The Academy Awards will be held on February 22nd, and if you're like most of us, you haven't had the opportunity to see the more obscure nominees in action before the ceremony. The DIA is ready to make sure that doesn't happen to you this year! They will be showing animated and live action shorts almost daily up until the Academy Awards. Check out the schedule here to find an evening to catch all of these amazing shorts, and be in the loop when the Oscars are awarded to the winners.
ANIMATED:
The Bigger Picture (UK—2014/directed by Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees) 'You want to put her in a home; you tell her; tell her now!' hisses one brother to the other. But Mother won't go, and their own lives unravel as she clings on. Innovative life-size animated characters tell the stark and darkly humorous tale of caring for an elderly parent. In English.
The Dam Keeper (USA—2014/directed by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi) This original animated short film tells the tale of a young pig encumbered with an important job, and the meeting of a new classmate who changes everything. Set in a desolate future, one small town's survival is solely due to a large windmill dam that acts as a fan to keep out poisonous clouds. Despite bullying from classmates and an indifferent public, the dam's operator, Pig, works tirelessly to keep the sails spinning in order to protect the town. When a new student, Fox, joins Pig's class, everything begins to change. Made up of over 8,000 paintings, The Dam Keeper blends traditional hand-drawn animation with lush brushstrokes to bring Kondo and Tsutsumi's celebrated painting-style to life like never before. Non-dialogue.
Feast (USA—2014/directed by Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed) This new short from first-time director Patrick Osborne (Head of Animation, Paperman) and Walt DisneyAnimation Studios, is the story of one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share. Non-dialogue.
Me and My Moulton (Canada/Norway—2014/directed by Torill Kove) One summer in mid-’60s Norway, a seven-year-old girl asks her parents if she and her sisters can have a bicycle. Me and My Moulton provides a glimpse of its young protagonist’s thoughts as she struggles with her sense that her family is a little out of sync with what she perceives as “normal”. In English.
A Single Life (The Netherlands—2014/directed by Marieke Blaauw, Joris Oprins and Job Roggeveen) When playing a mysterious vinyl single, Pia is suddenly able to travel through her life. Non-dialogue.
LIVE ACTION:
Aya (Israel and France—2011/directed by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis) Two strangers unexpectedly meet at an airport. He mistakenly assumes her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong. In English, Hebrew and Danish with English subtitles.
Boogaloo and Graham (UK—2014/directed by Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney) Jamesy and Malachy 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. Starring Martin McCann, Charlene McKenna, Riley Hamilton and Aaron Lynch. In English.
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak) (France/China—2013/directed by Hu Wei and Julien Féret) A young itinerant photographer and his assistant offer to photograph some Tibetan nomads in front of various backgrounds. In Tibetan with English subtitles.
Parvaneh (Switzerland—2012/directed by Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger) A young Afghan immigrant travels to Zurich where she encounters a punk named Emily. In Dari and German with English subtitles.
The Phone Call (UK—2013/directed by Mat Kirkby and James Lucas) The Phone Call follows Heather, (played by Oscar® nominee Sally Hawkins), a shy lady who works at a helpline callcentre. 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. In English.
To purchase tickets to the 2015 Academy Award Nominated Shorts viewing click here.
To learn more about the 2015 Academy Award Nominated Documentary Shorts showing click here.
Want to keep up with more local events? Follow our Media Events of the Month series on our blog. Maybe these events inspire you to create great works of your own? Look into our Digital Media Arts program. We think you'll like what you see. If you do, make sure to schedule a tour of our facility! You can do that by clicking here or the button below.
