Animated Shorts - The Oscar Long List ?

by Nathaniel R

Since the Academy doesn't always release the longlists for their short film categories (why did they stop doing this?) we have to rely on other sources. The following list is not "official" but thanks to Cartoon Brew we have an approximation of what the Oscar's qualifying long list looks like in Best Animated Short. Cartoon Brew thinks it's about 96 films long with the following titles having had either "Oscar-qualifying" wins at approved festivals, public exhibition (this is how big studio shorts often qualify since they play before movies), or honors from BAFTA or the Student Academy Awards.

The longlist, where to screen the contenders, predictions, and a few notes after the jump...

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Juliette Binoche and Hayao Miyazaki to be honored at Meihodo International

by Nathaniel R

If you're like us, every once in a while you find yourself asking "What's going on with Juliette Binoche?" The all time great has been a bit quiet this past year (apart from that unfortunately hushed release of The Truth) but this week she'll be honored at the Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival. If your reaction is "third annual what?" don't feel ashamed. There are so many festivals -- even in this virtual year - that it's hard for even the most devout cinephiles to keep track. But this one will be easy to get familiar with. The nominees are all on YouTube and the Meihodo ceremony will stream live on YouTube this Thursday (January 7th) at 3 PM EST. Juliette will open the ceremony and give a short interview from the set of the Claire Denis new movie (!!!) Radioscopie...

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Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Filipinos at the Oscars

by Juan Carlos Ojano

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Coen Brothers’ western epic True Grit, an adaptation of the 1968 novel of the same name. The film stars Oscar nominees Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin. However, at the center of the film is then-13 year old Hailee Steinfeld. She plays Mattie Ross, the strong-willed daughter of a man murdered by a notorious outlaw (Brolin). She then hires Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) to hunt down the outlaw. Steinfeld’s performance received critical acclaim at the time and she became the ninth youngest nominee ever for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. She was 14 years and 45 days of age at the time of nominations.

Another remarkable record is that she became the first actor of known Filipino descent to be nominated for an acting category at the Oscars (her maternal grandfather Ricardo Domasin was half-Filipino), a fact that was given media attention in the Philippines at the time. She is part of a small group of nine Oscar nominees who are of Filipino descent. Here are the rest...

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HollyShorts 3. The 2020 Oscar-Qualifying Winners

by Nathaniel R

This is the first year The Film Experience has covered the HollyShorts Film Festival. We intended to do more but you know how it is with time. It flies! For the final piece, I thought I'd review a few of the winners. The Complete Winners List from the festival is presented in alphabetical order with capsule reviews of three Oscar qualifiers and a few more for good measure...

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HollyShorts 2 "Wonder Years"

by Tony Ruggio

Short films are the runt of the film community: small, sometimes slight, often ignored. They’re everything in film school and seemingly nothing on Oscar night, relegated so much to the fringes of discourse that some have suggested nixing them from the broadcast completely. But short films hold a special place in Hollywood’s machine, be it a training ground for future blockbuster directors or fresh voices in the constantly evolving indie scene.

The HollyShorts festival has several compilations. Ben covered the "Action" efforts so I hit "The Wonder Years," covering films set in high school or otherwise coming-of-age stories. Here are three that I think are worth a watch, whether due to their surprisingly famous cast or sheer quality...

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