{"id":22464,"date":"2021-03-31T21:45:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T04:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=22464"},"modified":"2021-03-31T21:45:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T04:45:50","slug":"oscar-nominarted-shorts-animated-live-action-and-documentary-display-a-wide-variety-of-storytelling-styles-and-themes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=22464","title":{"rendered":"OSCAR NOMINARTED SHORTS \u2013 ANIMATED, LIVE-ACTION and DOCUMENTARY Display a Wide Variety of Storytelling Styles and Themes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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ShortsTV will release the Oscar Nominated Shorts 2021 virtually\non April 2nd<\/sup>. The Animated and Live-Action programs will also be\nplaying at open Landmark cinemas.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a young movie enthusiast, it was always frustrating to\nwatch the Oscars and see categories featuring smaller titles that were difficult\nto locate. Over the years, the situation has improved dramatically. Today,\nthere are packages being released that allow curious viewers to sample shorts online\nand on the big screen. The work being featured is always exceptional and it is truly\nwonderful to see them all with relative ease. This year the tradition continues\nas ShortsTV will be presenting all the Oscar-nominated animated, live-action and\ndocumentary shorts on their site (some of the categories will also be available\nto screen at Landmark theaters that are operating). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, for those interest about what is being offered (or want\nto get a sense of what each shot is about for their betting pools), here is a\nrundown of what you can expect to see in these packages. I\u2019ve addressed each specific\nentry in alphabetical order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Animated Shorts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always, the Animated Shorts category offers an entertaining\nselection of creative tales on a wide variety of subjects. It\u2019s a difficult chore\nto engage and move audiences in a brief amount of time with animated images,\nbut most of these films do it with ease. In general, the grouping this year is\na little more somber than in years past, but regardless of whether one is a fan\nof drama or comedy the selection is still worth anyone\u2019s time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Burrow<\/em> (US) follows a rabbit who wants to create a\nperfect, isolated den. But after the lead character begins digging, problems\nquickly arise. Not only is the ground filled with other animal homes, but there\u2019s\na rather large and potentially dangerous water source nearby. This leads to a comic\nand chaotic scenario and a nice message about joining in with others and\nhelping the community at large. It\u2019s a zippy, fun and sweet Pixar production has\nthe appearance of a traditionally animated 2D film, which ends up giving the\nshort a fresh and distinctive visual style.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genius Loci<\/em> (FR) is among the most experimental efforts\nin the group, following a loner trying to search for personal meaning as she navigates\nher way through a surreal city. Although it\u2019s never explicitly stated, there is\nsome hint that the character may have a schizophrenia-like illness as the\nimages spin and warp themselves around her. This is the longest short of the\nbunch and isn\u2019t as immediately engaging on an emotional level, but it is\ninteresting and does feature impressive visuals.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If Anything Happens I Love You<\/em> (US) goes straight for\nthe heart, telling the story of a despondent couple trying to deal with a\ntragedy and process the grief from it. The animation is minimalist, slowly\nrevealing the details of what occurred and how those involved are dealing with the\nsituation. Personally, for this reviewer it came on a bit too strong and piled on\ntoo much in its brief amount of time. However, this effort has received excellent\nwrite-ups from others and may be a favorite in the category.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of personal preferences, Opera<\/em> (US\/KR) is a\nwild and imaginative short that slowly unveils a strange but relatable triangle-shaped\nworld, detailing the various lives and mechanizations working within. As the\ncamera pans, one sees familiar elements of this home and its operation. The\nmovie gets darker as it progresses, quietly critiquing the organization and design\nof both their world and ours in the process. This little gem is incredible to\nwatch on a big screen, drawing the eyes to various little areas and scenarios as\nthe camera slowly moves around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For those with a quirky sese of humor, Yes-People<\/em> (ICL)\nis an entertaining little comedy that follows the individual routines of several\npeople living in an apartment complex. After a large snowfall, a lot of their\ndaily activities are on full display. Their mundane behavior and strange ticks\nare amusing to watch as the filmmakers put all their personal eccentricities are\nall put on full display. This is another unique and enjoyable short.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three other short-listed animated titles are also included.\nYou can also see Kapaemahu<\/em> (US), another excellent tale about the\nhistory behind a group of stones located in downtown Waikiki, Hawaii. To: Gerard<\/em>\n(US) is another slick Pixar production and The Snail and the Whale<\/em> (UK\/DE),\nabout a cute little snail who wants to sail the high seas, is adorable and includes\na great voice cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live-Action Shorts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you might have imagined, the Live-Action film category is\ngenerally very somber and serious this year. However, several shorts tell their\nstories in unique and interesting ways that help effectively deliver the\nvarious themes being addressed impart important messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Set in New York, Feeling Through<\/em> (US) follows a young\nman named Tereek (Steven Prescod), wander the city  at night without a place to stay. He crosses\npaths with Artie (Robert Tarango), a blind and deaf man needing assistance getting\nhome. Together, the two form a friendship as they attempt to communicate with\neach other. They end up making a lasting impression on one another despite\ntheir very brief time together. The short is well-acted and the characters make\nan impression, resulting in a sweet and moving little film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Letter Room<\/em> (US) is a fascinating tale of a\nprison guard (Oscar Isaac) whose job involves reading and clearing incoming mail\nfor inmates. In the process, he ends up becoming more involved in the personal\nlives of the convicts. When one message arrives from a significant other suggesting\nthat she may partake in a suicide pact, the guard must decide whether to\nintervene. This is another interesting effort that examines and discusses the unexpected\nmessages and intentions behind correspondence and how they can be misinterpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In The Present<\/em> (PS), a Palestinian father (Saleh\nBakri) decides to head across a border checkpoint with his young daughter (Miriam\nKanj) in order to pick up an anniversary gift for his wife. It\u2019s a horrific experience\nas they are questioned and mistreated by an Israeli border guard. The return\ntrip is even worse as the hours pass and the pair try to get their bulky gift back\nhome. This tale effectively shows the degradations an average family must\nendure on a regular basis to obtain the necessities of life and compete simple errands.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Distant Strangers<\/em> (US) is another effective tale\nthat will probably make a big impact on Academy voting members. It follows a\nyoung man named Carter (Joey Bada$$) who is stopped by a racist cop (Andrew\nHoward) while leaving his girlfriend\u2019s apartment. After being shot, Carter\nawakens and must repeat the same traumatic events. As the story progresses,\nCarter attempts all sorts of different approaches to try and escape with his\nlife. While the general concept may remind one of the feature Groundhog Day<\/em>,\nthe powerful subject matter and unexpected plot turns make this drama stand\nout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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White Eye<\/em> (IL) manages to tell its entire story using\na single shot that follows the central character (Daniel Gad) after he\ndiscovers his stolen bicycle on a neighborhood street. He attempts to get help\nfrom the police and those around him so that he can unlock it, but after encountering\nall sorts of procedural roadblocks, begins to consider if the effort is worth all\nthe trouble. It\u2019s another tense and impressive short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documentary Shorts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, the Documentary selections are also remarkably\ninformative. As you might have guessed, these clips also all deal with traumatic\nand horrible events, so viewers should be prepared for some heavy material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Colette<\/em> (US) follows an elderly woman who served in\nthe French resistance as a young girl during WWII. After losing her brother during\nthe conflict 80 years ago, she heads to Germany for the first time ever to visit\nthe concentration camp where he lost his life. It\u2019s an emotional journey as Colette\nexplains her reasons for staying away, how she helped her family fight against\nthe Nazis and how she feels while visiting the site where her brother\u2019s life\nwas taken. Old photographs are also displayed to show the horrors the prisoners\nendured. Overall, the movie makes a strong impression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Concerto is a Conversation<\/em> (US) takes viewers to\nLos Angeles and details a young and successful African-American composer as he meets\nwith his cancer-stricken grandfather to learn as much family history as he can\nin the time they have left. The patriarch details living in the south and\nescaping to California to start a new and better life. He details how he was able\nto get around more hurdles and ultimately succeed. It\u2019s a very pleasing tale as\nthe composer starts to realize just how influential his grandfather was in his own\nlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 2019 Hong Kong citizens stood up to protest against the\ngrowing power and influence of mainland China. Their actions are detailed in Do\nNot Split<\/em> (NOR\/US). The filmmakers capture stunning footage from the middle\nof the protests and show conflicts between different factions and the police. You\u2019ll\nalso see a group of students being boxed in at Hong Kong Polytechnic University\u2019s\ncampus as they try to fend off armed police forces. We see everything up to and\nthrough the current pandemic (which has caused a pause in the protests). The\ndocumentary certainly shows viewers what it feels like to be in the middle of the\nbedlam and, for this reviewer, is one of the strongest films of the batch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hunger Ward<\/em> (US) photographs intimate details of the\nhumanitarian crisis in Yemen. Military strikes have left the country in ruins and\nstarvation is running rampant among the population. The short displays the work\nof managers and practitioners in a hospital that treats the most severe cases\nof child malnutrition. It\u2019s tragic to watch the fates of some of these infants and\nthe images of them suffering is truly disturbing to witness. We also see the\ntoll the work takes on the physicians and the unwarranted blame that falls on\nthem despite all their efforts to help. This is another powerful feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, A Love Song for Latasha<\/em> (US) is a Netflix release.\nIt tells the true story of a young woman who was unjustly shot in South Central\nLos Angeles by a gun-toting store owner while attempting to purchase some orange\njuice. Her sister remembers her experiences with the teenager and describes her\nsibling\u2019s dreams and aspirations that were suddenly ended by the terrible act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While every viewer will likely have their own individual favorites,\nall the shorts in the three recommended collections are expertly made and most certainly\nworth checking out if you have the time. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ShortsTV will release the Oscar Nominated Shorts 2021 virtually on April 2nd. The Animated and Live-Action programs will also be playing at open Landmark cinemas.   As a young movie enthusiast, it was always frustrating to watch the Oscars and see categories featuring smaller titles that were difficult to locate. Over the years, the situation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":22465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[198,206,404,481,678,1465,1467,2595,2599,2604,3692,4604,5965,5993,7467,8171,9494,9651,11438,12535,15457,15521,21360,21915,22233,22965,23418,24200,24597],"class_list":["post-22464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-reviews","tag-198","tag-206","tag-a-concerto-is-a-conversation","tag-a-love-song-for-latasha","tag-academy-awards","tag-animated-short","tag-animation","tag-best-animated-short","tag-best-documentary-short","tag-best-live-action-short","tag-burrow","tag-colette","tag-do-not-split","tag-documentary","tag-feeling-through","tag-genius-loci","tag-hunger-ward","tag-if-anything-happens-i-love-you","tag-kapaemahu","tag-live-action","tag-opera","tag-oscar-nominated-shorts","tag-the-letter-room","tag-the-present","tag-the-snail-and-the-whale","tag-to-gerard","tag-two-distant-strangers","tag-white-eye","tag-yes-people"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22464\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}