ShortsHD, working with Magnolia Pictures, will open “The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2017“ in over 500 screens across the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America on Friday February 10, 2017. In New York, the film will open for a special preview starting Wednesday, February 8th.
“The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2017” will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short film nominees’ compilation as three separate theatrical events.
This marks the 12th consecutive year of the Oscar nominated short films theatrical experience and is the only opportunity for audiences to watch the nominated short films prior to the 89th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26, 2017.
In 2016, the Oscar Nominated Short Films earned over $2.8 million at the worldwide box office, nearly doubling from just a few years prior.
“This year’s Oscar Nominated Shorts are formidable storytelling at its best,” said Carter Pilcher, CEO of ShortsHD, the TV network behind the annual theatrical compilations. “Short films are exploding in popularity around the globe, and these Oscar noms are the pinnacle—and ShortsHD’s theatrical release is the only way to see this year’s Live Action, Animation and Documentary shorts nominees on the big screen, a delight for movie fans the world over.”
Google joined the list of Academy Award contenders this year with the animation short film Pearl, a Google Spotlight Story from Patrick Osborne, the director of Disney‘s Oscar-nominated short film Feast. Netflix scored its first-ever short film Academy Award nominations with Documentary Short films Extremis and The White Helmets. Also in the Documentary Short category, 3 of the 5 nominees tackle the Syrian crisis.
For a sneak peak at The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2017 program, please visit:http://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/
This year’s complete release includes the following nominated short films:
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM NOMINEES
Ennemis Intérieurs
Director: Sélim Azzazi
Synopsis: In the 1990s, as the Algerian civil war rages and terrorists infiltrate France, a French police officer of Algerian descent conducts a rancorous interview with a French-born Algerian man seeking naturalization.
Country of Origin: France
TRT: 28
Language: French
La Femme et le TGV
Directors: Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff
Synopsis: Elise has been waving at the express train as it passes by her home every day for three decades. A letter from the train’s conductor begins a correspondence between the two, and when the train is detoured to another route, Elise goes in search of her man.
Country of Origin: Switzerland
TRT: 30
Language: French
Silent Nights
Directors: Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson
Synopsis: Young Danish woman Inger volunteers at a homeless shelter in Copenhagen, where she meets and falls in love with Kwame, an undocumented immigrant from Ghana. The couple builds a life together, but a devastating secret from Kwame’s past may undermine their happiness.
Country of Origin: Denmark
TRT: 30
Language: Danish | Akan | English
Sing
Directors: Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy
Synopsis: Young Zsofi is having a hard time fitting in at her new school, and her distress grows when the choir director treats her cruelly despite her love of singing. Along with her friend Liza, Zsofi investigates the revered teacher in an attempt to reveal her true nature.
Country of Origin: Hungary
TRT: 25
Language: Hungarian
Timecode
Director: Juanjo Giménez
Synopsis: Parking lot security guard Luna is bored with her uneventful daily routine but a call about a customer complaint leads her to discover how the night guard, Diego, alleviates his boredom. Soon the pair develops a relationship by communicating through the garage’s CCTV footage.
Country of Origin: Spain
TRT: 15
Language: Spanish
ANIMATED SHORT FILM NOMINEES
Blind Vaysha
Directors: Theodore Ushev
Synopsis: Young Vaysha was born with unusual sight: her left eye can see only the past and her right eye can see only the future, while the present is a blind spot. Called “Blind Vaysha” by the people of her village, the girl is tormented by the two realities that she cannot reconcile.
Country of Origin: Canada
TRT: 8
Language: English
Borrowed Time
Directors: Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj
Synopsis: A sheriff of the Old West returns to the scene of a tragic accident from his past that shaped his life. As memories wash over him, he is engulfed by emotion and must find the strength to carry on with his lifelong quest for redemption.
Country of Origin: Canada
TRT: 8
Language: English
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Directors: Robert Valley and Cara Speller
Synopsis: Hard-living Techno Stypes has been Robert’s best friend since childhood, and over the years, Robert has been amazed by Techno’s ability to sabotage himself. When Techno is hospitalized in China and needs a liver transplant, Robert goes on a wild ride to get him home to Vancouver.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom and Canada
TRT: 35
Language: English
Pearl
Directors: Patrick Osborne
Synopsis: An itinerant musician travels around the country with his young daughter in their old hatchback and juggles his passion for performing with providing his daughter with a stable life. The daughter grows up with a love of music and adventure, and is able to repay her father for nurturing her creativity.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 6
Language: English
Piper
Directors: Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer
Synopsis: Young Piper, a sandpiper hatchling, leaves her nest for the first time to hunt for food but is too scared of the crashing waves to reach the yummy morsels hidden in the sand. After meeting an unusual ally, Piper attempts to face her fears and increase her confidence.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 6
Language: English
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM NOMINEES
Extremis
Director: Dan Krauss
Synopsis: At the Intensive Care Unit at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, palliative care specialist Dr. Jessica Zitter treats terminally ill patients. As she and her team provide the best possible care, they try to help the patients and their loved ones make critical, often heartbreaking decisions.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 24
Language: English
4.1 Miles
Director: Daphne Matziaraki
Synopsis: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, a captain in the Greek Coast Guard, is caught in the struggle of refugees fleeing the Middle East and traveling the short distance from the coast of Turkey to the island of Lesbos. Despite having limited resources, the captain and his crew attempt to save lives during the immense humanitarian crisis.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 26
Language: Greek | English | Arabic
Joe‘s Violin
Directors: Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen
Synopsis: During a drive to donate musical instruments to public schools, 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Joseph Feingold offers his beloved violin, which he has played for more than 70 years. The instrument goes to the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls, where young musician Brianna Perez is inspired to become friends with her benefactor.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 24
Language: English
Watani: My Homeland
Directors: Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis
Synopsis: Four young children live with their mother and father, a Free Syrian Commander, in a warzone in Aleppo, Syria. After their father is captured by ISIS, the children flee with their mother to Goslar, Germany, in a years-long journey that will test them all as they try to find a safe home in a foreign country.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
TRT: 39
Language: Arabic | English
The White Helmets
Directors: Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
Synopsis: In the chaos of war-torn Syria, unarmed and neutral civilian volunteers known as “the white helmets” comb through the rubble after bombings to rescue survivors. Although they have already saved more than 60,000 lives since 2013, these brave first responders continue to place themselves in danger every day.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
TRT: 41
Language: Arabic | English
Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards were announced on January 24. For more information, http://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/
