It was a great pleasure for me and my Entertainment Today TV Show Host: Margie Rey to meet the co-Founder/Co-Director of the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival: Theo Dumont! He did an amazing job again, putting on a great Film Festival for Short Films, with 8000 entries- where they selected 430 films to premiere at HollyShorts, with a few that go on to be nominated for an Oscar, and last year 4 of those films went on to win the Oscar! 

Theo is also the Co-Founder of the Mammoth Film Festival. As Managing Partner at Alta Global Media, Dumont spearheads media relations, publicity and strategic marketing communications campaigns for entertainment industry clients. Prior to teaming up with Steven Adams to form Alta Global Media, Dumont was Head of Buffalo 8 Marketing. In 2012 , he founded Dumont Marketing Group (DMG), a company he led for seven years, working with production companies, filmmakers, independent films, comic book publishers, authors and digital entertainment companies. Prior to launching DMG, Dumont was with Miller PR, where he worked on strategy and counsel for the agency’s premiere clients. Before joining Miller, he was Director of Corporate Communications at MGM Studios. Dumont studied Communications and received his B.A. from Florida International University in Miami, FL.

Theo is also a great Real Estate agent for his company: Theo Dumont Realty. For more details you can go to: DumontRealty.kw.com. Theo and his  company sponsored last Thursday’s VIP Filmmakers Lounge in the Chinese Theater, where Theo was also the Host (he is standing by the TV screen):  In the VIP Film Makers Lounge at the Chinese Theatre, I meet the beautiful and talented Producer from the UK named: Paola Dominique Delfuego, who is best known for: Catalyst (2018), Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) (2025) and Falling Short. She told me about her new short film at the HollyShorts Film Festival called: Oneiros, which is a Sci-Fi film about: Lost on an alien planet, a lone astronaut searching for his mother encounters a world that seems to be searching for him in return. It is Directed by Junbo Qiu, and stars: James Krishna Floyd, Maryam Davari, and Lauren Burton. I am glad she invited me to it, since it is just as good, if not better than what she had told me about it!

My friend & PR Specialist: John Wildman the CEO of Wildworks PR, told me that he is doing the PR for a great short film called: THEY HAUNT HIM, that is a family horror comedy short that kicked off the film festival tour with their World Premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival. It is Ria Pavia’s short film about a trio of kids teaming with a lonely teen ghost to save their flailing vlog.

It is an interesting and very entertaining short film featuring young stars Alkaio Thiele (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (James Cameron’s Avatar franchise), Tim Johnson Jr (High Potential, Everybody Still Hates Chris), Israel Johnson (Bunk’d) and newcomer Thomas Glasgow, from a script by All American’s Spencer Paysinger and Dane Morck.

It is about fourteen-year-old Theo and his best friends, Maya and Sammy, (Photo below) who are frustrated by the lack of audience for their skate vlog. Desperate for ideas, they break into a mansion in their neighborhood rumored to be being haunted. The rumors turn out to be true and they meet Wade, a lonely teenage ghost who is trapped there between worlds. Not frightened by him, the trio strikes a deal: Wade performs for the camera, their vlog gets a brand new audience and they help him cross over and join his family on the other side. It works—they go viral. But Theo keeps filming long after the deal is done. When Wade realizes they aren’t his friends and aren’t going to help him, he shows his frightening side and chases them out. Now, the trio – especially Theo – must figure out a way to make it right. But even if they do, they have introduced Wade and the mansion to the internet, which might just mean the wrong kind of ghost-hunting attention could be headed their way.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:

They Haunt Him is a delicious blend of humor, humanity, and horror. LIGHT horror, to be clear. When I read the script by Spencer Paysinger and Dane Morck (of TV’s All American), I was drawn to its wholesome tone. I appreciate that the teens in our piece are yearning for more than their surroundings offer and work together to attempt to make their marks. Along their journey, they test boundaries. They falter.

As is often the case with creative endeavors, we had some significant hurdles during filming including – but not limited to – suddenly losing our location after the entire cast and crew arrived. On Day One. Said location was comprised of five dialogue-filled scenes with both exterior and exterior shots, over the course of our first day. On a tight schedule. With minors. But our stellar crew did not let this deter them. Everyone rallied and we were able to quickly secure a new location when the elementary school that was only supposed to be for Crew Parking welcomed us to shoot in and around their grounds. And, in a Happy Accident kind of way, it was even better than what we’d originally secured. And there were GOATS! Behind the school! Who doesn’t love goats? They’re my new favorite background actors. I’m honored that – in They Haunt Him – it’s youth who shine a light on universal themes of friendship, trust and loyalty.

The PR Rep: Shaimaa Khan invited me to the Premiere of: Love, Loss and the Space Race: ‘LITTLE BUG’  at HollyShorts Film Festival: “On the Eve of History: LITTLE BUG starring Martin Freeman. LITTLE BUG, is the award-winning historical drama from producer-writer-director Matt Branston. 

It is set against the backdrop of the Soviet space program  in 1957, LITTLE BUG follows a scientist on the eve of sending Laika, the first dog to orbit the Earth, into space, as he brings her home to meet his young daughter in a final attempt to repair their fractured relationship. Starring Martin Freeman and Alexandra Barredo, the film blends intimate family drama with one of history’s most iconic moments, exploring love, sacrifice, parenthood, and the human stories that exist behind world-changing events. Told through an immersive first-person perspective, LITTLE BUG offers a poignant meditation on duty, forgiveness, and the emotional cost of choosing ambition over those we love.

LITTLE BUG, is an award-winning short film, that unfolds through an immersive first-person perspective, LITTLE BUG explores love, sacrifice, parenthood, and the emotional cost of choosing duty over family.

The film was written, directed and produced by Matt Branston, an award-winning filmmaker and graduate of the National Film and Television School whose work explores love, identity, and human connection through intimate, character-driven storytelling. LITTLE BUG, which won Best Director at the North East International Film Festival and has screened at Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying festivals internationally, exemplifies Branston’s distinctive approach to emotionally resonant filmmaking, placing deeply personal relationships within richly realised worlds. His recent projects also include the short films Any Second Now, Bongo’s Big Adventure, and Close-Up. The film is produced by Tom Branston, whose work focuses on character-led dramas exploring the complexities of the human psyche and interpersonal relationships.

The cast is led by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning actor Martin Freeman, whose acclaimed screen career includes The Office, Sherlock, The Hobbit trilogy, and Black Panther. He is joined by Alexandra Barredo, whose credits include Sex Education, Witness for the Prosecution, and The Hunger Games on Stage. Together, they deliver emotionally nuanced performances that anchor the film’s exploration of family, forgiveness, and the quiet moments that define a lifetime.

The creative team includes cinematographer Jake Duncan, production designer Matthieu Levy, editor Olivier Jones, composer Charli Mackie, and sound designer Nick Smyth, whose combined work creates an evocative period setting that balances historical authenticity with emotional intimacy while supporting the film’s uniquely immersive visual perspective.

Premiering at the HollyShorts Film Festival, LITTLE BUG offers a moving reflection on the intersection of history and humanity, revealing the personal stories that can exist behind world-changing events. Through its exploration of family, sacrifice, and reconciliation, the film reminds audiences that even amid humanity’s greatest achievements, our most important journeys are often the ones that bring us back to those we love.

Therefore, I 100% recommend that you watch this fascinating historical based film, with an excellent performance by the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning actor:  Martin Freeman, who you can see in the photo below: 

Power, Revenge and Shakespeare Reclaimed: ‘KING OF THE IRON WILL’ Made World Premiere at HollyShorts Film Festival:

KING OF THE IRON WILL, the new medieval short film co-written by Liam James Collins and Scott Vickers, directed by Scott Vickers, and produced by Liam James Collins and Scott Vickers, made its World Premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival. Set in a brutal medieval kingdom and written entirely in Shakespearean language, the film follows King Baron as he finally confronts the defeated tyrant King Draven, the man responsible for the massacre that shaped his life. What unfolds is an intense battle of words that explores revenge, power, legacy, and the unsettling possibility that those who overthrow tyranny may ultimately become the very thing they sought to destroy.

Driven by emotionally charged performances and a richly cinematic visual style, KING OF THE IRON WILL examines timeless questions about leadership, justice, and the corrupting influence of power. While rooted in a medieval world, its exploration of authority, vengeance, and the cycle of oppression speaks directly to contemporary audiences, using Shakespearean language not as a barrier but as an accessible and immediate vehicle for deeply human storytelling.

The project was created by Liam James Collins, who co-wrote, produced, executive produced, personally financed, and stars in the film. Coming from a working-class background in South East London with no family connections to the arts, Collins developed the project as a deeply personal artistic statement and an opportunity to create the kind of ambitious, performance-led cinema he has spent years pursuing as an actor. Self-funding the production enabled him to realize an ambitious vision, filming inside two historic Scottish castles while undertaking extensive horse-riding and sword-fighting preparation for the role. Through its use of Shakespearean language, the film also challenges long-held assumptions about who classical storytelling belongs to, reflecting Collins’ belief that these stories should be accessible to audiences from every background.

Co-writer, producer and director Scott Vickers is the award-winning British filmmaker behind the internationally distributed feature Matriarch. A former actor whose credits include the BBC drama River City, Vickers has built a career combining emotionally truthful performances with visually striking film-making. Working closely with Collins throughout the writing, development and production process, he helped shape the original concept into an intimate yet epic cinematic confrontation, creating a historical drama driven as much by silence and performance as by dialogue.

KING OF THE IRON WILL stars acclaimed British actor Charlie Creed-Miles as King Draven opposite Liam James Collins as King Baron. With a career spanning more than three decades, Creed-Miles is renowned for performances in Nil by Mouth, The Fifth Element, Wild Bill, Harry Brown, and Peaky Blinders, bringing remarkable gravitas and emotional complexity to the role of a fallen ruler confronting the consequences of his past. The supporting creative team includes cinematographer Robbie Jones, editor T.W. Leshner, art director Ellen De Faux, with period costumes supplied by the renowned Angels Costumes, and featuring music by Lady Maisery with Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith.

Making its World Premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival, KING OF THE IRON WILL combines the scale and atmosphere of an epic historical drama with the intimacy of a powerful character study. Through its exploration of power, revenge, class, and the enduring relevance of Shakespearean storytelling, the film brings together Collins’ determination to create his own opportunities with Vickers’ established experience in performance-led filmmaking.

Written entirely in Shakespearean language, KING OF THE IRON WILL follows a newly crowned king as he confronts the tyrant responsible for the destruction of his family, in a tense battle of words that explores revenge, power, legacy, and the danger of becoming the very thing you set out to destroy. Combining the intimacy of a character-driven drama with the scale of an epic historical film, the project also challenges perceptions of who classical storytelling belongs to, reframing Shakespearean language through a distinctly contemporary and working-class perspective. Alongside its exploration of leadership, ambition, and the corrupting influence of power, the film marks an ambitious independent production that was personally financed by Collins and brought to life through a collaboration with award-winning director Scott Vickers. In the below photo you can see the star of this movie, that was created by Liam James Collins, who co-wrote, produced, executive produced, personally financed, and stars in the film: 

There was a great closing night party in the Ovation Court, with gourmet food, great drinks, music, and dancing. Producers, Directors, Actors, VIPS, and attendees all partied together and had a great time to cap off the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival: 

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