The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 86th Academy Awards®. This is out of the one hundred and twenty pictures that originally qualified in the category. That’s an impressive number, I suppose, but I would like to know if that’s an unusual amount, high or low. And just what do these filmmakers expect to get from all this hard work? Fame? Money? Well, not if they know anything about the filmmaking world. The best they can ever hope for is a pretty statue, one that represents the ultimate validation of their artistic endeavors.
But the odds are stacked against them from the start. After all, if you break it down the chances for the current list of competitors is about a 1 in 12 chance of making the cut. Not bad, but that’s of all the films that officially qualified. That’s out of all the shorts that went to all the festivals that didn’t qualify, let alone the films made last year by eager short filmmakers that didn’t even make it to a festival. So, now the accomplishment is somewhat staggering and far more impressive than the feature films that make it to Oscar night. I’m just sayin’ let’s give the short filmmaker some respect and give them their due when they walk the red carpet this March, whoever they may be. If one of the many commentators takes the time to interview one of these lucky few, please don’t take that moment to visit the restroom. And be sure to listen to their acceptance speech. In my experience these speeches tend to be the most sincere, full of heartfelt gratitude, becoming the most meaningful moments of the night.
An added aspect to the Short Film category is its growing representation of the future of filmmaking on a global scale. The current list represents a broad spectrum of nations and cultures, which is not surprising considering the fact that other countries actually support the art of short filmmaking. Things are tougher here for the American artist who ventures into the unprofitable world of shorts. I mean let’s face it; there’s no true outlet for a short in the US other than the festival route. And that costs the filmmaker money to submit. Where as, in other countries there are supportive art councils and other government agencies, not to mention the standard practice of showing shorts on TV.
So, if you're going to make a short film in the US you better love what you're doing, because the odds are highly against any financial rewards. Which is all the more reason to celebrate the hard work produced by these filmmakers who will truly mean it if they get the chance to say, “it’s an honor just to be nominated”. Heck, when all is said and done, it’s an honor to make the short list. Here they are in alphabetical order:
“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me), ” Esteban Crespo “Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything),” Xavier Legrand “ Dva (Two),” Mickey Nedimovic “Helium,” Anders Walter “Kush,” Shubhashish Bhutiani “Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?),” Selma Vilhunen “Record/Play,” Jesse Atlas “Throat Song,” Miranda de Pencier “Tiger Boy,” Gabriele Mainetti “The Voorman Problem,” Mark Gill
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in Los Angeles. The members of this branch of the Academy will now select only three to five nominees from among the ten titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings are being held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco this month. The final nominees for the 86th Academy Awards will be announced live on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater along with all the other 2013 nominees. And then the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. ABC will televise the event live to more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. Good luck to them all!