This year Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International are partnering up once again to distribute the 10 Oscar nominated short films, both animated and live action. The package is set to release this Friday, Feb. 6 in select cities and you can also download the films via iTunes. Check out Shorts International’s official site for the films here.
I always like seeing what the world’s filmmakers have cooked up in these categories, so I took an hour or so earlier in the week to have a look at the films in contention. I have to say, it’s a more impressive collective than we’ve seen in recent years — especially on the live action side of things, where interestingly enough, all the entrants hail from overseas. I’ll start there.
Best Short Film (Live Action)
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
“Grisen (The Pig)”
“Manon sur le bitume (Manon on the Asphalt)”
“New Boy”
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
The German film “Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” from director Reto Caffi, has racked up an impressive tally of festival awards. But for me it brings up the rear. It’s a somewhat derivative study of love and guilt, and there’s a nice enough twist mid-way through to really drive the point home, but the film drags on a bit and, despite a captivating final image, didn’t have the impact it might have. I can’t say it’s not a competent piece of narrative filmmaking, however.