Dian Weys' Vultures Wins HollyShorts Grand Prize
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- Dian Weys won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 22nd HollyShorts Film Festival for "Vultures," earning Oscar qualification and a $60,000 Panavision camera package plus three hours of legal consultation from Sheppard Mullin.
- "Vultures" also claimed Best International and had previously screened at Cannes 2025, Tribeca Festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, and Zagreb Film Festival in Croatia.
- HollyShorts is Oscar-qualifying in four categories: Best Short Film ("Vultures"), Best Live Action ("Pale Sun" by Adrian Moyse Dullin and Jawahine Zentar), Best Animation ("With Tapes and Toasts in the Car" by Kiana Naghshineh), and Best Documentary ("The Time My Grandmother Was Held Hostage by Bank Robbers" by Rosella Tursi).
- Russell Tovey received the inaugural Best Performance Award for playing a self-help guru in "I Am the Prize," a new category added this year to recognize outstanding acting in short-form filmmaking.
- The HollyShorts + IMGN Short Film Fund ($25,000 prize package) went to "The Fiddler's Stroke" by Braden Barton, including a $10,000 IMGN cash grant, a Blackmagic Cinema 6K camera, and mentorship from Oscar winner Guy Nattiv.
- The ceremony was held at TCL Chinese Theatres at Ovation Hollywood and awarded winners across more than 30 categories, from Best Horror ("Banshee") to Best Feature Screenplay ("Grave Command").
Why it matters: Weys' "Vultures" now has a concrete path to Academy Awards contention through one of four HollyShorts Oscar-qualifying categories — and walks away with a $60,000 Panavision camera package that gives the short tangible production value heading into awards season. The festival also signaled expansion, debuting a Best Performance category and crowning Russell Tovey with its first-ever trophy in that slot.
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