UK-based ShortsTV’s theatrical release of the short film Oscar nominees is closing in on $1.5m after three weekends in North American cinemas as the company’s founder and CEO said the Academy’s telecast plans creates a “second tier” of awards.
Carter Pilcher, who serves as a member of the Academy’s short films and feature animation branch, said the release of the live-action, animated and documentary shorts showcase had reached $1.3m and hopes over the course of a four-week run to overtake the $1.5m achieved in 2021.
The showcase grossed around $500,000 when it opened in North America over the February 25-27 weekend in more than 350 cinemas across more than 100 locations including New York and Los Angeles. The plan is for the films to play in 500 cinemas in the weeks leading up to the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.
Nominees in the typically international-flavoured selection include three British shorts or co-productions: Aneil Karia’s live-action short The Long Goodbye starring Riz Ahmed (pictured), Aardman Animations’ Robin Robin co-directed by Daniel Ojari and Michael Please and Joanna Quinn’s Canada-UK animated short nominee Affairs Of The Art.
However due to the Academy’s recent announcement all short film winners will receive their awards off-air at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre immediately prior to the live three-hour ceremony broadcast on ABC. The televised show will include edited highlights of winners speeches from all three shorts categories as well as winners of the feature editing, score, sound, production design and make-up/hairstyling awards.
Pilcher is against the idea, echoing the sentiments of Steven Spielberg and more than 70 filmmakers and industry professionals who wrote an open letter to the Academy expressing their dismay. “I don’t know how this is going to play out on the telecast,” he told Screen. “It does take away from it and creates a second tier of awards and that’s a mistake.”
“We are artisans and this is our moment,” he said, noting that the short film form has long served as a calling card for filmmakers who have gone on to achieve global renown. “This is about people who are at the top of their craft and who have contributed significantly to motion pictures.”
Jacques Cousteau and Ray director Taylor Hackford both won live-action short film Oscars, while notable nominees include Kenneth Branagh, this year’s Oscar-nominated director of best picture nominee Belfast, and Taika Waititi.
Pilcher also pointed out that the three short film categories are among only seven out of the 23 Oscar categories that recognise the work of an entire filmmaking team, the others being best picture and the documentary feature, animated feature and international feature film categories.
This year’s live-action shorts nominees include Ala Kachuu – Take And Run from Switzerland; On My Mind from Denmark; Please Hold from the US; and The Dress from Poland. Animation contenders include Beast from Chile; Boxballet from Russia; and The Windshield Wiper from Spain. The documentary short nominees are Three Songs For Benazir from Afghanistan, as well as Audible, Lead Me Home and The Queen Of Basketball from the US and Germany-US hopeful When We Were Bullies.
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