A Bloody Great Time nominated for Best Comedy at HollyShorts!

By Valerie Milano

Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/17/24 – Transporting viewers to the genteel world of 18th century England, Julia Aks and Steve Pinder’s delightfully crafted short film, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, unfolds with the promise of romance and societal intrigue. The hilarious and satire-rich film captures the anticipation surrounding Miss Estrogenia’s eagerly awaited marriage proposal, only to confront an unforeseen twist when the moment is marred by an unexpected monthly visitor. With this captivating introduction, Aks and Pinder whisk audiences on a journey through the complexities of love, manners, and the whims of fate in a time when societal norms reigned supreme.

Straight away, viewers will take note of the ironic names of characters in Period Drama, such as ‘Estrogenia’, and other on-the-nose identifiers. Co-writer Julia Aks reveals, “There were multiple points during the writing process where we were like, ‘is this going to stay in here? Surely not!’ But we just kept giggling about the character names, and we thought, well, we think it’s funny, maybe somebody else will think it’s funny. Now, in our screenings so far, the names are some of the biggest laughs we get in the film.”

Click below to see our exclusive interview:

Reflecting on her personal connection to the project, Aks delves into the societal stigma surrounding menstruation and the importance of embracing one’s natural body with joy and laughter. Aks and Steve Pinder aim to open hearts to their message, celebrating the complexities of menstruation amidst the backdrop of beauty and familiarity. Steve Pinder states, “We wanted the film to have a lot of humor and a lot of heart. I am not a menstruator, but I have had issues of body shame and that is one of my ties to this project. We both feel like, why are we culturally shaming people for something their bodies do naturally? Doesn’t make a lot of sense. If people can celebrate their natural body with joy and with laughter, that is absolutely what we want.” Aks additionally offers, “Menstruation is also this weird, mysterious, scientific, awful, funny thing that happens to people. To talk about it with all of those different colors in mind was something that felt really true to me. Also, packaging this conversation in something as beautiful and familiar as the world of a Jane Austen film also felt really fun and a great way to open people’s hearts to receive the message of the project.”

Through Aks’s poignant reflections on the cultural stigma surrounding menstruation and the call to embrace one’s natural self with laughter and acceptance, the film transcends mere entertainment, becoming a catalyst for societal introspection. As Aks and Pinder craft a narrative that seamlessly blends the elegance of Austen’s world with modern-day sensibilities, they invite viewers to engage in a dialogue that celebrates the human experience in all its complexity. Jane Austen’s Period Drama emerges not only as an amusing cinematic experience but also as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of laughter, empathy, and authenticity.

 #HollyShorts2024 #FilmFestival #ShortFilms #CinematographyForActors #DigitalLA #TCLChineseTheatre #Hollywood

The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat

Emergency Contact Out of Reach

CALL THE A.D.A.

What You Left in the Ditch

Bill

Hundreds

Chauncey

Special Delivery

Jane Austen’s Period Drama

I Could Dom

The Orange at the Seder

AUDITORIUM 1

Followed by a Filmmaker Q&A

Audio Description

Eric, a lonely and visually impaired man makes a wish on the morning of his birthday. As he starts his day at work, he comes to realize he is in a film, with his actions narrated by an audio describer named Duncan. Thoroughly annoyed by Duncan’s presence, Eric agrees to work with him to fulfill the film’s plot- finding Eric a friend, in order to be rid of Duncan.

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:05:25
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  United States
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  All ages

• Director:
  Luke J. Salewski
• Screenwriter:
  Luke J. Salewski
• Producer:
  Lee Pugsley, Luke J. Salewski
• Cast:
  Lee Pugsley, Jonathan Regier, Adrean Barrios
• Cinematographer:
  Ruben Plascencia
• Editor:
  Luke J. Salewski
• Production Design:
  Luke J. Salewski
• Sound Design:
  Luke J. Salewski

Emergency Contact

A hot mess princess calls her ex-BFF (and current bank robber) to heal old wounds (and also maybe diffuse a deadly hostage situation … or whatever).

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:04:28
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  United States
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  PG

• Director:
  Riley Madincea
• Screenwriter:
  Riley Madincea
• Producer:
  Riley Madincea, Kiersten Kelly, Raymond Creamer
• Cast:
  Kiersten Kelly
• Cinematographer:
  Tristan Noelle
• Editor:
  Riley Madincea
• Production Design:
  no credit
• Sound Design:
  Evan Tamagni

CALL THE A.D.A.

Two unusual agents. A mysterious death. A surprising discovery.

A mash-up of police procedural, buddy comedy, and social issues drama, CALL THE A.D.A. follows two federal agents — one a wheelchair user, the other an amputee — who investigate crimes related to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The film was written, filmed, and edited in only four days, as part of the EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge, with a cast and crew including 5 disabled talents (writer/co-producer, lead actress/co-producer, lead actor, extra, and VoiceOver performer) on a limited budget.

CALL THE A.D.A. won the 2024 Best Writing Award at the EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge and includes open captioning.

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:05:23
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  United States
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  Not Rated

• Director:
  Nicholas Paul Ybarra
• Screenwriter:
  David Radcliff
• Producer:
  David Radcliff, Angel Giuffria, Nicholas Paul Ybarra
• Cast:
  Angel Giuffria, Gerald Isaac Waters, Jarrett Sleeper, Eric Conner
• Cinematographer:
  Tatiana Samano
• Editor:
  Eric Seo
• Production Design:
  Liam Meakin
• Sound Design:
  Craig Littleton

What You Left In the Ditch

WYLITD is a dark comedy about a woman facing a lack of attraction to her husband, after he comes back from a future war without any lips. This causes her to explore an affair with a much-to-young, plump lipped grocery clerk. It’s a film about guilt, redemption, culturally unspoken vanity and the selfish struggles with empathy.

More details

Play trailer

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  17:45
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  USA
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  PG-13

• Director:
  Tucker Bliss
• Screenwriter:
  Aimee Bender and Tucker Bliss
• Producer:
  Alexandra Byer, Kevin Steen
• Cast:
  Grace Rex, Gopal Divan, Brendan Kispert
• Cinematographer:
  Anthony Carella
• Editor:
  Dylan Edwards
• Production Design:
  Kit Sheridan
• Sound Design:
  Nikolay Antonov

Bill

Lilith prepares dinner for her husband Bill, but his relentless misogynistic comments push her to a breaking point, stabbing him to death in a sudden outburst. Manic, she attempts to revive him by turning him into a puppet-like figure to possess, eventually going out for drinks in his silent company; meanwhile, despite the evident circumstances, the waiter hands the corpse the bill.

More details

Play trailer

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:10:41
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  UK
• Premiere:
  World
• Rating:
  R

• Director:
  Emily Dhue
• Screenwriter:
  Deana Taheri
• Producer:
  Deana Taheri, Emily Dhue
• Cast:
  Deana Taheri, Yianni Sines, Zac Branciforte
• Cinematographer:
  Samuel Perry-Falvey
• Editor:
  Yianni Sines
• Production Design:
  Emily Dhue
• Sound Design:
  Jon Coles

Hundreds

In the summer of 2021, best friends Sasha and Meg are ready for their usual post-breakup gossip sesh at their favorite Brooklyn Pilates class, until their routine is shattered by the arrival of a masked stranger who seems eerily familiar. As Sasha becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the stranger’s identity, their once peaceful sanctuary turns into a claustrophobic hellscape of anxiety and intrigue.

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:09:51
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  United States
• Premiere:
  World
• Rating:
  R

• Director:
  Sabina Friedman-Seitz and Neil Champagne
• Screenwriter:
  Sabina Friedman-Seitz
• Producer:
  Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Neil Champagne, Ross Shenker, Bryan Demore
• Cast:
  Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Tenea Intriago, Anthony Lee Medina, Rachel B. Joyce
• Cinematographer:
  Luca Fantini
• Editor:
  Kat Webber
• Production Design:
  Ashley Travis
• Sound Design:
  This Is Sound Design

Chauncey

When Zoe brings her new boyfriend home for the first time, she decides to hide her childhood stuffed animal Chauncey in the sock drawer. But when she starts to her Chauncey’s voice in her head, she has to choose whether to continue hiding him, or to reveal the truth and risk disaster.

More details

Play trailer

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2023
• Runtime:
  0:10:35
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  USA
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  PG

• Director:
  Reilly Anspaugh & Daniel Rashid
• Screenwriter:
  Reilly Anspaugh & Daniel Rashid
• Producer:
  Reilly Anspaugh, Daniel Rashid, Elizabeth Valenti
• Cast:
  Reilly Anspaugh, Daniel Rashid, Miya Kodama, Doug Tompos
• Cinematographer:
  Avi Kaye
• Editor:
  Daniel Rashid
• Production Design:
  n/a
• Sound Design:
  David Semon, Peter Staubli

Special Delivery

SPECIAL DELIVERY follows Sandy through a day of work as a foley artist for pornography. A perfectionist, Sandy struggles to find the exact sound for a kiss in a new flick. Sandy’s boss, Chris, scolds her for wasting time and money. Chris notes that these are just quick videos; Sandy disagrees, these are films.

Chris sends the lead actor, Tad, into Sandy’s studio for an ADR session. Annoyed, Sandy wants to finish with Tad as soon as possible. However, Tad struggles to nail his lines. Once Tad asks for Sandy’s help, she realizes that Tad takes his work very seriously. As Sandy coaches Tad through the rest of his ADR session, a connection grows between the two artists.

After Sandy and Tad finish the session, with a re-recording of the orgasm scene, Sandy shoves her feelings aside and quickly ends the session. As Sandy refocuses on foley, she continues to struggle searching for the perfect kissing sound. Later in the night, defeated, Sandy prepares to leave the studio – but Tad returns. Sandy asks for his help and the two record the sound of their kissing. At first for business, but after the sound cue stops, Sandy pulls Tad closer and they kiss for pleasure.

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2023
• Runtime:
  11:26
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  USA
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  PG-13

• Director:
  Emily Everhard
• Screenwriter:
  Emily Everhard
• Producer:
  Caroline Moore, Kate Costanza
• Cast:
  Kate Owens, Rob Kellogg, Jess Potak
• Cinematographer:
  Zach Cooper
• Editor:
  Cole Wagner
• Production Design:
  Robs Samuel
• Sound Design:
  Alex Symcox

Jane Austen’s Period Drama

England, 1813. Miss Estrogenia gets her period during a long-awaited marriage proposal. The dashing Mr. Dickley mistakes the blood for an injury, and it becomes clear that his expensive education has missed a spot.

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:12:21
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  USA
• Premiere:
  Yes
• Rating:
  PG-13

• Director:
  Julia Aks & Steve Pinder
• Screenwriter:
  Julia Aks & Steve Pinder
• Producer:
  Elli Legerski
• Cast:
  Julia Aks, Ta’imua, Samantha Smart, Nicole Alyse Nelson, Hugo Armstrong, Marilyn Brett, Dustin Ingram
• Cinematographer:
  Luca Del Puppo
• Editor:
  Julia Aks & Steve Pinder
• Production Design:
  Dong Lei
• Sound Design:
  Darren Augustus

The Orange at the Seder

Tonight is Ira’s annual gay Passover seder dinner. Adam, Ira’s young protege and practically a grandson to him, is proposing some changes to the very ceremony Ira wrote with his late partner and has used for years. Adam’s stubborn insistence leaves Ira suspecting that it must be because Adam’s invited his new boyfriend, Charlie, to tonight’s dinner. Reality comes crashing down for Ira when Charlie arrives with helping hands — not only is Charlie not Jewish, she’s a woman! With humor, heart, and a bit of tsuris (that’s Yiddish for mayhem), Adam, Ira, Charlie and Jason must attempt to reconcile their differences. Can’t they make a new tradition, together?

More details

Showings

Sun, Aug 11th, 2:30 PM @ TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

• Year:
  2024
• Runtime:
  0:14:43
• Language:
  English
• Country:
  USA
• Premiere:
  No
• Rating:
  All audiences

• Director:
  Jacob Combs
• Screenwriter:
  Jacob Combs
• Producer:
  Matt Garland, Maura Turner, Jacob Combs
• Cast:
  Circus-Szalewski (Ira), Andy Cohen (Adam), Virginia Ma (Charlie), Augusto Guardado (Jason)
• Cinematographer:
  Robin Pabello
• Editor:
  Lindsay Armstrong
• Production Design:
  Evan Black
• Sound Design:
  Rachael Bigelow

TCL CHINESE 6 THEATRE || #1

August 11, 2024, 2:30 – 4:30 PM PDT

More events at venue