The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2025 - Issue 38

HollyShor ts London 2025 Giedre Jackyte attended the screening of Enys Men at BFI Southbank, a mind- bending Cornish folk horror set in 1973. bitefilmreview L ondon is never short on film events, but the Holly- Shorts Film Festival brings a different kind of en- ergy, with less spectacle and more community. Its second London edition arrived in November and settled into the city in a way that felt surprisingly organic. It could be because short films carry a certain electricity. They’re immediate, unpredictable, and often far bolder than their feature-length counterparts. Or it could be because the people behind them, such as writers, direc- tors, actors, and producers, share the same room and watch each other’s work without barriers. Attending this year’s HollyShorts felt like stepping into that kind of creative mix. The venues were busy, the au- diences engaged, and the filmmakers stayed accessible, sparking conversations that carried on long after screen- ings. There was no hierarchy, just a collective love of cin- ema that set the tone for the weekend. One thing that became obvious as the weekend went on was how genuinely mixed the programming was. Noth- ing felt curated toward a single theme or mood. You’d get a sharp little comedy in one slot, then suddenly find yourself watching something far quieter and more emo- tional right after. That kind of range kept the audience alert; you never really knew what tone was coming next, and that unpredictability is part of what makes Holly- Shorts interesting. Among the films that drew the most attention was Franz Böhm’s Rock, Paper, Scissors. It won the Grand Prize, but even without the award, it would’ve stood out. The film had that rare ability to draw the room in almost imme- diately. It didn’t rely on shock or heavy stylisation; it just told its story with a steady confidence. The pacing was tight, the direction sure-footed, and it carried this subtle tension that stayed with you long after. The Singers was another one that people left the theatre thinking about. It’s a smaller, gentler film on the surface, but that simplicity works in its favour. Sam Davis direct- ed it with a kind of honesty that’s hard to fake; the im- ages are soft, the performances grounded, and the whole thing sits with you for a while. It’s not loud, not showy, but quietly affecting. Then there was Stomach Bug, which won Best Cine- matography, the kind of film that showed the technical range short filmmakers are working with right now. The visuals were controlled but not sterile, stylised without becoming glossy. What made it enjoyable was the way camera movement and framing pushed the narrative without overshadowing it. You could sense the direc- tor understood how to build atmosphere through mi- cro-choices of colour, pace, framing, the kind of deci- sions that reveal craft more than budget. A very different highlight came from director Baz Sells, who created Two Black Boys in Paradise and won the Best Animation award. Animation blocks can sometimes feel like an outlier, but this short cuts straight through that separation. It had a vibrancy and directness that imme- diately caught the room’s attention. The visual language felt fresh, with expressive lines, a bold use of colour, and a surreal sensibility that never overshadowed the emo- tional core. What grounded the film was its sincerity. Animation sometimes gets overlooked in live-action festivals, but here it felt not only welcome but essential. Watching the programme at Vue Leicester Square proved that short films look natural on a big screen. They looked sharp, sounded powerful and carried the room with no hesitation. The format felt elevated, not reduced. That confidence ran through the entire festival. HollyShorts brought short-form work into the centre of London and gave it a proper stage, big screens, commit- ted audiences and a programme that stood tall beside any feature-led event. The films weren’t filler; they were the focus. And the festival made sure everyone felt that. The atmosphere in the screenings made it clear that Hol- lyShorts isn’t simply extending its reach; it’s establishing a real base in London. Filmmakers showed up. Audienc- es showed up. Conversations continued long after the credits. You could feel the appetite for more. If this is the level of the festival’s London edition in its early years, its future here looks very strong. https://www.hollyshorts.com