And the 2015 OSCAR for Best Live Action Short Goes To . . .

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Category: Film

Published on Friday, 06 February 2015 12:13

Written by Janet Walker

Live Action and Animation Shorts, a celebrated program of mini-features, bringing a diverse and often cutting edge introduction to new techniques or trending subjects to the forefront of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the chance of winning the gold.

The 2015 selection of Shorts is no different presenting solid performances, demonstrated technique, telling intriguing stories, capturing our attention and shedding light on a wide range of subjects.

The 2015 Live Action Shorts, unlike the 2014 program didn’t present what this reviewer believes is a clear winner like Helium, a favorite a as dying boy’s fears of death are calmed by the gifted storytelling of a janitor, and still like previous years, the live action submissions introduce a diverse range of stories from the unusual Butter Lamp to the tender and compelling in The Phone Call.   

For Academy Award consideration from the 2015 Live Action category the five nominees are:

AYA, a representingIsrael and France, directed by Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun and produced by Yael Abecassis, Hilel Rozman, Pablo Mehler. AYA is co-written by Tom Shovalwith production byCassis Films in Israel and Divine Productions France.

AYA, tells the story of a happenstance meeting as a shy stranger waiting at the airport to meet a friend is approached by a car service driver and asked just to hold the name sign in arrivals until the passenger arrives.  Upon arrival AYA takes on the role of driver and is now mistakenly assumes her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong. 39minuts.

BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM, from the UK, a personal favorite, from Director Michael Lennox and produced by Brian J. Falconer and written by Ronan Blaney.

At 14minutes, Boogaloo and Graham, tells the story of Jamesy and Malachy, two endearing and appealing Irish boys, who are over the moon when their soft-hearted dad presents them with two baby chicks to care for.

Raising their tiny charges, declaring themselves vegetarian and dreaming of running a chicken farm, the two boys are in for a shock when their parents announce that big changes are coming to the family and decide to take matters into their own hands which result in a midnight attempt to secure freedom which has the potential to intersect with disaster.

Boogaloo and Graham, starring Martin McCann, Charlene McKenna, Riley Hamilton and Aaron Lynch, presents a charming coming of age film.

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),from DirectorHu Wei and Producer Julien Féret, is an official submission of France and China.

Butter Lamp, tells the story, with very limited dialogue ofa young itinerant photographer and his assistant offer to photograph some Tibetan nomads in front of various backgrounds.

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)is 15 minutes of delightful images as those who have never been photographed exhibit a variety of emotions when they are gathered for portraits.  

Parvane, the official selection ofSwitzerland, from DirectorTalkhon Hamzavi and Producer Stefan Eichenberger, presents the story of a young Afghan immigrant who travels to Zurich to send money to her family during a crisis.

In Zurich, a world away, from her sweat shop sewing job, she encounters Emily, a punk teen with a good relationship with her family. Emily invites Para to stay with her until Western Union opens in the morning and the two will get the money sent. Spending the night in her new world, Para and Emily begin a new friendship which isn’t fully explored in the 25minutes but leaves the viewer hoping it will lead to a new life. It is an uplifting look at the human experience and enforces the adage ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover.’

The Phone Call, from Director Mat Kirkby and written by Kirkby and James Lucas,is also an official selection from the United Kingdom.

The Phone Call follows Heather, played by OSCAR® nominee Sally Hawkins, a shy lady who works at a helpline call centre. When she receives a phone call from a mystery man, played by Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, she has no idea that the encounter will change her life forever.  

At 21 minutes, the ending of The Phone Call will leave viewers talking, questioning and wondering.

ShortsHD is once again bringing the wildly popular OSCAR® Nominated Short Film program (Live Action, Animation, and Documentary) to theaters across the globe beginning 30th January.

The theatrical release of The OSCAR® Nominated Short Films has met enthusiastic audiences ever since its launch 10 years ago giving people around the world an opportunity to see the nominated films prior to the OSCAR® Awards ceremony on 22nd February.

The OSCAR® Nominated Short Films program will open in over 350 theaters throughout the US and Canada starting 30th January and will continue to expand in the following weeks. A list of participating theaters is available.

Together with the theatrical run, the nominated short films will be available on Vimeo On Demand, iTunes® Stores in 54 countries, Amazon Instant Video®, Verizon and will be released across the US on VOD/Pay Per View platforms.