News

In the week leading up to the 89th Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated and Live Action Short Film categories. All events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Wamg attended the annual AMPAS reception featuring the 2016 Oscar nominated films in the Animated and Live-Action Short Film categories. The program featured screenings of all the nominated films in these categories, plus an onstage discussion with the filmmakers.

The evening was hosted by director Tim Miller (Deadpool), who himself was nominated in the Animated Short category in 2005 (Gopher Broke). In his opening comments, a clearly emotional Miller spoke about shorts being, for most filmmakers, a labor of love rather than a means to getting awards and accolades.

Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’re reviewing each short category. See the Live-Action section below and the other shorts sections here.

Ennemis intérieurs – France – 28 minutes

The definitive exchange in Hidden Figures—the one that defines America then and still today—is when Kirsten Dunst’s personnel manager tells Octavia Spencer’s yet-to-be-given-the-title supervisor, “Despite what you may think, I have nothing against y’all.” Spencer’s Dorothy Vaughan counters without missing a beat, “I know you probably believe that.” It’s such a perfect distillation of how racism permeates the very core of who we are to the point where we don’t even understand why we are racist. It happens all the time now, white people accusing black people of screaming racism as a knee-jerk reaction because they believe their racist actions are normal. Their fear has made it so other colors are inferior, dangerous, and untrustworthy. In...

With the 2017 Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to race to theaters to see this year’s contenders like La La Land and Hidden Figures. But don’t forget about the often overlooked categories of Best Animated Short and Best Live-Action Short.

Ranging from heartbreaking to inspirational, the nominees in these categories are worth a watch. And the best part? Even with 10 films to watch, it’s not a big time commitment!

Find out how to watch the projects ahead of the Feb. 26 award ceremony.

How to Watch Animated Short Film Nominees:

Blind Vaysha

This short from...

As is awards season tradition, ShortsHD will be releasing this year’s short film Oscar nominees — including live-action, animated and documentary — into theaters around the country this week, all in hopes that cinephiles will spark to the idea of checking out a big batch of contenders they most likely haven’t yet had the chance to watch. This year’s live-action batch includes a number of intriguing foreign entries — and not an American offering in the bunch — all of which are loosely unified around such timely concepts as connection (emotional and physical) and the current political climate.

Read More: Oscars 2017 Live-Action Shorts: Jane Birkin vs. Six-Time Nominee Kim Magnusson

From stories about children’s choirs gone wild, unexpected romances and even a gut-churning immigration story that couldn’t be more prescient, this year’s live-action nominees fit together into a satisfying, smart little package.

“Ennemis Interieurs,” France (28 minutes)

This...

In the live-action shorts category, the contenders are often not American.

This year a clear frontrunner has emerged: “Silent Nights,” a drama about a Danish woman and her Ghanaian immigrant boyfriend from director Aske Bang and producer Kim Magnusson.

This is the sixth nomination for Magnusson in the Live-Action Short category, which he has won twice. The first he shared in 1999 with “Brothers” screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen, for “Election Night.” The second he won more recently for “Helium” in 2013, directed by Anders Walter, who will helm the forthcoming “I Kill Giants,” an adaptation of a graphic novel starring Zoe Saldana and Imogen Poots. Clearly, Magnusson knows how to pick directors.

Read More: Oscars 2017 Animated Shorts: Will ‘Piper’ End Pixar’s 16-Year Drought?

“Silent Nights” isn’t the only immigration story amongst the contenders; prolific French sound editor Selim Azzazi makes his directorial debut with “Ennemis Intérieurs,” which depicts a French...

The nominations for the 89th Academy Awards are in and La La Land leads the pack with 14 nominations! I knew La La Land was going to explode at this event, and it's probably going to end up taking home many of the awards is was nominated for. The 14 nominations ties the record with 1997's Titanic and 1950's All About Eve.

Arrival ended up with eight nominations as did Moonlight, while Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, and Manchester by the Sea all got six. Deadpool ended up with zero nominations. I was hoping to see it somewhere on the list, but it looks like all that hype didn't work.

Every film and actor who was nominated for their work deserves to be on this list, so congratulations to them all! There are so many great films and actors to root for, but there can be only one winner in each category.

Jimmy Kimmel...

Five final live-action short nominees out of 137 qualified films are vying for an Oscar.

This year a clear frontrunner has emerged: “Silent Nights,” a drama about a Danish woman and her Ghanaian immigrant boyfriend, from director Aske Bang and producer Kim Magnusson.

This is the sixth nomination for Magnusson in the Live-Action Short category, which he has won twice. The first he shared in 1999 with “Brothers” screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen, for “Election Night.” The second he won more recently for “Helium” in 2013, directed by Anders Walter, who will helm the forthcoming “I Kill Giants,” an adaptation of a graphic novel starring Zoe Saldana and Imogen Poots. Clearly, Magnusson knows how to pick directors.

“Silent Nights” isn’t the only immigration story amongst the contenders; prolific French sound editor Selim Azzazi makes his directorial debut with “Ennemis Intérieurs,” which depicts a French police officer interrogating a French-Algerian man seeking naturalization during...

Ten live-action shorts out of 137 qualified films will vie for an Oscar nomination.

Frontrunners:

“Graffiti,” Lluis Quilez, director (Participant Media, Euphoria Productions and Ainur Films)

“Nocturne in Black,” Jimmy Keyrouz, director (Columbia University)

“Timecode,” Juanjo Giménez, director (Nadir Films)

“The Way of Tea (Les Frémissements du Thé),” Marc Fouchard, director, and Matthieu Devillers, producer (Existenz, BlackBox and P904)

“Sing” (“Mindenki”),” Kristof Deák, director (Meteor Filmstudio)

Contenders:

“Bon Voyage,” Marc Wilkins, director, and Joël Jent, producer (Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduction)

“Ennemis Intérieurs,” Sélim Azzazi, director (Qualia Films)

“La Femme et le Tgv,” Timo von Gunten, director (arbel gmbh)

“The Rifle, the Jackal, the Wolf and the Boy,” Oualid Mouaness, director (Tricycle Logic)

“Silent Nights,” Aske Bang, director, and Kim Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions)

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Related stories2017 Oscar Predictions: Best Animated Short2017 Oscar Predictions: Best...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 10 live-action shorts that will move forward in the voting process for the 89th Academy Awards. The shortlist was pared down from the 137 films that originally qualified, and the final nominees will be named along with all other categories on January 24. Find the full list below, with trailers where available.

Read More: ‘Working Stiff’: Exclusive Doc NYC Short Documentary Finds Creative Expression in the Everyday Grind — Watch

“Bon Voyage,” Marc Wilkins, director, and Joël Jent, producer (Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduction)

“Ennemis Intérieurs,” Sélim Azzazi, director (Qualia Films)

“Graffiti,” Lluis Quilez, director (Participant Media, Euphoria Productions and Ainur Films)

“La Femme et le Tgv,” Timo von Gunten, director (arbel gmbh)

“Nocturne in Black,” Jimmy Keyrouz, director (Columbia University)

Read More: ‘The Escape’: Clive Owen Returns as The Driver in Neill Blomkamp’s New BMW Short Film — Watch

“The Rifle, the Jackal,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 10 shortlist finalists or a Best Live Action Feature nomination this afternoon and the theme is “global.” A recurring trend in this category, a majority of the entries are from overseas. The Academy revealed that 137 entries qualified for consideration.

The shortlist is as follows:

“Bon Voyage,” Marc Wilkins, director, and Joël Jent, producer (Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduction)

“Ennemis Intérieurs,” Sélim Azzazi, director (Qualia Films)

“Graffiti,” Lluis Quilez, director (Participant Media, Euphoria Productions and Ainur Films)

“La Femme et le Tgv,” Timo von Gunten, director (arbel gmbh)

“Nocturne in Black,” Jimmy Keyrouz, director (Columbia University)

“The Rifle, the Jackal, the Wolf and the Boy,” Oualid Mouaness, director (Tricycle Logic)

“Silent Nights,” Aske Bang, director, and Kim Magnusson, producer (M & M Productions)

“Sing (Mindenki),” Kristof Deák, director (Meteor Filmstudio)

“Timecode,” Juanjo Giménez, director (Nadir Films)

“The Way of Tea (Les Frémissements du Thé),” Marc Fouchard,...

It’s always fun to try to watch all of these before making your predictions. Believe it or not, it actually helps. They’re not easy to track down, of course.

Less than an hour after it announced the Oscar shortlist for animated short films, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is out with its live-action list. Ten films are in the running for nominations in the Live Action Short trophy. They are: Bon Voyage, Marc Wilkins, director, and Joël Jent, producer (Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduction) Ennemis Intérieurs, Sélim Azzazi, director (Qualia Films) Graffiti, Lluis Quilez, director (Participant Media, Euphoria…...

Ridley Scott’s upcoming instalment in the sci-fi series will open on May 19, 2017 – three months earlier than originally scheduled by Fox.

Studio executives had set an August 19, 2017, date for Alien: Covenant but the first poster reveals the new date, as well as the familiar alien head bathed in shadow beneath the legend, ‘Run’.

Noomi Rapace reprises her role in the follow-up to 2012’s Prometheus alongside Michael Fassbender as the android David.

Joining the cast are Billy Crudup, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, and Amy Seimetz.

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announced on Wednesday that ten live-action short films will advance in the voting process for the 89th Academy Awards from a submissions pool of 137. Nominations are announced on January 24, 2017. The ten are, in alphabetic order: Bon Voyage, Marc Wilkins; Ennemis Intérieurs, Sélim Azzazi; Graffiti, Lluis Quilez; La Femme et le Tgv, Timo von Gunten; Nocturne In Black, Jimmy Keyrouz; The Rifle...

Anne Fontaine’s drama claimed the Colcoa Audience Award as the nine-day celebration of French cinema came to a close in Los Angeles.

Music Box holds Us rights to the film (pictured) about wartime atrocities committed by the Nazis at a Polish convent.

Christian Carion’s Come What May earned the Colcoa Lafca Critics Award and will open in the Us through Cohen Media Group.

Made In France by Nicolas Boukhrief won the Audience Special Prize while the Critics Special Prize went to Bouli Lanners’ The First, The Last.

The Best Documentary Award went to Tomorrow co-directed by Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent, while The First Feature Awards went to Film Movement’s Neither Heaven Nor Earth by Clément Cogitore.

It’s Caviar by Sarah Lelouch won the audience award in the Short Competition category, while Mother(s) from Maïmouna Doucouré won the jury award.

Natalie Beder’s Millions Of Tears won both the juried award and the...

"A Prophet" has come home victorious at the 35th Annual Cesar Awards. Being nominated in thirteen categories, the film managed to land nine kudos, two of which were presented to its star Tahar Rahim. The 18-year-old won best actor and breakthrough performance for his role as a 19-year-old small-time hood who becomes a Mafia kingpin behind bars.

His co-star Niels Arestrup, in the meantime, was named best supporting actor. Additionally, the film has aided its helmer Jacques Audiard to receive best director award. This drama movie got the other gongs from original screenplay, cinematography, sound, editing as well as set design categories.

In the foreign film category, Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" beat James Cameron's "Avatar" and Cannes Palme d'Or winner "The White Ribbon". The event, which was held on Saturday, February 27 in Paris, also handed out an honorary Cesar to Harrison Ford.

Full Winners List of the 35th...