Alden Ehrenreich, Catherine Hardwicke, Tom Skerritt, Lexi Underwood To Be Honored At 20th HollyShorts Film Festival
The 20th anniversary HollyShorts Film Festival is set to honor a quartet of major Hollywood talents, from industry veterans to an up-and-coming star.
Actor Tom Skeritt, actor-director Alden Ehrenreich, director Catherine Hardwicke, and young actress Lexi Underwood will receive laurels at the prestigious Oscar-qualifying festival, which runs from August 8-18.
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HollyShorts will present its Luminary Award to Ehrenreich in recognition of his work in front of and behind the camera. Ehrenreich’s directorial debut, Shadow Brother Sunday, screened last year at HollyShorts following its world premiere at Tribeca Festival.
“I was very flattered to have my film Shadow Brother Sunday included in this wonderful festival last year and had a great time meeting all those involved,” Ehrenreich said in a statement. “I am even more flattered – flattered times two – to be chosen to receive this special honor. I am proud to see the Los Angeles film community gather and support each other. L.A. is home to so many wonderful artists and needs a community of people who are encouraging those artists toward artistic excellence rather than toward careerism and money. It is wonderful that HollyShorts is here to give these emerging filmmakers a platform, a chance to see their work on a big screen, and the opportunity to meet other artists who can help inspire them. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Skerritt, whose remarkable career began more than 60 years ago, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. His many film credits include M*A*S*H, Top Gun, Alien, Harold and Maude, Contact, and A River Runs Through It. He won an Emmy for his lead role on TV’s Picket Fences and has appeared in television series stretching from 1963 to 2022.
“So honored to be recognized by the community of HollyShorts,” Skerritt said. “I’ve been so fortunate and recognize that my success is on the shoulders of the people I’ve had the good fortune to work with, from Bob Altman, Hal Ashby, Robert Redford, Herb Ross, Ridley and Tony Scott, and many others. And the many, many actors and crew all have been a part of the tapestry of my artistic life. We can’t do this alone, and it all starts with the writer, the idea, and the story, which I have always been passionate about!”
The festival’s Visionary Award will go to Hardwicke, director of Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen, Twilight – which launched the blockbuster franchise starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson – and the 2024 Hulu series Under the Bridge starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone, among many other films.
“It is a fantastic privilege to be presented with the Visionary Award at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival,” Hardwicke said. “This is an amazing festival that celebrates the indie spirit of short-form filmmaking, and I am delighted to receive this recognition.”
HollyShorts is partnering with the American Cinematheque for a special 35MM screening of Hardwicke’s Lords of Dogtown on Aug. 18 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, preceded by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Underwood, the 20-year-old actress who broke through with her role as Pearl in the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere (opposite Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington), will receive the Rising Star Award from HollyShorts. She will next be seen in I Wish You All the Best alongside Alexandra Daddario and Cole Sprouse.
“I am incredibly honored to receive the HollyShorts Rising Star Award,” Underwood said. “Short films are an essential medium for young actors to hone their craft and this festival is a great champion of the form. I feel grateful to be able to tell stories & bring characters to life for a living. I believe as artists, what we do is a contact sport. Whatever we create, ultimately, we want to have an impact on someone. Whether 10 people watch my work or 10,000, I want people to feel seen, heard & inspired. Within the past 10 years of my career, I have been fortunate to do so. Thank you all for recognizing my work & seeing me.”
Winners of HollyShorts awards in four categories automatically qualify for Oscar consideration: Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation, Best Short Live Action, and Best Documentary Short. More than 400 films will be presented at the 20th anniversary event, selected from over 6,100 submissions.
HollyShorts, founded in 2005 by Theo Dumont and Daniel Sol, “is devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panels and forums.”
Screenings for this year’s festival will take place in person at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the official festival streaming platform, BITPIX.
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