Among the films I am reviewing for the Hollyshorts Film Festival, I found this gem, My Week with Maisy, and truly feel its power. I fell in love with it and do not doubt that other film fans will, too. The film won ‘Best Women’s Short’ and the Audience Choice Award (Best Short Film) at this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival and will screen at the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival (West Coast premiere from the UK).
Synopsis: When uptight retiree Mrs Foster begins chemotherapy, she’s thrown together in the treatment room with Maisy, a whirlwind inquisitive child aspiring to be a lesbian. As treatment progresses, the pair’s fortuitous bond offers healing and newfound hope in unexpected places.
Directed by Mika Simmons (Breach, Rain Stops Play) from a screenplay by screenwriter Mark Oxtoby (Blood Means Nothing, David’s Here), the film stars Dame Joanna Lumley (Falling for Figaro, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) in the impressive role of Mrs. Foster who starts her chemo with one attitude and after spending the time in the chemo area with Maisy, begins to see the world a bit different. It is great to see a young actress, Ellie–Mae Siame (Four Kids and It), show such talent as she performs alongside Dame Joanna Lumley. They both have their medical conditions and face them in their own way. It is quite an eye-opener for Mrs. Foster, and the two make this story unique. It is a remarkable drama and humor – not slapstick comedy, but the humor the two actors provide as they discuss life and their situations.
Dame Joanna Lumley is an actress, presenter, producer, author, and activist. She won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the much-beloved BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous and was honored with the BAFTA Fellowship award in 2017. Her credits include The New Avengers, Ella Enchanted, and The Wolf of Wall Street. She was made a Dame (DBE) in 2022.
About the director: Mika Simmons is a British actress and filmmaker. Her directorial debut, ‘Rain Stops Play,’ won the Silver Remi for best comedy at the Houston World Film Festival. In 2021, Mika won Best International Director for her second short ‘Breach’ at the Portland Film Festival. As an actress, Mika has played in a diverse range of work on stage and screen — including ‘Showtrial’ (BBC),
‘Frenchman’s Creek’ (ITV), ‘Unforgotten’ (ITV), and ‘Balcony’ which went on to win the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. In January 2021, Mika was featured as one of Harpers Bazaar’s female Visionaries, and in December ’21, You Magazine featured Mika as one of their extraordinary women of the year.
My Week with Maisy will screen at the prestigious 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival this month, and to find the schedule, visit https://hollyshorts2024.eventive.org/films
Source: Hollyshorts Film Festival, IMDb