By Gordon Durich
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 12/29/23 – How far would you go to save a life? That’s what Nikki Hevesy’s award-winning short film “A Year to Life” addresses and has a lot to say despite its short length.
“A Year to Life” tells the story of a Los Angeles “street soldier” who makes a life-impacting decision for the sake of another youth’s recognition of his mother’s death. The film profiles at-risk youth and pays homage to those street soldiers who sacrifice to give back to their communities and make a difference to the next generation.
Filmed on the streets of South Central Los Angeles, where the story that inspired this film actually took place, this is an extreme but true story that expresses the spirit of the street soldiers, aka peacemakers/crisis intervention workers.
After its U.S. premiere at the Oscar-qualifying 2023 LA Shorts International Film Festival at LA Live, “A Year to Life” made the rounds in festivals, screening at a handful events in Los Angeles, as well as various festivals across the country, including New York City, Orlando, Sarasota and Washington, D.C.
“A Year to Life” also has been selected for several international festivals including in London, Italy and Madrid.
Along the way, the film collected several accolades. Hevesy won Best Director at the Miracle Makers International Film Festival in North Hollywood.
At the I Will Tell International Film Festival in South Florida, the film was recognized with the Social Impact Award, and the cast collected the gold for Ensemble Acting.
Perhaps most significant, the film was given the Michael ZinZun Award at the Black August Film Festival in Pasadena, an award that recognizes films about sacrifice for social change. It won the Social Impact Award there, as well. The Pasadena African American Film Foundation, sponsors of the Black August Festival, recognized the film for historical contribution for African Americans.
“It’s a short film with a long tail and when done with the festival run will go on to be used in and by the underserved communities to raise awareness and inspire the next generation in dealing with forgiveness, redemption, sacrifice and hope,” they said in honoring the film.
This brilliant short film also was awarded a Special Letter of Recognition from the California State Senate for expanding awareness of world social issues.
For more about “A Year to Life” check out the film’s website. Aso, you can follow the film on social media at Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook.
