"Trapped" secures its place in the Oscar race The film is directed by brothers Sam Kattler-Crouz and David Kattler-Crouz

The short film "Trapped" successfully secured its place in the Oscar race after winning the Grand Prize at the HollyShorts Film Festival, which concluded on Sunday evening in Los Angeles.

The film is directed by brothers Sam Kattler-Crouz and David Kattler-Crouz, starring Javier Molina and Keith William Richards. It follows the story of a janitor at a high school who faces a series of dangerous challenges. In addition to the Grand Prize, the film also won Best Drama Short Film.

The HollyShorts Film Festival is one of the leading short film festivals qualified for the Oscars. Founded in 2005, it has grown into an international platform for independent filmmakers, showcasing a diverse range of innovative films and attracting prominent names from the global film industry.

Directors’ Statements The Kattler-Crouz brothers, who were nominated last year for the Oscars for their short film A Lien, described this new win as a significant milestone, stating that bringing their story to the Oscars is "an incredible gift" and that the wide audience engagement with their films is "a remarkable experience" in their careers.

HollyShorts 2025 Winners List

• Grand Prize: Trapped – Sam Kattler-Crouz, David Kattler-Crouz

• AAPI Award: Mushroom Dad – Michael Yushin Lee

• Best Drama Short Film: Trapped – Sam Kattler-Crouz, David Kattler-Crouz

• Best Documentary: Voices from the Abyss – Irving Serrano, Victor Regon

• Best Live Action Short: A Son and a Father – Andres Ramirez Polido

• Best Animation: Hurricane – Jan Saska

• Best Director: A Friend of Dorothy – Lee Knight

• Best Cinematography: Lo Que Desaparece – Mario Lerma, Alex Rabariz

• Best Comedy Short: Susana – Gerardo Cuello Escalante, Amandine Thomas

• Best Editing: Woof! Woof! – Fabian Budizua

• Best Horror Short: The Possession – Dan Abramovich

• Best International Short: The Painting and the Statue – Freddy Fox

• Best Song: Midnight Madness "Stomach Bug" – Matt Crawford

• Best Music Video: Earth Defender – Sil van der Word, Jurik Dozy, Keenan Tejar

• Best Podcast: Moonburn – Ruby Hine

• Best Producer: Money Talk$ – Tony Muti, Scott Aharoni, Brian Schmer, David Mazouz

• Best Sci-Fi Short: The Second Time – Jack Howard

• Best Special Effects: Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting – Alexander Thompson

• Best Student Film: 1:10 – Sinan Taner

• Best Thriller Short: Plastic Surgery – Jay Trevillian

• Best TV Series: Chasers – Erin Brown Thomas

• Best Web Series: Hassan Hates Portland – Misha Webley

• Best 16mm Kodak Shot: Ragamuffin – Caitlin Mikayla

• Best 35mm Kodak Shot: The Singers – Sam Davis

• Prestigious Kodak Award: Synthesiz Me – Pierre Damien

• Latin Award: Cora Sana – Lucia G. Romero

• LGBTQIA+ Award: Dancing in Tomorrowland – Jacob Ruston

• SAGindie Award: L’avance – Djiby Kebe

• Social Impact Award: Rise – Jessica J. Rowlands

• Best Sports Drama: Negro League Nights – Kyle Sykes

• Best Sports Documentary: It’s Like a Bowl of Neck Bones – Joey Garfiel