The HollyShorts Film Festival is returning to Los Angeles this August for its 22nd edition, bringing together an impressive international selection of short films, emerging filmmakers, established stars, and major industry talent.
Taking place August 13–23, 2026, at TCL Chinese Theatres and venues throughout Ovation Hollywood, the Oscar®-qualifying festival will showcase 430 films selected from thousands of submissions from filmmakers around the world. The festival has also unveiled its official 2026 poster as it prepares to celebrate another year of short-form storytelling.
With projects executive produced by names including Zoe Saldaña, Margot Robbie, Barry Keoghan, Idris and Sabrina Elba, and Serena Williams, this year’s programme demonstrates the increasingly important role short films play as a platform for established artists and emerging voices alike.
A Star-Studded Premiere Programme
One of the biggest highlights of HollyShorts 2026 is the sheer range of talent appearing both behind and in front of the camera.
Among the festival’s headline premieres is They, the directorial debut of Renée Zellweger. The programme also features Little Bug, starring Martin Freeman in the story of Laika, the first dog to orbit Earth aboard a Soviet space mission.
Michael Keaton takes on directing and acting duties in Sweetwater, appearing opposite Kyra Sedgwick, while Alexandra Shipp makes her directorial debut with For Niko, in which she also stars.
Other marquee selections include The Colosseum, led by Vincent Cassel, and Bobby, a poetic wartime drama featuring the voice of Michael Caine.
The lineup continues with Selah, Lara Everly’s comedy-drama starring Milana Vayntrub; It’s Complicated, written by and starring Iman Karram and executive produced by Zoe Saldaña; and The Sisters of Scott County, featuring Kaitlyn Dever and Ava Phillippe.
Hollywood Talent Meets Short-Form Storytelling
The 2026 programme demonstrates how short films continue to attract some of the industry’s most recognizable performers.
Michael Gandolfini and Christopher Meloni appear in Sophia Meloni’s coming-of-age comedy Chop Cheese, while Lara Condor, Owen Teague, and Kaia Gerber star in Get Her Back!, written by New York playwright Leah Nanako Winkler and executive produced by Margot Robbie.
Other featured live-action titles include Souvenir by Renée Marie Petropoulos; See You, Soon starring Asante Black and Isaiah John; Meeting Your Maker starring Jonathan Kite; Townies (or, My Little Town) starring Maren Lord and Michel Gil; and Homebodies starring Sam Richardson and Martha Kelly.
The festival’s genre offerings are equally ambitious. Jordan Peele-produced horror Spilled Milk, directed by Jared Leaf and starring J. Alphonse Nicholson and Kid Cudi, is among the standout selections.
Peele also executive produces The Pigs Underneath, while other notable titles include FruitHead starring Bradley Whitford, Floored starring Mara Wilson, Stay for the Q+A starring Jim Cummings, and Please Return Your Cart starring Russell Hornsby and Kimrie Lewis.
Academy Award winner Yalitza Aparicio appears in In the Still of the Night, while Anna Camp stars in Missed.
British Cinema Takes Center Stage
British filmmaking receives a particularly strong presence in this year’s programme.
Among the highlights is Joke, directed by Bob Cryer, son of legendary comedian Barry Cryer. The short features an extraordinary ensemble including Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, and Alison Steadman.
Gobstopper, starring Mia McKenna-Bruce and Annabel Scholey, is executive produced by Barry Keoghan and Simon Curtis.
The programme also includes BRUVVAS, directed by and starring Katie McGuinness and featuring Ben Whishaw, as well as Fox from Darius Norowzian.
Another major selection is Signal, starring Christopher Eccleston as a railway signalman whose routine night shift becomes a race against time when he spots a distressed young man trespassing on the tracks. BAFTA winner Jack Rowan plays the young man.
Additional British titles include Odd Socks starring Sandi Toksvig and Paterson Joseph, Echoes featuring Ashley Walters, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and I Am the Prize starring Russell Tovey.
The festival will also screen Still Life starring Ophelia Lovibond, How to Hide It executive produced by Idris and Sabrina Elba, and Life Goes On starring David Bradley.
The documentary Swim Sistas, narrated by Naomie Harris, explores the relationship between Black women and swimming.
Documentaries and Animation Expand the Programme
HollyShorts’ documentary programme offers an equally diverse selection.
Highlights include The Revolution Against Death from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer, along with A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil by Daniel Straub.
For something considerably more unconventional, Eructation follows a woman attempting to break the world record for the loudest burp, demonstrating the festival’s willingness to embrace unusual subjects and distinctive filmmaking approaches.
Animation also receives significant attention in 2026.
Pigeons, directed by Amos Sussigan and featuring the voice of Andy Serkis, joins Living with a Visionary, Stephen P. Neary’s Sundance-winning animated film narrated by James Cromwell.
ChikaBOOM! features the voices of Natasha Lyonne, Yara Shahidi, and Daveed Diggs, while Oscar-nominated Butterfly and Academy Award-winning The Girl Who Cried Pearls further strengthen the animated selection.
Another notable animated title is Apart, directed by Pola Maneli and written by Academy Award winner Spike Lee, following two boys whose friendship is tested during apartheid in South Africa.
Music Videos Bring Major Artists to HollyShorts
The festival’s music video programme adds another dimension to its celebration of short-form visual storytelling.
Among the featured works are Gorillaz’ The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God and Jack White’s Archbishop Harold Holmes, starring John C. Reilly.
The inclusion of major music artists demonstrates how HollyShorts extends beyond conventional narrative filmmaking, embracing the relationship between music, visual art, performance, and short-form cinema.
Sports Programme Celebrates Extraordinary Stories
Led by Emmy Award-winning producer Jessica Badawi, HollyShorts’ Sports programme returns with another collection of compelling stories.
Serena Williams executive produces ZINA, a documentary chronicling the life and career of tennis pioneer Zina Garrison.
Another major selection is The Baddest Speechwriter of All, co-directed by four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry and two-time Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot. The documentary explores the extraordinary life of Clarence B. Jones, the trusted lawyer and speechwriter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The sports programme also features Grenadye Alaso! 1974–2026, directed by Leo Volcy and executive produced by Grammy Award-winning Haitian producer and DJ Michael Brun alongside U.S. soccer legend Jozy Altidore. The film celebrates Haiti’s return to the FIFA World Cup after a 52-year absence.
A Major Launchpad for Oscar Contenders
HollyShorts’ importance extends well beyond its Los Angeles screenings.
As one of the world’s leading Oscar®-qualifying short film festivals, HollyShorts provides Academy Award qualification opportunities in four categories:
- Best Short Film Grand Prize
- Best Live-Action Short
- Best Documentary Short
- Best Animated Short
This status makes the festival an important launchpad for filmmakers hoping to move from the short-film circuit onto the international awards stage.
$40,000 in New Film Funding Opportunities
The 2026 festival also introduces two major initiatives designed to support filmmakers beyond the festival itself.
The HollyShorts Film Festival Short Film Fund will award one filmmaker a $25,000 prize package.
The package includes a $10,000 production grant from IMGN, a Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, one-to-one mentorship from filmmakers and industry executives, Kodak production support for both the winner and runner-up, and an official world premiere at the 2027 HollyShorts Film Festival.
The festival is also launching the HollyShorts & Film.io Audience-Validated Competition, created in partnership with Film.io Studios and the Film.io platform.
The competition is open to completed short films and gives filmmakers an audience-driven platform to build visibility and compete for $15,000 in cash awards, while potentially positioning future projects for financing opportunities.
Together, the two initiatives provide $40,000 in prizes while reinforcing HollyShorts’ commitment to supporting filmmakers beyond a single festival screening.
A Global Celebration of Short Cinema
With 430 films, major stars, award-winning filmmakers, international voices, documentaries, animation, music videos, sports stories, and new funding opportunities, HollyShorts 2026 is shaping up to be one of the festival’s most ambitious editions yet.
The 22nd edition will take over TCL Chinese Theatres and Ovation Hollywood from August 13 through August 23, bringing together filmmakers and audiences from around the world.
At a time when short-form storytelling continues to expand across cinema, streaming, social platforms, and emerging media, HollyShorts remains an important home for filmmakers willing to experiment, challenge conventions, and tell powerful stories in a compact format.
For emerging filmmakers, the festival offers access to industry recognition and Oscar qualification. For audiences, it provides the chance to discover tomorrow’s filmmakers alongside some of today’s most recognizable names.
The 2026 HollyShorts programme ultimately reinforces the festival’s long-standing mission: to discover, celebrate, and elevate the next generation of cinematic voices.
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