Happy Tuesday, Stage 32-ers!

For the 8th year, we are thrilled to be joining forces with one of the few Oscar-qualifying short film festivals in the land, Hollyshorts Film Festival. This year, as we have for the past 7 years, we are honored to present the hardworking and talented filmmakers that won this year's Stage 32 Short Film Contest during a special Hollyshorts screening on August 10th.

Stage 32 has an exciting week of events lined up at the HollyShorts Film Festival beginning August 10! If you are in or around the Los Angeles area, you are more than welcome to come join us for any one or all of our special Stage 32 panels, parties, and screenings! PLUS! Stage 32 members get a MASSIVE 50% off discount on tickets!

Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 5:00 pm: Stage 32 Short Film Program Premiere!

Location: TCL 6 Chinese Theater (Top floor of Hollywood & Highland), 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Time: 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm PT Red Carpet

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm PT Screening of the Stage 32 Short Film Program -come meet the Stage 32 team & short film program filmmakers!

You are taking part in a unique and exclusive event. Following the screening will be a live Q&A with our Founder & CEO, Richard Botto, and our filmmakers, and an afterparty for those who attend the screening!

Click here to RSVP

Congratulations To The 2023 Stage 32 Short Film Program Filmmakers! Learn more about the filmmakers and their short films below.

1. THE BLACK BOX by Olivier Hero Dressen (GRAND PRIZE WINNER)
2. DYSMORPHIA by Amy Elizabeth Geist (GRAND PRIZE WINNER)
3. REQUIEM GENERATION BREAKER by Derwin Hayden
4. HEY ALEXA by Xochi Blymyer
5. BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES by Lisa Cole
6. POOL by Neil Watson and Sam Johnson
7. TRUTH by Sylvie Zaidman and Nic Shake

Olivier Hero Dressen- “The Black Box”

Genre: Romance Drama, 13 minutes

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a long-distance relationship between a Chinese woman and a Frenchman is put to the test when hundreds of undelivered packages pile up in the streets of Shanghai. Based on a true story, this bilingual, award-winning short film explores love, distance, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Olivier Hero Dressen is a multifaceted Belgian filmmaker, cinematographer, and photographer with unique skills and experiences. Currently, Olivier lives between Bangkok (Thailand) and Shanghai (China). Whether he's in Shanghai, Brussels, Bangkok, or Los Angeles, Olivier's work combines different techniques such as photography, drawing, motion design, and video. His primary focus is character development and storytelling, evident in his award-winning short film, THE PASSPORT, and his numerous collaborations with significant talents and brands. Olivier's career has seen him work with notable figures such as Kobe Bryant and Sophie Marceau and numerous European and Asian celebrities. His short film, THE PASSPORT has received 62 nominations worldwide with sixteen wins, including best short drama, best short film, best foreign director, best director, best actor, best thriller, crime thriller, two times best editing, and best VFX. His work has also received the Silver Award at Cannes and the Promaxbda Bronze Award in Los Angeles. In addition to his artistic practice, Olivier has collaborated with major brands such as Converse, Nike, Porsche, Elle magazine, and many more. He became Adobe Creative Cloud's brand ambassador in 2017 with his photography series GIRL PERFECTED. In 2018, Olivier endorsed Fuji Film's newest camera by shooting an entire music video in Los Angeles with their yet-unreleased product. His recent win at Stage 32 in Hollywood for his movie THE BLACK BOX is a testament to his continued success in the industry.

Amy Elizabeth Geist- “Dysmorphia”

Genre: Horror, 13 minutes

After Isabella, a destitute beauty addict fakes cancer to pay for her next cosmetic surgery, she is haunted by a shadow figure demanding a penance of flesh.

Amy Geist is a Producer, Director, and Writer hailing from Ohio. She started in Los Angeles as a freelance Producer and Production Manager at The Woo Agency, working with such clients as Lenovo (*Telly Award Winning), Disney, Sebastian, Motorola, Marvel, Milani, Bosch, Braun, and Delonghi. She has gone on to work with other agencies like Hecho, Seed Media, and Bond. Her feature film and television work include BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Alcon Entertainment *Academy Award Winning), LITTLE (Universal), THE EXORCIST (Fox), ALEX INC (ABC), TREES OF PEACE (Abstract Entertainment), EVERYTHING’S FINE (Powderkeg Media), #FBF (Bazelevs Entertainment), and most recently BAR FIGHT (Signature Films). In 2018, she wrote and produced the short film THE WAY YOU SAW ME, which screened at twelve film festivals and won Runner-Up for Best Narrative Short at Denver Underground Film Festival and Bronze Film Award for Narrative Dramatic Short at WorldFest Houston. In 2020, during the midst of the pandemic, she directed the comedy short THE INTERROGATION which was featured on Elizabeth Banks’ site WhoHaHa. She also made the short horror film ENJOY YOUR STAY which won the top prize at the Shockfest Horror Quarantine Competition. In 2021, she wrote the short film DYSMORPHIA which won best short film screenplay at the LA Crime & Horror Film Festival and the Independent Horror Movie Awards.

Derwin Hayden- “Requiem. Generation. Breaker”

Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, 7 minutes

After witnessing a murder, Mick and his family become the target of an Inter-dimensional monster.

Derwin Hayden is the owner of Prism Master Studio. He's been awarded Best Sound and Music for the Animation Feedback Festival by WILDsound Festival and has amassed over 10,000 subscribers on his Youtube channel. His artwork and animations have been featured on the website Newgrounds.com.

Xochi Blymyer- “Hey Alexa”

Genre: Sci-fi, Comedy, 10 minutes

Who is Alexa? She’s whomever you need her to be. A day in her life.

Xochi Blymyer has been a member of the DGA since 1991. Has worked on multiple movies and tv shows. The short is her first produced writing and she is also in post on a documentary, Red Dog & Bates - a story of two men who walked from LA TO Mexico City in 1958.

Lisa Cole- “Bienvenidos a Los Angeles”

Genre: Drama, 17 minutes

Inspired by true events and shot on location at LAX airport, BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES tells the timely story of Imani, a Nigerian single mother living in Los Angeles, who offers to help a perfect stranger reunite with her son. In doing so, Imani learns this simple act of kindness threatens to jeopardize her path to citizenship.

Lisa Cole is a creative activist, writer, producer, and director, who amplifies underrepresented voices and exposes social injustices. Her film BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES, inspired by a true story of immigration, won the 2023 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, sponsored by Viola Davis. A Regional Finalist of the Student Academy Awards, Lisa co-wrote the feature screenplay, DIAMOND GIRLS with Selena Gomez attached to star. Her screenplay GIRL NAMED SUE won the Page International Screenplay contest and was being produced by acclaimed filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee until his untimely passing. The project continues in development with Academy Award-winning producer Laura Bickford and Jean-Marc’s producing partner Nathan Ross. Having lived with 201 host families across 12 countries in just three years, Lisa’s diverse background fuels her storytelling. She has directed and produced documentaries for The Gates Foundation, Sundance Institute, Viacom, BET, and A&E, focusing on women's health and safety in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Lisa serves on the board of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. She lives with her partner, Mark Monroe, and their two children in Los Angeles.

Neil Watson- “Pool”

Genre: Thriller, 13 minutes

A rideshare Driver picks up a charming passenger, but in the course of the ride, the Driver finds that not everything is as it seems.

Neil Watson is an Award Winning Puerto Rican Writer and Director based in Los Angeles. His films PAUPER (filmed during COVID) and POOL have played in multiple festivals including Mammoth Film Festival, Pasadena Film Festival, and Los Angeles Lift Off to name a few. Currently, he Directed and Co-Produced a dramatic Pilot episode for the series CHUKKERS. At the moment he is working on finishing his first feature film script and pursuing his next directing challenge. Sam Johnson is a Los Angeles-based writer and director who loves all things horror. POOL is his directorial debut and has been screened at Mammoth Film Festival and Pasadena International Film Festival. Most recently, he wrote and is executive producing a feature-length independent thriller “Chimera” that is set to shoot this year.”

Sylvie Zaidman- “tRuth”

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Romance, 14 minutes

In a hyper-technological society, a couple lives their own utopia. But what happens when a glitch compromises all this idyllic interface?

Sylvie Zaidman is a screenwriter, director, and producer based in Antwerp, Belgium. Although she's had a passion for cinema since a young age, she initially trained as a lawyer gaining a Master's in European Law. Unhappy with her career choice, Sylvie moved to Paris in 2012 to pursue an acting career and was encouraged by a coach to start writing as she "had things to say". She didn't want anyone else to bring her own stories to life, so she moved to London to study filmmaking in 2019. TRUTH is her first professional project which she co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced. Having finally found her dream career, she is currently working on another short movie as well as a feature. She is also very proud to share that TRUTH is the first movie of any length to be shot entirely with 3D LED screens in France. It allowed her to achieve the look she wanted for the movie and she's grateful to have been able to learn so much about this technology, which will undoubtedly be more widely used in the future.

Stage 32 Members Get A MASSIVE 50% Off Discount To Attend!

Want to attend Hollyshorts? Stage 32 members get a massive discount!

To get your credentials CLICK HERE and use code HSFF23STAGE32 at checkout and save 50%!

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