HollyShorts Film Festival 2026 Returns to Hollywood with LGBTQ+ and Award-Winning Shorts

The Oscar‑ and BAFTA‑qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival will run from August 13‑23, 2026 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, presenting roughly 430 short films in its 22nd edition. The program highlights a strong LGBTQIA+ lineup, featuring stories such as a gay Chinese father’s wedding journey, a queer‑themed horror anthology, and a satire on Hollywood identity.

Among the animated selections is Stephen P. Neary’s award‑winning short “Living with a Visionary,” narrated by James Cromwell. The film, based on a real couple’s 50‑year marriage, portrays the surreal visions of a woman with Parkinson’s disease and explores caregiving, perception, and love.

The festival’s diverse slate underscores its role as a major platform for emerging filmmakers and queer storytelling within the U.S. film‑festival circuit.