Hollyshorts Film Festival – SAGIndie

The Screen Actors Guild boasts an impressive portfolio of work and the Independent Shorts are no less deserving of accolades! And as SAG-AFTRA is on strike, it is clear to see how their work is relevant and worth more notoriety and compensation. With stories that range from reformation and acceptance of self to adoption, loss, and prejudice…the stories told under the SAGIndie label pack the proverbial punch.  

Ricky 

In an instant one wrong decision can affect the trajectory of our life. Recently released from prison, Ricky (Parish Bradley) has served his time for a wrong decision and is trying to get back up on his feet. While his mother Winsome (Simbi Kali), brother James (Maliq Johnson) and family friend Bernetta (Karen Chilton) all provide help as best they can, it is up to Ricky finding his voice and picking up the pieces….even when things seem to go severely in that reformation and rebuilding.  

Written and directed by Rashad Frett, the short film Ricky is a great study in character for those who have gone through the prison system at a young age and the life that awaits them during the rebuilding process. Parish Bradley plays the titular role with such angst and insecurity that you understand his reluctance to be honest when he makes a mistake that may cost him his freedom once more. But will he speak up or let his brother James take the fall? And is the price of that honesty worth more than his freedom? 

Blue Hour 

To pay her bills struggling photographer René (Doyin Domingo) is set to sell one of her prized cameras to a buyer not quite aware of its worth. But in a chance phone call from a young woman named Jaz (Diamond Taylor), we see René find herself at a photo session unlike any other she has ever experienced: an infant that will not survive long past his birth.  

Written and directed by J.D. Shields, viewers see in Blue Hour those last moments for a new mother as the very life they helped to cultivate and create is taken from them – and even in that loss, giving identity and weight. Domingo’s view as René helps give perspective to hitting rock bottom. While René struggles in her life as evidenced by a sparsely decorated apartment and a need to sell one of her most prized possessions, witnessing Jaz’s loss gives her greater perspective to the true meaning of struggle. And the message is poignant, strong and thoughtful: struggle is a part of life…no matter the issue. 

Benny & James 

How can adoption affect a relationship when one parent-to-be is having second thoughts? For Benny (Calvin Leon Smith) and his partner James (Phillip James Brannon), this is their reality. When James is unsettled by the prospect of becoming a father coupled with an ominous dream, he begins to question whether he is ready to accept the new parental role. Even though Benny tries to calm and convince him otherwise, Benny’s own dream from the night before fuels the uncertainty in James and a fight that may change their very relationship. 

Benny & James, written and directed by Logan Vaughn, delves into those uncertainties that lie with not only adoption but with those that make such a weighty decision. In a world where adoption may be the only path to becoming a parent, Brannon’s portrayal of a reluctant James proves that all kinds of couples grapple with this decision…even ones that have longed to be parents. With Smith and Brannon showcasing the only two characters in the film, their frustrations and angst is played out in a beautifully tragic way. As Benny is eager to be a parent, it comes down to realizing whether he can convince James to keep with the plan or potentially having to make a go of parenthood without him. 

Monochromatic 

In a world biased against you for the color of your skin, at what age do you finally realize it? For young Grace (Kenedy McCallam-Martin), that realization comes much too soon. Shot through snippets of Grace’s life in Wood Green, London in 1977, the short film Monochromatic is a story known all too well: how prejudice colors the world of a child living that truth. And in Grace’s world, witnessing those events whether alone or with her mother Bev (Stephanie Levi-John). 

Karen Bryson, who wrote, directed and portrays grown-up Grace, packs a punch with this film. As Grace is eager to play and just be a child, the world around her forces her to grow up. School appears to be the only place that color has little meaning, but that is it. Because whether it be wandering by the water, going to church or walking with her mother, Grace’s encounters with unsavory characters that are eager to remind her “there ain’t no black in the Union Jack” rip that childhood away piece by piece. Yet despite their best efforts, Grace appears to hold onto her faith, her family and herself. 

Thoughts Are Things 

Sometimes a chance encounter and some kindness can change the world. When a young boy (Percy Daggs IV) on the verge of trouble encounters the local librarian Josh Turner (Roger Guenveur Smith), he is given a James Allen book, a toy car and sound advice. That happenstance not only saves the life of the young boy when he grows up to become a doctor (Christopher T. Brown), but also Turner’s life when he collapses at work twenty-five years later.  

Written and directed by Christopher T. Brown, the short film Thoughts Are Things tells a story that can resonate with many of us…simple moments of kindness in our life can have a profound impact. With Smith’s impressive resume of acting accolades, his portrayal as the librarian is understated, fun and relatable. Ultimately, what we put out in the world can have a way of coming back to us is in unbelievable ways.  

Gaps 

In a world that makes us feel we have to look a certain way, what happens when you accept your imperfections? For Sydney (Charli’ Gurl), the gap in her smile is so much more than a flaw…it’s a birthright and a way to honor those that came before her.  But the question remains: how long will it take for her to see that? 

Written and directed by Jenn Shaw, the film Gaps delves into those bodily quirks that each of us have…especially ones that have been handed down through generations. At first Sydney’s eagerness to change her appearance becomes an obsession. However, through the encouragement of her mother Denise (Pernell Walker) and Grandma Marley (Lorraine Toussaint), Sydney soon comes to realize that the gap in her teeth is a part of who she is and something she should embrace rather than despise.  

Are You Okay 

In a PSA released by Sankofa.org, Are You Okay shows the glaring reality of our innermost thoughts and the way we hide them. Even when friends can ask the titular question, our own insecurities can get the best of us and ultimately keep us from being honest. It is important to remember asking, “Are you okay?” isn’t always enough.