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Shorts Exclusive: Lesley Ann Warren Takes Center Stage in Tom Koch’s ‘Olive’

Andrew Carlberg interviews Warren and Director Tom Koch on behalf of the Live Action Short contender

Joey Moser by Joey Moser
December 5, 2025
in Film, Interviews, Live Action Short, Shorts
0
Shorts Exclusive: Lesley Ann Warren Takes Center Stage in Tom Koch’s ‘Olive’
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The Oscar-qualified short film OLIVE, starring Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress Lesley Ann Warren (Victor Victoria, Clue), is making waves on the festival circuit that examines the fragility of memory and the enduring power of love through the disorienting lens of Alzheimer’s. 

Directed by emerging filmmaker Tom Koch, OLIVE reflects his lifelong fascination with imagination, performance, and resilience. Raised between the South of France and London, Koch turned childhood struggles with asthma into a creative drive that ultimately led him to New York, where he founded Mes Films en Couleur, a production company dedicated to telling true stories with a twist. His debut short Orange won an honorable mention at Hollywood New Directors 2024; OLIVE is his most ambitious film yet.

Produced by Astrid Lark (Gold from the Sky, Orange), Anthony James Faure (Kids with Guns), and Andrew Carlberg, Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producer of Skin and Feeling Through, OLIVE brings together a powerhouse creative team. The film is shot by acclaimed Spanish cinematographer Guillermo Cameo (Dead Guy, Queen of Soca), edited by Emmy Award-winner Hillary Carrigan (Marriage Story, You Hurt My Feelings), with costumes by Broadway veteran Chris Hynds, and casting by industry leader Joanna Davis (Pacific Rim, The Vampire Diaries).

In addition to Warren, the cast features Tom Koch, rising actress Marie Louise Boisnier, seasoned performer Jeffrey Farber, and acclaimed musician Tómas Doncker.

“With OLIVE, I wanted to explore how memory shapes who we are, and what happens when that thread begins to unravel,” says Koch. “It’s about love, loss, and holding on to fragments of identity in the face of erasure.”

The film’s stunning poster won the PLATINUM AWARD in the 2026 Graphis Design Awards. The work celebrated in Graphis is recognized at the highest level of creativity and excellence among the world’s elite creatives as juried by some of the most acclaimed international creatives in branding and visual arts.

Now officially Oscar-qualified, OLIVE has already garnered international recognition, winning the Silver Screen at the Young Director Awards in Cannes and Best Short Film at Sidewalk 2025, while earning a nomination for Best Live Action Short at Flickers Rhode Island International 2025. The film has also been officially selected by prestigious festivals including Hollyshorts, Walla Walla Movie Crush (where it was voted Audience Choice, 3rd out of 100), Cordillera International, New York Shorts International, and the Global Drama Project.

___________________________________________________________________

Lesley Ann Warren à l’affiche du court-métrage éligible aux Oscars OLIVE de Tom Koch, une histoire poignante d’amour et d’Alzheimer

Le court-métrage OLIVE, éligible aux Oscars et mettant en vedette l’actrice Lesley Ann Warren, nommée aux Oscars et lauréate d’un Golden Globe (Victor Victoria, Cluedo), fait sensation sur le circuit des festivals. Il explore la fragilité de la mémoire et le pouvoir éternel de l’amour à travers le prisme désorientant de l’Alzheimer. 

Réalisé par le cinéaste émergent Tom Koch, OLIVE reflète sa fascination de toujours pour l’imagination, la performance et la résilience. Ayant grandi entre le Sud de la France et Londres, Koch a transformé ses luttes d’enfance contre l’asthme en une impulsion créative qui l’a finalement conduit à New York, où il a fondé Mes Films en Couleur, une société de production dédiée à raconter des histoires vraies avec une touche originale. Son premier court-métrage, Orange, a reçu une mention honorable aux Hollywood New Directors 2024 ; OLIVE est son film le plus ambitieux à ce jour.

Le film est produit par Astrid Lark (Gold from the Sky, Orange), Anthony James Faure (Kids with Guns) et Andrew Carlberg, producteur oscarisé et lauréat d’un Emmy pour Skin et Feeling Through. Il réunit une équipe créative talentueuse avec Guillermo Cameo, célèbre directeur de la photographie espagnol (Dead Guy, Queen of Soca), Hillary Carrigan, lauréate d’un Emmy pour le montage (Marriage Story, You Hurt My Feelings), Chris Hynds, vétéran de Broadway pour les costumes, et Joanna Davis, leader de l’industrie pour le casting (Pacific Rim, The Vampire Diaries). En plus de Lesley Ann Warren, la distribution comprend Tom Koch, la jeune actrice montante Marie Louise Boisnier, le comédien chevronné Jeffrey Farber, et le musicien reconnu Tómas Doncker.

Tom Koch explique : “Avec OLIVE, je voulais explorer comment la mémoire façonne qui nous sommes et ce qui se passe lorsque ce fil commence à se défaire. C’est une question d’amour, de perte et de maintien de fragments d’identité face à l’effacement.”  

L’affiche du film a remporté le PLATINUM AWARD aux Graphis Design Awards 2026, une distinction qui reconnaît le plus haut niveau de créativité et d’excellence parmi les créatifs d’élite du monde entier. Déjà officiellement éligible aux Oscars, OLIVE a remporté la reconnaissance internationale en remportant le Silver Screen aux Young Director Awards de Cannes et le prix du Meilleur court-métrage à Sidewalk 2025, tout en obtenant une nomination pour le meilleur court-métrage en prise de vue réelle à Flickers Rhode Island International 2025. Le film a également été sélectionné par des festivals prestigieux tels que Hollyshorts, Walla Walla Movie Crush (où il a été élu choix du public, 3e sur 100), Cordillera International, New York Shorts International, et le Global Drama Project.

 

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Tags: Lesley Ann WarrenLive Action ShortsOliveShortsTom Koch
Joey Moser

Joey Moser

Joey is a co-founder of The Contending currently living in Columbus, OH. He is a proud member of GALECA and Critics Choice. Since he is short himself, Joey has a natural draw towards short film filmmaking. He is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic, and he has also appeared in Xtra Magazine. If you would like to talk to Joey about cheese, corgis, or Julianne Moore, follow him on Twitter or Instagram.

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