Copyright The Hollywood Reporter
HollyShorts London, the U.K. edition of the HollyShorts Film Festival, will honor BAFTA-winning actress and filmmaker Letitia Wright and Academy Award-winning director Aneil Karia with its Trailblazer Award during the festival’s second annual edition for “their outstanding contributions to cinema.” “Letitia Wright, globally known for her role as Shuri in Marvel’s Black Panther franchise, has emerged as a powerful creative force behind the camera,” organizers said. “Her directorial debut, Highway to the Moon, premiered at HollyShorts Los Angeles to critical acclaim and will screen again at HollyShorts London. The film marks a significant new chapter in Wright’s career, showcasing her emotional and culturally nuanced storytelling.” The short unravels the mysterious aftermath of young boys whose lives have been abruptly taken. “Inspired by the real-life tragedy of a close friend’s family member who was killed in a knife attack, Wright transforms personal grief into a layered exploration of violence, memory, and spiritual resilience,” HollyShorts said. Beyond Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wright has been shining with performances in Black Mirror, Small Axe: Mangrove, and Aisha. In 2019, she won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. “Thank you, HollyShorts, for this beautiful award,” the star said. “This film was birthed from a place of love and a strong desire to see unity amongst our young boys. This film is my love letter to them. This journey has been a challenge but incredibly rewarding. Thank you for the opportunity to share this story with you!” Karia is the other Trailblazer honoree at HollyShorts London 2025. “Celebrated for his bold, emotionally resonant storytelling across film and television, in 2022, Karia’s Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye, co-created with Riz Ahmed, gained international acclaim after winning the Grand Prix at HollyShorts Los Angeles,” organizers highlighted. “The film also received a BIFA and the London Critics’ Circle Award for best short film. Karia has recently completed his second feature, a modern adaptation of Hamlet, starring Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn, and Tim Spall, which premiered at Telluride before screening at Toronto and London Film Festivals. His debut feature Surge, starring Ben Whishaw, premiered at Sundance, where Whishaw won the special jury prize for acting.” Karia’s TV work includes directing duties on Netflix’s Top Boy and the BBC/Paramount+ series The Gold. In 2026, he will begin production on The Ministry of Time, a new series written by Alice Birch and produced by A24. He has also made a name for himself with his work on commercials and music videos. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to HollyShorts,” said Karia. “Their recognition of The Long Goodbye in 2021 played a key part in its journey and ultimately its Oscar win, but more importantly, they’ve built a festival that consistently spotlights bold, original voices and gives new filmmakers genuine visibility. It’s an honor to be acknowledged by a team that keeps pushing short film culture forward.” Wright and Karia join such past honorees as David Oyelowo, Jared Hess, Alden Ehrenreich, Catherine Hardwicke, and Tom Skerritt. The HollyShorts London festival runs Nov. 13-16, with screenings taking place at Vue Cinemas in Leicester Square. Check out the HollyShorts London 2025 lineup below. A Death in the Family — Yasmin Hafesji A Friend of Dorothy — Lee Knight A Good Death — Kaz PS Ado — Sam Henderson All Beauty Queens Have Broken Bones — Max C Tullio Back of the Net — Klara Kaliger Beauty Sleep — Jasmine De Silva Bile Bile — Rango Mugo Blue Violet — Josie Charles Bluff — Naomi Wright Borscht — Vika Evdokimenko Boyfighter — Julia Weisberg Cortés Bullet Time — Eddie Alcazar Bury Your Gays — Charlotte Serena Cooper Busy — Jane Moriarty Care — Stef O’Driscoll Chasers — Erin Brown Thomas Chivalry — Charlotte Yang Dating in Your 20s — Lily Rutterford, Lucy Minderides Egg Timer — Rosie May Bird Smith Everyone Does It — Craig Ainsley Fenced — Richey Beckett Fighting Demons — Simon Stock First Timer — Hannah Kathryn Kelso G.S.W. — Jonny Durgan Goodnight Ladies — Alex Matraxia Hat Trick — Tess Lafia, Noah Deats Highway To The Moon — Letitia Wright Hotel Fantasma — Martin Aleman Hugel – The Entourage — Ludovic Genco, Hugo Lucas Pompier Humantis — Paris Baillie Imperfect Cadence — Ewan S. Henry In Foreign — Didi Beck Largo — Salvatore Scarpa, Max Burgoyne-Moore Love & Loss — Mike Upson Magid / Zafar — Luís Hindman Naked Lights — Jeda de Brí Night Terrors — Ben Hector Nothing but the End — Tanguy Pichon OK/NOTOK — Pardeep Sahota Overcomer — Olawale Adetula Paranoia — Alina Bichieva Pearls — Alastair Train Plastic Surgery — Guy Trevellyan Rise — Jessica J. Rowlands Rock Paper Scissors — Franz Böhm Rocket Fuel — Jordon Scott Kennedy Running against time — Alex Lockett Satomi — Rayner Wang Secret Level New World – The once & Future King — Maxime Luère Set Pace — Daisy Ifama Snipped — Alexander Saul Spoken In Plain Sight — Ilya Wray, Ariel de la Garza Davidoff Stomach Bug — Matty Crawford The Beneath — Lisette Vlassak The Bunker — Ian Killick The Dartmoor Cowboy — Wij Travers The Errand — Hayley Marie Norman The Last Dance — Hayden Mclean The Last Dumpling — Jadey Duffield The Lone Piper — Matthew Kravchuk The Mediator — Dean Leon Anderson The Morning After — Zak Harney The Painting & The Statue — Freddie Fox The Pearl Comb — Ali Cook The Professional Parent — Erik Jasaň The Second Time Around — Jack Howard The Secret Assistants — Katey Lee Carson The Singers — Sam Davis The Woman in the Wardrobe — Ruby Phelan There’s a Robbery in Progress — Morgan Miller Two Black Boys in Paradise — Baz Sells Two People Exchanging Saliva — Alexandre Singh, Natalie Musteata Umbra — Seb Gillmore Victory — Meji Alabi Wavelength — Kate Auster
