Oscar Watch: Shorts Play in NYC
Oscar nominees for best live-action and best animated shorts are playing at the IFC Center in NYC this weekend.
One of my favorites is a U.K.-Poland co-production of “Peter & the Wolf,” a 29-minute re-telling of Prokofiev’s 1936 children’s tale about a cloistered boy, his woodland friends, and a hungry wolf.
The animated film, which has no narrator and really doesn’t need one, features the famed composer’s dual-themed music that’s at turns menacing and lively.
Other nominees include “Even Pigeons Go to Heaven” (France, 9 min.), a story about an old man conned out of his life savings in exchange for a ticket to heaven; “Madame Tutli-Putli” (Canada, 17 min.), a stop-motion/CGI film about the journey of an old woman on a train; “My Love” (Russia, 26 min.), the story of a young man learning about love in pre-Revolution Russia; and “I Met the Walrus” (Canada, 7 min.), which features hand-drawn sketches over a taped interview between a teenager and John Lennon in 1969. Yes, really!
More after the jump, including a “Peter & the Wolf” clip…
Live-action nominees include “At Night” from Denmark (three young women spend the holidays in a hospital ward); “Il Supplente” from Italy (an unusual newcomer galvanizes a high school classroom); “Le Mozart Des Pickpockets” from France (unlucky thieves find their fortunes have changed when they take in a deaf homeless boy); “Tanghi Argentini” from Belgium, (a man must learn to dance the tango in two weeks); and “The Tonto Woman” from the United Kingdom (a cattle rustler meets a woman living in isolation after being held prisoner for eleven years).
These short films really give filmmakers a chance to shine and show their stuff. Check them out if you have a chance. Check out the full list of Oscar Nominees.
Peter & the Wolf Clip:
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POSTED IN: Action/Adventure, Animation, Clips & Movie Trailers, Coming Soon to Theaters, Family, Film Genres, Film Industry, Foreign, Independent, Now Playing, Oscar Aacademy Awards
3 opinions for Oscar Watch: Shorts Play in NYC
Kristin Ohlson
Feb 16, 2008 at 5:08 am
Love that Peter and the Wolf clip.
Jane Boursaw
Feb 16, 2008 at 9:08 am
Kris - It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I have half a mind to post clips of all the shorts - they’re all fantastic.
80th Annual Academy Awards - Feb. 24, 2008
Feb 24, 2008 at 7:42 pm
[…] weeks) presents for Outstanding Animated Short Film. Winner: “Peter and the Wolf” (I called that one […]
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