During these months, it is common to learn about news regarding the most important short film awards. While preparing posts about the Goyas and the rules for the Forqué awards, I noted two news items about the Academy Awards for Short Film.
The Academy Awards are key for short film distribution. The lists of festivals that pre-select films are the main reference for establishing an international strategy.
At the end of October, the first shortlist was published; we now know the 10 documentary shorts vying for nominations. They were chosen from 61 short films that met the eligibility requirements.
This is the official news: http://www.oscars.org/news/10-doc-shorts-oscars-2016-shortlist
I have noted the selected short films, completing the original information with a link to each film’s website, the director’s name, and nationality:
- Brillo Box (3¢ Off), by Lisanne Skyler. Brillo Box Documentary (United States)
- Close Ties, by Zofia Kowalewska. Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association (Poland)
- Extremis, by Dan Krauss. f/8 Filmworks in association with Motto Pictures (United States)
- 4.1 Miles, by Daphne Matziaraki. University of California, Berkeley (United States)
- Frame 394, by Rich Williamson. Compy Films (Canada)
- Joe’s Violin, by Kahane Cooperman. Lucky Two Productions (United States)
- The Mute’s House, by Tamar Kay. The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School (Israel)
- The Other Side of Home, Nare Mkrtchyan. Feeln (Turkey)
- Watani: My Homeland, by Marcel Mettelsiefen. ITN Productions (Germany)
- The White Helmets, by Orlando von Einsiedel. Grain Media and Violet Films (United States)
This list includes two documentaries produced by Netflix, which are available worldwide (including Spain). These are Extremis and The White Helmets. Additionally, Brillo Box (3€ Off) is produced by HBO.
In the cases of 4.1 Miles and The Mute’s House, these are documentaries produced by film schools and made by students. 4.1 Miles previously won the Best Documentary Award at the Students Academy Awards (the student Oscars).
In total, there are 5 shorts from the United States and one from Poland (Polish production continues at a very high level, they are already regulars at the Oscars), in addition to Canada, Israel, Turkey, and Germany.
While we await the shortlists for Animation and Fiction, the animation-specialized website www.cartoonbrew.com has published an excellent article with a study on all the animated short films that can contend for the Oscars.
If you don’t know it yet, here is the direct link: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/2017-animated-short-oscar-contenders-record-number-films-competing-144106.html
There are a total of 70 short films featuring the best of the year’s annual production. There are two short films by Spanish directors, Decorado, by Alberto Vázquez, and Alike, by Daniel Martinez and Rafa Cano.
The article is an excellent opportunity to learn about the best of this year’s animation production. Additionally, some of the short film trailers can be viewed.