One of the greatest things about the Oscars is the exposure it gives to a very special category of films; The Live Action Short Film and Animated Shorts. There were 125 entries in this category last year. “Buzhashi Boys”, an entry from war torn Kabul, Afghanistan and “Asad” made in Somalia with a cast of refugees from a fishing village competed against sophisticated entries with top flight actors including “Death of a Shadow” starring Matthias Schoenaerts. Other final nominees were from Canada and Holland. See more here: Oscar’s 5 Live Action Shorts Films Touch The Heart 2013

One hundred and twenty entries were received this year and 10 films have now qualified. Only 3 to 5 nominees will the announced in the two categories Short Film and Animated Shorts on January 16th, 2014.

Canada has had a steady presence at the Academy Awards with 3 final nominees in these categories in 2013. This year, National Film Board (NFB) 3 entries go to the final vote: Gloria Victoria, Hollow Land and Subconscious Password. Canadian filmmakers and animators have a long history of excellence. Canadian animator Richard Williams, who is based in England, has won three Oscars, including two for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit as well as numerous other awards for his work in advertising and animated shorts. His dedication to the world of animation led to a remarkable story about the animator’s world, a Tom Clancy ‘who dun it’, dedication and heartbreak. The story was made into the doc “Persistence of Vision” https://myetvmedia.com/film-review/persistence-of-vision-review/.

Oscar’s 5 Live Action Shorts Films Touch The Heart 2013

10 Live Action Shorts Line Up for the 86th Academy Awards

“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me),” Esteban Crespo, director (Producciones Africanauan)
“Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything),” Xavier Legrand, director, and Alexandre Gavras, producer (KG Productions)
“Dva (Two),” Mickey Nedimovic, director, and Henner Besuch, director of photography (Filoufilm Dani Barsch)
“Helium,” Anders Walter, director, and Kim Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions)
“Kush,” Shubhashish Bhutiani, director (Red Carpet Moving Pictures)
“Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?),” Selma Vilhunen, director, and Kirsikka Saari, screenwriter (Tuffi Films)
“Record/Play,” Jesse Atlas, director, and Thom Fennessey, executive producer (Collaboration Factory)
“Throat Song,” Miranda de Pencier, director (Northwood Productions)
“Tiger Boy,” Gabriele Mainetti, director (Goon Films)
“The Voorman Problem,” Mark Gill, director, and Baldwin Li, producer (Honlodge Productions)

10 Animated Shorts Line Up For the 86th Academy Awards

“Feral”, Daniel Sousa, director, and Dan Golden, music and sound design (Daniel Sousa)
“Get a Horse!”, Lauren MacMullan, director, and Dorothy McKim, producer (Walt Disney Feature Animation)
“Gloria Victoria”, Theodore Ushev, director (National Film Board of Canada)
“Hollow Land”, Uri Kranot and Michelle Kranot, directors (Dansk Tegnefilm, Les Films de l’Arlequin and the National Film Board of Canada)
“The Missing Scarf”, Eoin Duffy, director, and Jamie Hogan, producer (Belly Creative Inc.)
“Mr. Hublot”, Laurent Witz, director, and Alexandre Espigares, co-director (Zeilt Productions) Possessions, Shuhei Morita, director (Sunrise Inc.)
“Requiem for Romance”, Jonathan Ng, director (Kungfu Romance Productions Inc.)
“Room on the Broom”, Max Lang and Jan Lachauer, directors (Magic Light Pictures)
“Subconscious Password”, Chris Landreth, director (National Film Board of Canada with the participation of Seneca College Animation Arts Centre and Copperheart Entertainment).

Moira Romano