Los Angeles, CA January 31, 2019--- ShortsTV™, the World’s Only Short Film Channel (www.shorts.tv), working with Magnolia Pictures, will open “THE 2019 OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS” on more than 500 screens across the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia on Feb. 8, 2019.
THE 2019 OSCARS® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short-film nominees’ compilation as three separate theatrical events.
On February 6, ShortsTV™ will debut THE 2019 OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS at the IFC Center in New York City, and then roll out across the US and Europe on February 8.
This marks the 14th consecutive year of the Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical experience. It is the only opportunity for audiences to watch the short film nominees in theaters before the Academy Awards® ceremony on Sunday February 24, 2019. The Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood and televised live on the ABC Television Network.
A stunning showcase of talent and diversity of subjects, the annual theatrical event continues to gain popularity. In 2018, the Oscar® Nominated Short Films earned over $3 million in worldwide box office gross, double the level from just two years prior.
“Short movies continue to be one of the most interesting and surprising filmmaking categories recognised by the Oscars® every year,” said Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive at ShortsTV. “Truly some of 2018’s most diverse filmmaking is represented in the short film categories this year -- the live action and documentary nominees tackle hard-hitting subjects that are bringing headlines around the globe, while the animated shorts are inspirational and hilarious. We are proud to once again be presenting these incredible films in theatres and later on-demand.”
The nominees’ countries of origin range from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, China, Spain to the U.S. This year the U.S. leads with the most shorts nominations (Four Documentary Short Film nominees’, One Live Action Short Film nominee, and Three Animated Short Film nominees). Furthermore, several films focus on Asia or are from filmmakers of Asian descent, and there are five women directors nominated in this year's short film category.
Additionally, ShortsTV™ will release select OSCAR® nominated short films via the major digital platforms and cable providers on February 19, 2019. The films will also be available on cable via the industry’s Movies on Demand platforms well as satellite VOD platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Verizon, Vimeo On Demand and Google Play, DISH, Cablevision, AT&T, Google Fiber, Spectrum and others.
For a sneak peek at THE 2019 OSCAR® NOMINATED SHORT FILMS program, please visit: http://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/
This year’s complete release includes the following nominated short films:
ANIMATED SHORT FILM NOMINEES
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
Directors: David Fine, Alison Snowden
Synopsis: Dealing with what comes naturally isn’t easy, especially for animals. In 'Animal Behaviour', five animals meet regularly to discuss their inner angst in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist.
Country of Origin: Canada
TRT: 14 minutes
Language: English
BAO
Director: Domee Shi
Synopsis: An aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 8 minutes
Language: Chinese, English
LATE AFTERNOON
Director: Louise Bagnall
Synopsis: Emily is an elderly woman who lives between two states, the past and the present. She journeys into an inner world, reliving moments from her life. She searches for a connection within her vivid, but fragmented memories.
Country of Origin: Ireland
TRT: 10 minutes
Language: English
ONE SMALL STEP
Directors: Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
Synopsis: Luna is a vibrant young Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. From the day she witnesses a rocket launching into space on TV, Luna is driven to reach for the stars. As Luna grows up, she enters college, facing adversity of all kinds in pursuit of her dreams.
Country of Origin: United States, China
TRT: 8 minutes
Language: English
WEEKENDS
Director: Trevor Jimenez
Synopsis: Weekends is the story of a young boy shuffling between the homes of his recently divorced parents. Surreal dream-like moments mix with the domestic realities of a broken up family in this hand-animated film set in 1980’s Toronto.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 16 minutes
Language: English (music)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM NOMINEES
BLACK SHEEP
Director: Ed Perkins
Synopsis: After the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
TRT: 27 minutes
Language: English
END GAME
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Synopsis: Where will loved ones spend their last days? Who will be in the room? What feelings and secrets need to be shared with family before it is too late? ‘End Game’ probes these questions and more as it follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 40 minutes
Language: English
LIFEBOAT
Director: Skye Fitzgerald
Synopsis: Volunteers from a German non-profit risk the waves of the Mediterranean to pluck refugees from sinking rafts pushing off from Libya in the middle of the night.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 34 minutes
Language: English
A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN
Director: Marshall Curry
Synopsis: In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from history. 'A Night at the Garden' transports audiences to this chilling gathering and shines a light on the power of demagoguery and anti-Semitism in America.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 7 minutes
Language: English
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE
Director: Reyka Zehtabchi
Synopsis: In a rural village outside Delhi, India, women lead a quiet revolution. They fight against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation. 'Period. End of Sentence' tells their story.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 26 minutes
Language: English, Hindi
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM NOMINEES
DETAINMENT
Director: Vincent Lambe
Synopsis: Two ten-year-old boys are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. A true story based on interview transcripts from the James Bulger case which shocked the world in 1993 and continues to incite public outrage across the UK today.
Country of Origin: Ireland, UK
TRT: 30 minutes
Language: English
FAUVE
Director: Jeremy Comte
Synopsis: Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with Mother Nature as the sole observer...
Country of Origin: Canada
TRT: 17 minutes
Language: English, French
MARGUERITE
Director: Marianne Farley
Synopsis: An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past.
Country of Origin: Canada
TRT: 19 minutes
Language: English, French
MOTHER
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Synopsis: A single mother receives a call from her seven-year-old son who is on vacation with his father in the French Basque Country. At first the call is a cause for joy, but soon it becomes a horrible nightmare when the child tells her that he is alone and cannot find his father who left a while ago.
Country of Origin: Spain
TRT: 19 minutes
Language: English, Spanish
SKIN
Director: Guy Nattiv
Synopsis: A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash.
Country of Origin: United States
TRT: 20 minutes
Language: English
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards® were announced on January 22. For more information, http://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/
About ShortsTV
ShortsTV is the world's first and only 24/7 HD channel dedicated to short movies. It is available across the US on DirecTV (channel 573), AT&T U-Verse (channel 1789), US Sonet (channel 292), CenturyLink (channel 1789), Frontier Communications (channel 1789) and Google Fiber (channel 603) and numerous NCTC member companies. ShortsTV™ is operated by Shorts International, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company with the world’s largest movie catalogue dedicated to short movies. Shorts International also operates ShortsTV®, which is available across Europe. ShortsTV offers hundreds of the world’s best independent shorts for download in 92 iTunes stores across the globe as well as on Amazon Instant Video (UK, US and Germany), Google Play (US and Canada), Verizon and Frontier (US).
ShortsTV is operated by Shorts International Ltd, which is headquartered in London, England and represented in the United States by Shorts Entertainment Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary located in Los Angeles. The company is led by Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive.
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