Liron Topaz’s animated short Saba brings its moving exploration of grief, love and memory to the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival.
The 22nd Annual HollyShorts Film Festival
August 13–23, 2026
TCL Chinese Theatres and Ovation Hollywood
View the HollyShorts schedule and purchase tickets
By Valerie Milano
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/22/26 – Some animated shorts entertain. Others linger long after the credits roll. Saba, the remarkable, animated short from writer-director Liron Topaz, firmly belongs in the latter category.
Following successful screenings at the Tribeca Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest and the River Valley Film Festival, Saba will continue its impressive festival journey as an official selection of the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival.
The Oscar-qualifying festival returns August 13–23 at the TCL Chinese Theatres and Ovation Hollywood, bringing more than 400 short films from around the world to the heart of Hollywood.
The title Saba, which means “grandfather” in Hebrew, provides the emotional foundation for a story inspired by Topaz’s relationship with his own grandfather. Rather than creating a literal biography, however, Topaz crafted something far more universal.
“The film is in memory of my grandfather, but it wasn’t supposed to be a biographical film or a documentary,” Topaz told The Hollywood Times. “It was supposed to be more of a symbolic and poetic film.”
Editor’s Note: This interview with the filmmakers was originally conducted in connection with the film’s appearance at another film festival. Because the conversation focuses on the film itself and remains relevant to its HollyShorts screening, we are pleased to include it as part of our HollyShorts coverage.
Click below for our exclusive interview:
Set in a surreal world where gravity flows upward, Saba follows a young boy on an emotional journey through loss, remembrance and the longing for closure. The reverse-gravity world could easily have become merely a visual device, but in Topaz’s hands, it becomes a powerful metaphor for the fleeting nature of life.
“I was looking for a visual way to show that our time here in this world is borrowed,” he explained. “Everything that is alive still has proper gravity, is grounded, until it does not have life anymore, and then it starts floating up.”
That simple yet profound concept forms the emotional backbone of a film that feels both intimate and expansive.
Visually, Saba is breathtaking. The film embraces a watercolor-inspired aesthetic that feels handcrafted and deeply human. Working alongside production designer Avner Geller and color designer Mike McCain, Topaz created imagery that resembles a painting brought gently to life.
“We really worked hard on trying to make that feel very human-made,” Topaz said. “Especially in an age where there’s so much digital work out there and now with AI doing so much, we wanted to really feel the human aspect of that.”
The result is a dreamlike visual language that perfectly complements the story’s emotional themes.
What makes Saba even more impressive is the extraordinary technical achievement behind it. The entire film unfolds as one continuous shot spanning approximately 14,000 frames—an ambitious accomplishment for any animated production, particularly an independent one.
Animators from Japan, Brazil, Spain, France and other countries collaborated simultaneously, carefully coordinating their work to create seamless transitions. As the story progresses, the time of day gradually shifts from morning to dusk, subtly reinforcing the passage of time and the movement of memory.
Yet for all its technical brilliance, Saba remains deeply personal.
One of the film’s most touching details is that the voices of its young protagonist were provided by Topaz’s own sons. His younger son voices the character as a child, while his older son provides the teenage voice.
The production was also a family collaboration. Producer Lirit Rosenzweig Topaz, Liron’s wife, played a vital role in shaping the finished film.
“She understood what the story really tells,” he said. “She knew where this was coming from.”
That shared understanding and emotional authenticity shine through every frame.
“Everybody lost someone that they really cared about,” Topaz reflected. “I wanted people to connect to it from their own grief. I wanted to tell it in a poetic way so everybody can put their own experiences and their own loss in this tale.”
That approach works beautifully. Early in the film, a particularly moving sequence brought tears to my eyes, something that rarely happens while watching a short. The emotions never feel manipulative or forced. Instead, they emerge naturally from the film’s sincerity and vulnerability.
Audiences have responded strongly during the film’s festival run, frequently approaching Topaz after screenings to share their own memories of grandparents, parents, siblings and other loved ones they have lost.
That response has been so meaningful that Topaz is now exploring the possibility of a feature-length project set within the same reverse-gravity world.
It is easy to understand why. The universe of Saba feels rich enough to sustain a much larger story, while its central themes of love, loss, memory and acceptance remain universally relatable.
For now, audiences will have the opportunity to experience this beautiful short at HollyShorts, one of the film industry’s most important showcases for emerging voices and short-form storytelling.
With its breathtaking artistry, ambitious technical execution and deeply human heart, Saba reminds us that animation can express emotions that live-action films sometimes struggle to capture. It is poetic, moving and unforgettable, nd it deserves every bit of the recognition it continues to receive.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
The 22nd Annual HollyShorts Film Festival runs August 13–23, 2026, at the TCL Chinese Theatres and Ovation Hollywood. Visit the official HollyShorts website for festival information, schedules and tickets.
For more information about the film, visit saba-film.com or LironTopaz.com.
