Empowered Together: Meet the Dynamic Women of Hollyshorts 2024

Los Angeles, CA – August 1, 2024 – In a remarkable collaboration, four trailblazing women in film—K.D. Chalk, Kim Cohen, Nicole Crespo, and Pinar Binay—have united over the past year to produce three short films, showcasing their collective talent, vision, and dedication to female-forward narratives. After meeting at the prestigious Film Independent Project Involve Program, it didn't take long for them to gravitate toward each other to tell these three stories. Expanding in genre and narrative, their collaborations span from horror to coming-of-age to comedy. Their films, August & Ebony, Survived By, and Carnivora, are set to captivate audiences with their powerful and diverse narratives at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival this August. “All three of our films do a fantastic job exploring what it means to be a part of a family. The community the four of us have built as artists and friends over the last couple of years really shines through on the screen.” states the multihyphenated K.D. Chalk who is also at the helm of Survived By as a writer, director, actress and producer. “In Survived By, our lead character, Grace, finds her chosen family. I instantly felt the same way while collaborating with Pinar, Nicole, and Kim. I look forward to creating with them again and again...and again. ” more Survived By tells the story of a newly orphaned girl, Grace, who dodges the foster care system and spends a magical evening with a sock puppet, hoping to unpack her complicated relationship with her father days after his death. The story is inspired by Chalk’s personal journey of overcoming grief and finding solace in creativity. The film took home the Audience Award at Dances With Films in Los Angeles in June. August & Ebony is a queer comedy exploring themes of chosen family and parenthood. The film follows Ebony, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a U-Haul marriage, as she navigates the challenges with her new wife, August, and best friend-turned-child’s father, Justin. The film stars Rejena J. Taylor, Ayesha Harris and John Clarence Stewart. Carnivora is a Latinx horror that tells the story of two estranged sisters forced to become caretakers of their catatonic grandmother after their mother vanishes. Carnivora has already wowed audiences at festivals across America, including the Seattle International Film Festival, LA Latino Film Festival (LALIFF), and Bentonville Film Festival. The film also won the best film award at Katra Latin X Film Festival in New York. The film stars real-life sisters, Gigi and Carmela Zumbado. Each of these films not only tells a unique story but also embodies a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the film industry. The collaboration between these four women began through their participation in the Film Independent Project Involve program, which is more dedicated to fostering diversity in the film industry by supporting filmmakers from underrepresented communities. “It’s been an inspiration to work together with K.D., Nicole, and Kim. It’s rare to find such talented and kind collaborators who share your creative vision, and it’s just an added bonus that we are all powerful women,” states Pinar Binay, the producer of the projects. “Building community in front of and behind the camera is at the heart of our filmmaking.” The films will be screened at the prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival 2024, providing an excellent platform for these stories to reach a wider audience. The festival, known for celebrating short films, will take place from August 8-17, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. You can visit the HollyShorts website to catch these films at the festival: https://www.hollyshorts.com/.