-7:30pm

Tickets for the HollyShorts opening night celebration are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Fandango at www.fandango.com or the American Cinematheque website at www.americancinematheque.com.

About HollyShorts
HollyShorts 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 30- minutes or less. For more information, please visit www.hollyshorts.com.

Get Your Tickets now to HollyShorts

The regular HollyShorts website is experiencing technical issues due to the high volume of viewership. You can purchase tickets for the Saturday and Sunday screenings at Laemmle's Sunset 5 by clicking on the following:



BACKSTAGE WEST: HOLLYSHORTS TO SHOWCASE NEW FILMMAKERS, BROLIN

Backstage West
HollyShorts to Showcase New Filmmakers, Brolin
August 06, 2008
By Robert C. Nicolais
In four years, Daniel Sol and Theo Dumont have seen the HollyShorts Film Festival they co-founded grow from a one-day screening to a four-day film festival attended by some of Hollywood's top stars. Now they hope to give a similar boost to the directors, producers, and actors who will showcase their work at the fest Aug. 7-10, at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre and Nacional nightclub, as well as Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theatres in West Hollywood.

"The festival is a great platform for indie filmmakers to get their work out there and advance their careers," said Dumont, producer of the event that features some of the best films under 30 minutes from around the globe. "These are up-and-comers, and we want to give them the exposure they deserve. Los Angeles is the hub of the acting and filmmaking world, so why not have a short-film festival out here? We can bring in local people, and they can network and work together afterwards. That was our goal from the start." HollyShorts will also help educate new filmmakers with panels Aug. 9 and 10 that will explore the creative and business aspects of filmmaking.

However, not all the actor-filmmakers participating in HollyShorts are unknowns. SAG Award winner Josh Brolin will premiere his directorial debut, X, on the fest's opening night. Brolin's film will screen alongside Hole in the Paper Sky, directed by Bill Purple and starring Jessica Biel, and Nosebleed, directed by Jeff Vespa and starring David Arquette.

"With shorts, more than anything you want to see what people can do with 20 minutes," Brolin said. "It says a lot about them. I'm looking forward to all the films. I'm nervous about mine, but I'm excited for the festival."

Like many of us, Brolin scours sites such as YouTube and FunnyOrDie, which have made short films more popular than ever. "You find a lot of filmmakers online that you usually wouldn't come across," he said. "It makes it a lot easier to put together a story and not have to spend a lot of money. I think it's positive because people get a chance to manifest something creative."




Dumont believes that the Web gives filmmakers the opportunity to be creative and possibly make a career out of online shorts. "The Internet allows filmmakers and actors to build a fan base, audience, and network for free," he said. "Blogs and websites help aid actor's résumés, add a revenue stream, and build a platform for a feature film. You can put a movie online, come up with a marketing campaign for it, and eventually make a living off of it. Sites like YouTube have created all of those opportunities for filmmakers and actors."

Paying Homage

HollyShorts will also honor two iconic directors on its opening night: Writer-director Paul Haggis will receive the HollyShorts Outstanding Achievement in Film Award, and David Lynch will be awarded the HollyShorts Visionary Award. The fest will introduce a new award titled the HollyShorts David Lynch Foundation Student Short Film Award next year.

Another awards ceremony for the participating filmmakers will close the festival Aug. 10. "Last year we gave out awards for best actor and actress along with awards recognizing achievements in editing, direction, and cinematography," said fest director Sol. "We expect to give out even more awards this time around."

Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theatres are located at 8000 Sunset Blvd.,West Hollywood, Calif. The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Passes for the fourth annual HollyShorts Film Festival are $20-$40. Tickets for individual short-film program — including opening night — are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.hollyshorts.com.