Several films just took one step closer to an Oscar nomination, and Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz are back in the race.
The 21st Annual HollyShorts Film Festival announced their winners this week, and it places four films in the conversation for this year’s Academy Award. The Cutler-Kreutzes were nominated last years in Best Live Action Short for their film A Lien, and they might return with a new story of privilege when a janitor brings his son to his night shift and he encounters a senior prank. Trapped was also named Best Drama. It’s one of the best films of the festival, and I could see audiences really responding to it if it’s shortlisted.
Check out the press release and full winners below.
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The 21st HollyShorts Film Festival, an annual Academy Awards®-qualifying event celebrating short form cinema from around the world, has revealed its OSCAR-qualifying award winners: Voices from the Abyss by Irving Serrano and Victor Rejón took home Best Documentary; Trapped by Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz won the Grand Prix Award; A Son a Father by Andrés Ramírez Pulido earned Best Live Action; and Hurikán by Jan Saska received Best Animation. Lee Knight took home the Best Director prize for A Friend of Dorothy, while Alexander Farah’s A Son and Father was honored with a special mention.
Among the award presenters were Katherine Hardwicke; 2025 Academy Award winners Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani; 2025 Oscar nominee Adam J. Graves; Treva Etiienne; Jimmy Jean-Louis; Bradley James; Oscar-nominated cinematographer Lawrence Sher; Sharon Lawrence; and more.
Sponsors for this premiere film festival include Sarkis Pastry’s, The Monta Factory, Pillowtalk Pasadena, Parakeet Cafe, Angel City Pizza, Vitaminwater, Smartwater, Simply Pop, Escobar Cigars, La Casa De Iris, Dulce Vida Tequila, Empress Gin, Bernie’s LA, Carousel Restaurant, Royal Cathay, Ara’s Shawerma, Cotrini Skincare, Framework and The Élliance.
Check out HollyShorts’ full list of winners below!
Oscar-qualifying categories:
BEST SHORT FILM GRAND PRIZE
“Trapped”, Sam Cutler-Kreutz & David Cutler-Kreutz
BEST LIVE ACTION
“A Son and a Father,” Andrés Ramírez Pulido
BEST ANIMATION
“Hurikán,” Jan Saska
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Voices From the Abyss,” Irving Serrano, Victor Rejón
Other categories:
AAPI Award:
“Mushroom Dad,” Michael Yuchen Lei
Best Cinematography:
“Lo Que Desaparece,” Mario Lerma and Alex Rapariz
Best Comedy:
“Susana,” Gerardo Coello Escalante and Amandine Thomas
Best Drama:
“Trapped,” Sam Cutler-Kreutz & David Cutler-Kreutz
Best Director:
“A Friend of Dorothy,” Lee Knight;
Best Editing:
“Say Wuff!” Fabian Podeszwa
Best Horror:
“Heirlooms,” Dan Abramovici
Best International:
“The Painting & the Statue,” Freddie Fox
Best Midnight Madness:
“Stomach Bug,” Matty Crawford
Best Music Video:
“Earth Defender,” Sil van der Woerd, Jorik Dozy and Kynan Tegar
Best Podcast:
“Moonburn,” Robbie Hyne
Best Producer:
“Money Talk$”: Tony Mucci (Director and Producer), Scott Aharoni (Producer), Bryan Schmier (Producer) and David Mazouz (Producer)
Best Sci-Fi:
“The Second Time Around,” Jack Howard
Best Special Effects:
“Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting,” Alexander Thompson
Best Student Film:
“1:10,” Sinan Taner
Best Thriller:
“Plastic Surgery,” Guy Trevellyan
Best TV:
“Chasers,” Erin Brown Thomas
Best Web Series:
“Hasaan Hates Portland,” Mischa Webley
Kodak Best Shot on Film, 16MM:
“Ragamuffin,” Kaitlyn Mikayla
Kodak Best Shot on Film, 35MM:
“The Singers,” Sam Davis
Kodak Honorable Mention:
“Synthesize Me,” Bear Damen
Latine Award:
“Cura Sana,” Lucía G. Romero
LGBTQIA+ Award:
“Dancing in Tomorrowland,” Jakob Roston
SAGindie Award:
“L’avance,” Djiby Kebe
Social Impact Award:
“Rise,” Jessica J. Rowlands
Best Sports Drama:
“Negro League Nights,” Kyle Sykes
Best Sports Documentary:
“It’s On Like a Pot of Neckbones,” Joey Garfield
Script Awards
ISA Story Award – Best Feature Screenplay:
“The Dope Friend,” Matt Ferrucci
Best Female Screenplay:
“The Unraveling,” Samantha Mallory
Best Short Screenplay Grand Prize
“Mudslide,” Frederik Ehrhardt
