Hollywood’s prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival concluded its 20th edition this past Sunday with a thrilling awards ceremony that granted four standout short films automatic eligibility for the Academy Awards. Among the festival’s top honorees were Diana Naser’s Amplified, Adam J. Graves’ Anuja, Nina Gantz’s Wander to Wonder, and Ben Proudfoot’s The Final Copy of Ilon Specht.
HollyShorts is one of roughly 150 Oscar-qualifying festivals worldwide, with top prizewinners across three short film categories—Best Short Film, Live-Action Short, and Documentary Short—gaining eligibility for the Oscars. Remarkably, HollyShorts is one of only 15 festivals that qualify as many as four films for the Academy Awards.
The festival’s highest honor, the Best Short Film Grand Prize, was awarded to Amplified, directed by Diana Naser. Anuja, by Adam J. Graves, won the award for Best Live-Action Short, while Nina Gantz’s animated feature Wander to Wonder earned Best Animated Short. The Best Documentary Short went to The Final Copy of Ilon Specht, a film directed by Ben Proudfoot, a familiar face at the Oscars.
Ben Proudfoot is no stranger to success, having won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short this year for The Last Repair Shop, co-directed with Kris Bowers, and in 2022 for The Queen of Basketball. Proudfoot was also nominated in 2021 for A Concerto Is a Conversation, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most celebrated short documentary filmmakers in recent years.
Other notable awards included Kate Hollowell winning Best Director for her film Say Hi After You Die. Actress-turned-director Bella Thorne took home the Contrini Best Rising Director Award, marking a significant milestone in her directing career.
The festival also honored Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton, previous Academy Award winners in the Best Live Action Short category for The Silent Child (2018), who received the Best Podcast Award for their work on Gladstone Girls.
The HollyShorts Film Festival continues to be a critical platform for emerging talent and seasoned filmmakers alike, offering them the opportunity to showcase their work and receive prestigious recognition. This year’s jury, comprising industry heavyweights like Alex Winter, Adrienne Barbeau, Joshua Seftel, Matthew Modine, Rachel Brosnahan, and Rosario Dawson, underscored the high caliber of the event.
With four films now on the path to Oscar consideration, the HollyShorts Film Festival has once again proved its significance as a launchpad for short film success and a cornerstone in the awards season circuit.
