News

Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...

©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Studio Pali Fekete architects/©A.M.P.A.S.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.

“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”

“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...

Strangely dropping a press release on a historic day where the nation's attention is elsewhere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their annual list of new member invitees this morning. For those who criticize the makeup of the Academy there was some good news and the stark realization the organization still has a long way to go. The Academy has spent the last eight to 10 years attempting to diversify its membership and this year's class mostly reflects that. There are significantly more invitees of Asian and African-American descent, but the male to female disparity is still depressing. Out of the 25 potential new members of the Actor's Branch only seven are women. And, no, there isn't really an acceptable way for the Academy to spin that sad fact. Additionally, It's important to realize the 322 people noted in the release have only been invited to join Hollywood's most exclusive club.

Take another look @ the complete 'Oscar' nominations list for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, to be presented February 22, 2015 :

Best Picture

"American Sniper"

"Birdman"

"Boyhood"

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

"The Imitation Game"

"Selma"

"The Theory of Everything"

"Whiplash"

Best Actor

Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"

Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper"

Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"

Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"

Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"

Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"

Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall, "The Judge"

Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"

Edward Norton, "Birdman"

Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"

J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Laura Dern, "Wild"

Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"

Emma Stone, "Birdman"

Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Best Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”

Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”

Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game...

The 87th Academy Awards full list of winners (and nominees).Oscars 2015Birdman wins best film, directorREACTION: What the winners saidCOMMENT: Birdman claws victory from BoyhoodBLOG: As it happened

By The Numbers

4 - Birdman4 - The Grand Budapest Hotel3 - Whiplash1 - American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Selma, Still Alice, The Theory of EverythingBEST Motion Picture Of The Year

Birdman: Alejandro G Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, producers

BoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplashPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Leading Role

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory Of Everything

Steve Carell, FoxcatcherBradley Cooper, American SniperBenedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation GameMichael Keaton, BirdmanPERFORMANCE By An Actress In A Leading Role

Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One NightFelicity Jones, The Theory Of EverythingRosamund Pike, Gone GirlReese Witherspoon, WildPERFORMANCE By An Actor In A Supporting Role

Jk Simmons, Whiplash

Robert Duvall, The JudgeEthan Hawke, BoyhoodEdward Norton, BirdmanMark Ruffalo...

Birdman was honored with Best Picture at the 87th Annual Academy Awards, which took place tonight at the Dolby Theater in the Hollywood and Highland Center, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Birdman took home four Oscars tonight in total, winning for Best Picture, Best Director (Alejandro Gonz&#225lez I&#241&#225rritu), Best Original Screenplay (Alejandro Gonz&#225lez I&#241&#225rritu, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicol&#225s Giacobone) and Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki). The film also tied for the most wins of the night with The Grand Budapest Hotel, which won for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design and Best Original Score.

All eight of the Best Picture nominees walked home with at least one award. American Sniper won for Best Sound Editing (Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman), Boyhood won for Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), The Imitation Game won for Best Adapted Screenplay (Graham Moore), Selma won...

A memorable 87th annual Academy Awards for Fox Searchlight saw Birdman claim best film, director and two other statuettes to tie with The Grand Budapest Hotel’s four-strong haul.

Boyhood, which entered the evening on six nominations and had been expected to push Birdman in several of the senior categories on Sunday night, won a sole best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette.

The film’s time in the Oscar ceremony spotlight will not be forgotten, however, as Arquette paid tribute to her “Boyhood family” and made an impassioned plea for wage equality that spread like wildfire across social media.

Eddie Redmayne from The Theory Of Everything prevailed in a tight best actor contest to deny Michael Keaton another success for Birdman. The popular victory had the British actor jumping with excitement on stage at the Dolby Theatre.

Julianne Moore finally converted her fifth Academy Award nomination into a win for her performance in Still Alice in what...

The 2015 Oscars are in the books and it was Birdman taking home four awards including the coveted Best Picture along with a Best Director win for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as well as an Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) win. But Birdman wasn't the only film to take home four Oscars as The Grand Budapest Hotel had a small bit of domination in the below-the-line categories winning for Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hairstyling and Original Score (Alexandre Desplat). The only other multiple award winner was Whiplash, which took home Best Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons), Best Film Editing and Sound Mixing. Otherwise, it was singles across the board and while there were a few interesting wins below the line, the top awards went pretty much by the books. Patricia Arquette took home Boyhood's only Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) won Best Actor over...

It's a "short" but sweet win for The Phone Call. The movie, directed by Mat Kirkby, was awarded the 2015 Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action on Sunday night. The short film was written by Kirkby and James Lucas and follows Heather, a shy woman who works in a call center. Kirkby and Lucas took the stage to receive the award from Kerry Washington and Jason Bateman. Kirkby in particular was excited by the victory because he said it would get him a free doughnut from his local bakery. Other contenders in the Best Live Action Short Film category included Aya,...

The Oscars took place on Sunday with "Birdman" ending up being the big winner of the night with a total of four awards for best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best cinematography. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" also won four awards, but for achievement in the technical departments. "Whiplash" won three, including Jk Simmons for best supporting actor. Meanwhile, Eddie Redmayne won the best actor award for "The Theory of Everything" and Julianne Moore won the best actress award for "Still Alice." Check out the full list of nominees and winners (marked in red) below. And let us know if you think the academy got it right. Best Picture: * Birdman * American Sniper * Boyhood * The Grand Budapest Hotel * The Imitation Game * Selma * The Theory of Everything * Whiplash Lead Actress: * Julianne Moore - Still Alice * Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night * Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything * Rosamund Pike...

Hollywood's biggest night is finally here! The 2015 Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, are underway at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California. Is Meryl Streep going to take home her fourth Oscar? Will American Sniper upset Boyhood for Best Picture? Can "Everything Is Awesome" take home the gold? Check out the full list of winners below, which will be updated throughout the night. And the winners are … Best Picture American SniperBirdmanBoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplashBest Actor Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman Eddie Redmayne,...

And the awards season is officially over! Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Birdman" was the big winner at the 87th Academy Awards taking home the Best Picture, Director, Cinematography and Original Screenplay trophies. Its closest competition, "Boyhood," only managed one trophy for Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette. Honestly? I still believe that "Boyhood" is a better picture but the Academy loves movies about themselves, hence "Birdman" took the top prize!

Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" won Best Original Score, Costume Design, and Production Design while "Whiplash" received the Best Supporting Actor trophy for J.K. Simmons, Film Editing, and Sound Mixing.

Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game" won the Best Adapted Screenplay award with writer Graham Moore giving one of the night's best speeches about marching on and it does get better!

The one award that "Birdman" didn't take home was the Best Actor trophy. Michael Keaton lost out...

The Oscars are over and so here is the full list of winners from The 87th Oscars.

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall – The Judge

Ethan Hawke – Boyhood

Edward Norton – Birdman

Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Costume Design

Milena Canonero – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Mark Bridges – Inherent Vice

Colleen Atwood – Into The Woods

Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive – Maleficent

Jacqueline Durran – Mr. Turner

Makeup and Hairstyling

Foxcatcher – Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier

Guardians Of The Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Foreign Language Film

Ida – Poland; Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski

Leviathan – Russia; Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev

Tangerines – Estonia; Directed by Zaza Urushadze

Timbuktu – Mauritania; Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako

Wild Tales – Argentina; Directed by Damián Szifron

Short Film (Live Action)

Aya – Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis

Boogaloo And Graham – Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak...

The 87th Academy Awards were handed out Sunday, February 22nd at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.  Here is a complete list of all the nominees and the winners as they were announced. Best Picture "American Sniper" (Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan) "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole)***Winner*** "Boyhood" (Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland) "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson) "The Imitation Game" (Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman) "Selma" (Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner) "The Theory of Everything" (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten) "Whiplash" (Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster) Directing "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (Alejandro G. Iñárritu)***Winner*** "Boyhood" (Richard Linklater) "Foxcatcher" (Bennett Miller) "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Wes Anderson) "The Imitation Game...

Oscar 2015 winners (photo: Chris Pratt during Oscar 2015 rehearsals) The complete list of Oscar 2015 winners and nominees can be found below. See also: Oscar 2015 presenters and performers. Now, a little Oscar 2015 trivia. If you know a bit about the history of the Academy Awards, you'll have noticed several little curiosities about this year's nominations. For instance, there are quite a few first-time nominees in the acting and directing categories. In fact, nine of the nominated actors and three of the nominated directors are Oscar newcomers. Here's the list in the acting categories: Eddie Redmayne. Michael Keaton. Steve Carell. Benedict Cumberbatch. Felicity Jones. Rosamund Pike. J.K. Simmons. Emma Stone. Patricia Arquette. The three directors are: Morten Tyldum. Richard Linklater. Wes Anderson. Oscar 2015 comebacks Oscar 2015 also marks the Academy Awards' "comeback" of several performers and directors last nominated years ago. Marion Cotillard and Reese Witherspoon won Best Actress Oscars for, respectively, Olivier Dahan...

(Click Read More Below To See My Complete Predictions)

The question on everybody.s mind is will it be .Boyhood. or .Birdman?. The Oscars this Sunday will be one of the most nail-biting Academy Awards in recent history. In the beginning of the awards season, Richard Linklater.s .Boyhood. was winning the best picture category in many of the award-giving bodies.

And then, the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards happened where Alejandro González Iñárritu.s .Birdman. took the top prizes.

Same can be said with Michael Keaton. The actor was a surefire bet to win until the Screen Actors Guild decided to crown Eddie Redmayne for .The Theory of Everything..

So this Sunday, it.s all up in the air. But this is my Super Bowl and so I analyzed all the statistics which led me to my predictions below. Beware! I am not a fortune teller, only a movie buff.

All the winners from Sunday’s 87th Academy Awards.

Show host Harris signs off with a chirpy, “Buenos noches!”

Sean Penn walks on. It’s time for the big one. Best film. Will it be Birdman or Boyhood? It’s Birdman! The movie ends the night tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel on four Oscars. Inarritu, referring to his pal Alfonso Cuaron who enjoyed success with Gravity at last year’s show, says, “Two Mexicans in a row. That’s suspicious, I guess.” Slightly more seriously, Agi also calls on his fellow Mexicans to help build a strong future for his beloved country. Wow, a good night for Birdman and a surprisingly barren one for Boyhood. Pirates indeed, Ethan Hawke, but glorious pirates.

And now Matthew McConaughey saunters on stage to announce best actress. Julianne Moore, five times a nominee at the Oscars is the favourite. Will she get it this time for Still Alice? Yes she’s got...

The 87th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out tonight at the Dolby Theater in the Hollywood and Highland Center. Neil Patrick Harris is hosting the ceremony, which airs tonight at 7 Pm Et/4 Pm Pt on ABC today. We'll be updating this story live as they are announced, so stay tuned to find out who takes home all the big awards at tonight's star-studded ceremony.

#oscars Tweets

Tweets by @MovieWeb

Best Picture

BirdmanAmerican SniperBoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplash

Best Actress In A Leading Role

Julianne Moore - Still AliceMarion Cotillard - Two Days, One NightFelicity Jones - The Theory of EverythingRosamund Pike - Gone GirlReese Witherspoon - Wild

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of EverythingSteve Carell - FoxcatcherBradley Cooper - American SniperBenedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation GameMichael Keaton - Birdman

Best Director

Alejandro Gonz&#225lez I&#241&#225rritu - BirdmanWes Anderson...

(Click Read More Below To See My Complete Predictions)

The question on everybody.s mind is will it be .Boyhood. or .Birdman?. The Oscars this Sunday will be one of the most nail-biting Academy Awards in recent history. In the beginning of the awards season, Richard Linklater.s .Boyhood. was winning the best picture category in many of the award-giving bodies.

And then, the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards happened where Alejandro González Iñárritu.s .Birdman. took the top prizes.

Same can be said with Michael Keaton. The actor was a surefire bet to win until the Screen Actors Guild decided to crown Eddie Redmayne for .The Theory of Everything..

So this Sunday, it.s all up in the air. But this is my Super Bowl and so I analyzed all the statistics which led me to my predictions below. Beware! I am not a fortune teller, only a movie buff.

This year's Oscar-nominated Live Action Shorts feature a range of topics from the madness of family life to culture shock to chance encounters to desiring what we don't have, but all are are indeed emotional, heartwarming watches. Read More: The Year's Best Live Action Short Films, Plus Our Pick to Win Oscar Get a glimpse of all five nominees in the trailer below, followed by individual videos that highlight the films' directors who provide a bit more insight. All of the nominated shorts are now available on VOD. Live Action Shorts Trailer "Aya," Dirs. Mihal Brezis, Oded Binnun "Boogaloo and Graham," Dir. Michael Lennox "Butter Lamp" ("La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak"), Dir. Hu Wei "Parvaneh," Dir. Talkhon Hamzavi "The Phone Call," Dr. Mat Kirkby Read More: Watch: Get to Know This Year's Oscar-Nominated Short Documentary Directors...

When the first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, at an Academy banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, movies had just begun to talk. The attendance was 270 and guest tickets cost $5. It was a long banquet, filled with speeches, but presentation of the statuettes was handled expeditiously by Academy President Douglas Fairbanks.

The suspense that now touches most of the world at Oscar time was not always a characteristic of the Awards presentation. That first year, the award recipients were announced to the public three months ahead of the ceremony.

Today, Oscar pundits and fans alike avidly watch the precursor and guild awards to ultimately make their predictions in the 24 categories. Academy members have cast their ballots, so now it’s our turn for our Oscar picks.

Need some help in that office Oscar pool or at the party you’re throwing at home? Wamg is here to help.

©A.M.P.A.S.

By Melissa Thompson, Gary Salem and Michelle McCue

Oscar Week 2015 has arrived. The week kicked off with the filmmakers of the Oscar nominated short films.

Actor Sean Astin hosted the Academy’s “Oscar Celebrates: Shorts” event on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Astin was a perfect choice. His short film Kangaroo Court was nominated for an Oscar back in 1995, and its quite obvious he has a passion for the genre.

He spoke about what it was like when he was nominated in that category and being excited about the possibility of winning (It was actually a tie between 2 shorts that year, and his film was not one of them). Said Astin wryly, “I told myself we probably came in 3rd.”

He was very engaging in Q&A panel and asked the perfect smart and brief questions to keep things moving along.

Take a sigh of relief, the Oscars are finally upon us. How many months will we squeeze out of 2015 before pundits start incessantly chattering about Awards Season again?

With any luck, 2016 will not be as contentious and as close of a race for Best Picture as it was this year. It has created a lot of excitement and confidence that the winner will be a strong one, but it has also created a lot of controversy and bile and disappointment.

My predictions for 2015 reflect the consensus of what will happen, not what should. But then with this year, anything can happen.

Best Picture

American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Imitation Game The Grand Budapest Hotel Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash

After almost near sweeps of critic prizes and the dominant film on Best of the Year lists by a wide margin, Boyhood may very well lose the Oscar for Best Picture on Sunday night.

With the Oscars just around the corner, it’s time to lay down my predictions for all 24 categories. While, as usual, most categories seem like a pretty solid lock, there’s always the possibility of a surprise or two, so let’s get right to it.

Best Animated Short Film

“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees

“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed

“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove

“A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Best Live Action Short Film

“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis

“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney

“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret

“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger

“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry

“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz

“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski...

The question on everybody.s mind is will it be .Boyhood. or .Birdman?. The Oscars this Sunday will be one of the most nail-biting Academy Awards in recent history. In the beginning of the awards season, Richard Linklater.s .Boyhood. was winning the best picture category in many of the award-giving bodies.

And then, the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards happened where Alejandro González Iñárritu.s .Birdman. took the top prizes.

Same can be said with Michael Keaton. The actor was a surefire bet to win until the Screen Actors Guild decided to crown Eddie Redmayne for .The Theory of Everything..

So this Sunday, it.s all up in the air. But this is my Super Bowl and so I analyzed all the statistics which led me to my predictions below. Beware! I am not a fortune teller, only a movie buff. But don.t forget me if you win your Oscar pool.

Over the weekend I watched all of this year's Oscar-nominated short films in the live action, animated and documentary categories. Well, actually, I watched almost all of them as there was one documentary short I had zero interest in watching beyond its opening credits. More on that in a second, but let's begin with the live action short films. And remember, these are predictions, not a ranking of my favorites, though I will be giving an opinionated take on each of the films. Live Action Cheryl Graf and Nissa Kashani in Parvaneh Of the three categories I'd say the live action lot had the largest selection of films I actually enjoyed. Of the bunch, only The Phone Call rubbed me the wrong way. It really doesn't accomplish much other than hammer home the melancholy as Sally Hawkins plays a crisis hotline worker who receives a call from a man (Jim Broadbent...

I feel like it was a really good week of movie watching for me as I kicked things off watching Criterion's new Blu-ray release of Don't Look Now (read my review here) and then caught a couple screenings with Kingsman: The Secret Service (read my review here) and Fifty Shades of Grey (read my review here). Then, at home, I watched Edge of Tomorrow yet again (man, I really like that movie) and, for Valentine's Day, my wife and I caught Some Like It Hot at the local Cinerama. Then, on top of that, I watched the five, Oscar-nominated, live action shorts and it's sort of a tough call attempting to predict which one will win, though, right now, I'd probably lean to either Aya or Parvaneh. Certainly Boogaloo and Graham, centering on a couple Irish kids given chickens for gifts, is the most accessible. Aya, centering on a woman...

ShortsHD is once again bringing the wildly popular Oscar Nominated Short Film program (Live Action, Animation, and Documentary) to theaters everywhere.

The theatrical release of The Oscar Nominated Short Films has met enthusiastic audiences ever since its launch 10 years ago giving people around the world an opportunity to see the nominated films prior to the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 22.

Below are the Live Action nominees’ reactions to their nominations.

Live Action

Aya

Israel & France / 39 mins

Directors: Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun

Producers: Yael Abecassis, Hilel Rozman, Pablo Mehler

Co-writer: Tom Shoval

Production: Cassis Films (Israel), Divine Productions (France)

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.

Boogaloo And Graham

UK / 14 mins

Director: Michael Lennox

Producer: Brian J. Falconer

Writer: Ronan Blaney

Jamesy and Malachy are over the moon...

Of the five live action shorts nominated for an Academy Award this year, Chinese filmmaker Hu Wei’s “Butter Lamp” (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak) is the most unconventional cinematic statement. Shot in a single location and with an entire cast of non-professional actors, the film captures a fictional moment in time in the fast-changing lives of a real community. The events are scripted; the individuals recreating them are truly part of this world.

Nameless people from all walks of life within a Tibetan community take advantage of the rare opportunity to get their picture taken against an array of backgrounds that range from holy sites to the busy city streets. Through the interactions between the traveling photographer and the Tibetan nomads, we learn about the subtle but irreversible clash between their traditional lifestyle and the ravaging hunger of the modern world. The latter is eager to eradicate all that is considered obsolete.

Cell phones, a motorbike, and Western-style clothing are all signs of this voracious transformation that has no boundaries. Homogenizing all aspects of human life, even in remote areas of the planet, is eradicating ancient practices that contribute to our rich diversity.

Subtly and with a unique format, the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker expresses his concern regarding this in his enthralling 15-minute short. Hu Wei is in Los Angeles partaking in all the Oscar-related events and met with us for a conversation about his unexpectedly successful work.

Aguilar: “Butter Lamp” feels like it exists in a place between documentary and fiction. Why did you opt for the latter? Was making it a non-fiction film a possibility you considered?

Hu Wei: Firs of all, there cannot be a documentary about these events or these stories because such practice of people taking photos against backgrounds like these doesn’t exist in Tibet. However, it’s very popular in Mainland China. Also, from the very beginning this film was always conceived as fiction. It cannot be a documentary. It has to be a narrative.

Aguilar: Was the entire cast made of non-professional actors?

Hu Wei: They were non-actors, but the scenes were rehearsed. This is my third short film and I’ve never worked with professional actors. I prefer to work with non-professionals because what I want to get across can only be express by these people.

Aguilar: Globalization seems to be changing the way these people live even if it’s subtle. Is this clash between tradition and modernity something that concerns you?

Hu Wei: What I wanted to express in the film is that there are already changes happening among the Tibetan people. You can see things like the motorbike or the cell phones that everyone uses. This is an ever-changing process in which people are changing by globalization and modernization happening around the world everyday. The Tibetan people are included in this process. Everyday is different than the one before, so what I wanted to do was to capture the current state, which might vanish very soon. I wanted to encompass all the changes that are happening right now in this 15-minute short film. That’s why I used the photographs as main element in the film.

Aguilar: How did you get involved with the Tibetan people and why did you feel photography had to be the central element in the film?

Hu Wei: For me a taking photograph is similar to how one preserves a mummy. Everything that happens in the film is vanishing, so maybe the things we see there, which existed when I was making the film, have already disappeared. What inspired me to create this film in the first place was my experience in university from 2004 to 2006. During these three years I visited Tibet three times, once each year.

When I was there the first time I visited this little village and there were about 20 Tibetan nomad families living there in this vast land. I lived there with one of these families, and I took photographs for them as well as for their neighbors and other families in the village. The following year when I returned to the same village there were only about 10 households left. I had brought back the photographs I took of them because I had promised to give them to them because they had never had their phonograph taken. Sadly, the family I had stayed with the first time was now gone as well as some of the other families. I was very upset.

Then, the third year when I went back to this village, there were only 3 households left. I was wondering were all those people went and I learned that they left because of a new Socialist countryside program, which offered free housing in new buildings for these nomad people to give up their traditional lifestyle. It was just like what happens in the film, when the chief of the village announces that there will be visitors in charge this new program. This is why these people are moving away from their villages and why these changes are taking place.

Aguilar: By getting their photographs taken are these people preserving their identity? Was this something you thought about while developing the film?

Hu Wei: After I finished university in China I went to France in 2008, and I was a foreign student there. During the years I lived in France I thought a lot about the issue of identity. Being there made me rethink this. I’m originally from China, but how much of my Chinese cultural tradition did I carry with me while I was there? I feel that when I was in France I was in an isolated island. I was neither French nor Chinese at that moment. This developed a certain anxiety regarding identity.

At the same time I thought about my experiences in Tibet. What these people feel is similar to what I was experiencing in France. While there, I went to an art exhibit in Paris and I saw a photograph from Michael Nash called Warsaw, 1946. I was really touched by it. What I studied in Paris was painting, installation art, and photography. Paintings and photographs are 2D mediums, and what I had studied in China was filmmaking, which is tridimensional. They are quite different mediums but I still found this photograph intriguing.

What really attracted me to this photograph was the attitude of this old lady, she is smiling, which reminded me of the optimistic people living in Tibet. Even if this woman just lost her home because of the war, she is taking a photograph against this artificial background. She is very optimistic.

Aguilar: In your film another interesting element is the clothing that the photographer puts on these people. Jackets, sunglasses, and other Western-style garments. But there is one young guy that refuses to take the photograph because he doesn’t want to change his clothes. Tell me about the significant of these elements.

Hu Wei: What this particular character was wearing is the traditional Tibetan clothing, but in fact many of the Tibetan youth don’t’ want to wear the traditional outfit anymore. They want to look like everyone else in the world. In the case of my character, his mother made the leather jacket he wears, and after she died he decided not to take it off, even if it’s pretty hot during that time.

Because other young people are no longer wearing traditional clothes, he is now the one who is different. At the end of the film he brings this butter lamp for the photographer to take to Potala Palace. It’s for the monks to burn in order to mourn his mother. But to me it’s not just about his mother, it’s also about mourning the culture and traditions that are dying and disappearing.

Aguilar: When the photographer is ready to leave, we see this unfinished bridge in the background. It’s a powerful image that shows us how rapidly the urban sprawl is advancing.

Hu Wei: This image is a metaphor. The bridge you see in the background wasn’t really there. It was done through VFX. The bridge we see is still in construction and it represents the road towards modernity. This town is on a plateau, which is about 5000 meters above sea level. The geographical location preserved their tradition for a long time, but today even a place as isolated as this is subjected to changes.

Aguilar: How did you get involved with the project Julien?

Julien Féret : We met in Paris when he was studying there. He told me he had this idea and I read the script. I thought it was a very particular project. It took us a long time to make it, although it didn't take us long to get the financing because we had the chance to be funded by the French National Center for Cinematography and a French TV Channel. It was very complicated to make it happen and to shoot out there in Tibet with the local people.

Aguilar: How was the process of finding the specific people you needed to tell such particular story?

Hu Wei: Before we started shooting we went to a lot of different locations and we met with many Tibetan nomads. We went around the households in the area asking people if they wanted to be part of the film. Of course, some did accept and others would say no. With the ones who were willing to participate we rehearsed for five days before shooting. Then we took one day off, and then we shot the film for five days.

Aguilar: Given that the film takes place in a single location why did you decide to shoot on location in Tibet? Could you have done it anywhere else?

Hu Wei: At the beginning Julien and other people suggested we should make the film in France. There are a lot of Tibetan people there who could make it happen, but the most important thing for me was the authenticity. I felt that I could only find people in this particular state of mind or situation in the actual place: Tibet. These are people who had never had their photograph taken, much less being filmed, and they have a unique attitude towards things. They were all really excited.

Aguilar: The Academy Award nomination might be the culminating point for “Butter Lamp,” but the film has had a long journey to get to this point.

Hu Wei: "Butter Lamp" was first screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013, and from that point on it has been selected by over 300 film festivals. I'm very glad that I've been able to share this 15-minute short with people from different countries, backgrounds, and religions.

Aguilar: Tell me about your Oscar experience

Hu Wei: I was quite surprised because I feel like "Butter Lamp" is not your typical Oscar-nominated short film. I’m very happy we are nominated.

Aguilar: Your film has connected with an incredible amount of people during its festival run. Why do you think people have found it so appealing even if they don’t know anything about this part of the world?

Hu Wei: I created this film based on my own experience. For me it’s like looking into a mirror. When I look at these Tibetan people I also look at myself and how I've changed because of globalization and modernization. I also think about where these changes are leading us. Maybe other people felt the same way when watching it. The film also uses a quite unique format and that might also be part of why people where drawn to it.

Aguilar: What are you working on now, a feature film perhaps?

Hu Wei: Right now I'm writing a script for a feature and I'm working on another short film about one person living alone in a tropical forest. Throughout the whole film there is no dialogue. We are still deciding where we are going to shoot it.

If you've been reading us this season then you know we've already given you pretty thorough analyses of this year's short film categories. I watched all the films that made it to the final consideration stage and offered up thoughts on each and some somewhat informed predictions. In the end, though, it was still tricky to guess, but I did get four of the five animated players right. Now, with nominees announced, it seems worth it to review. So let's… All things considered, the animated short category is difficult to handicap. Particularly with the infiltration of other voters, as theses categories are opened up to the entire membership via screeners, it's just hard to guess which way preference will fall. The biggest surprise for me was that Glen Keane's gorgeous, heavily promoted "Duet" missed out on a nod. I frankly thought it could have put up a fight to win,...

ShortsHD, the Short Movie Channel, and Magnolia Pictures are partnering to release 2015’s Oscar-nominated Short Films in a record 450+ theaters in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America on Friday, January 30. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2015 will showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary short film nominees as three separate theatrical events. This will be the only theatrical screening for the films prior to the 87th Academy Awards on February 22. This year’s release includes the following nominated short films:

Live Action Short Film Nominees

Aya

Directors: Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis

Synopsis: A young woman waiting at an airport has an unexpected encounter with an arriving passenger.

Countries of origin: France, Israel

Trt: 39:50

Language: Hebrew, English

Boogaloo and Graham

Directors: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney

Synopsis: Jamesy and Malachy are presented with two baby chicks to raise by their soft-hearted father.

Country of origin: UK

Trt: 14:...

It’s going to be another fabulous year at the Oscars, and this morning (January 15) the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled their nominees for the 87th Academy Awards.

All in all, there were no real surprises, with Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton and Benedict Cumberbatch all scoring nods for Best Actor. And predictably the Best Actress hopefuls include Felicity Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Rosamund Pike, Marion Cotillard and Julianne Moore (however, Jennifer Aniston missed out!).

As far as the Best Picture nominees, “Whiplash,” “The Theory of Everything,” “Selma,” “The Imitation Game,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Boyhood,” “Birdman,” and “American Sniper” are all in the running. The 87th Academy Awards will go live on February 22nd. And the nominees are…

Best Picture

Boyhood

The Imitation Game

Birdman

The Theory of Everything

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Whiplash

Selma

American Sniper

Best Actress

Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Reese Witherspoon,...

Good Morning Oscar fans! Today is nomination day!

Wamg was in the thick of nomination morning fever at the home of the Oscars – the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Prior to the announcement, A.M.P.A.S. and the show’s producing team, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, gave the press assembled in the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre a first look at the new Oscar promo featuring host Neil Patrick Harris, titled “Anything Can Happen,” and given what went down this morning, that’s certainly the case.

Let’s get right to the big shockers – No Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature or Life Itself in Best Documentary Feature.

Also missing among the presumed nominees were Ava DuVernay (Selma, directing), Clint Eastwood (American Sniper, directing), Jennifer Aniston (Cake, best actress), David Oyelowo (Selma, best actor), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, best actor), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, best actor), Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl,...

Sneak Peek the full 'Oscar' nominations list for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, announced January 15, 2015 by "Star Trek" actor Chris Pine, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams, and Oscar-winning "Gravity" director Alfonso Cuarón. The awards will be presented February 22, 2015 :

Best Picture

"American Sniper"

"Birdman"

"Boyhood"

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

"The Imitation Game"

"Selma"

"The Theory of Everything"

"Whiplash"

Best Actor

Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"

Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper"

Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"

Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"

Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"

Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"

Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall, "The Judge"

Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"

Edward Norton, "Birdman"

Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"

J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Laura Dern, "Wild"

Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"

Emma Stone, "Birdman"

Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Best Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu,...

The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards are in! 2014 was packed full of lots of great movies, and all the films and actors that have been nominated are deserving of it.

Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman and leading the pack and are tied with nine nominations. The Imitation Game comes in third with seven, followed by Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, each with six. All five of these movies have received Best Picture nominations along with three other films — Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash.

Neil Patrick Harris is set to host The 87th Annual Academy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will air on ABC.

I'm pretty happy with the nominations this year, although I am a little disappointed that Guardians of the Galaxy...

On behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Oscars President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominees for the 87th Academy Awards. "Birdman" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" dominated with nine nominations each, including Best Picture and Best Director. "The Imitation Game" followed with eight nominations. Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will be presented on Sunday, February 22nd, at the Dolby Theatre, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. And the nominees are: Best Picture: * American Sniper * Birdman * Boyhood * The Grand Budapest Hotel * The Imitation Game * Selma * The Theory of Everything * Whiplash Lead Actress: * Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night * Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything * Julianne Moore - Still Alice * Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl * Reese Witherspoon - Wild Lead Actor: * Steve Carell - Foxcatcher * Bradley Cooper - American Sniper * Benedict Cumberbatch -...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has just finished announcing their nominees for the 87th Annual Academy Awards, with Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel leading the way with nine nominations apiece, followed by The Imitation Game with eight. As usual, there were plenty of surprises to be found this morning, so let’s take a look at a few:

Selma ended up not making as grand a showing as many thought it would, nabbing only two nominations (Best Picture and Best Original Song). In a shocking turn of events, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl has been snubbed from Best Adapted Screenplay after being the leader throughout awards season, making it a wide-open category. Bennett Miller made a completely surprising appearance in Best Director for Foxcatcher, while Steve Carell managed to squeeze into the incredibly crowded Best Actor category. Bradley Cooper has also managed to sneak into Best Actor for American Sniper.

The 2015 Oscar nominations were announced this morning and while I've already furnished a few thoughts on the omissions and surprises right here I figured we would go down the line and see what stands out. Who and what films were "snubbed", what are the biggest "surprises" and so on and so forth. Rage is sure to follow in the comments and what better time than now to get it all off your chest as we lead up to the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22c Let's take a look and see what the verdict is on these nominations, which I will ask you to vote on at the bottom of this post. Best Picture No real surprises here as I had all eight of these films getting a nomination for Best Picture. The only difference between this list and mine, however, was I had Gone Girl getting a nomination,...

Nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced this morning. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams and Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuaron ("Gravity") announced the first 11 categories while Chris Pine ("Star Trek") and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs revealed the remaining 13 categories including Best Picture.

This was the first time the Academy announced all the categories live!

Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Birdman" and Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" got 9 nominations each. Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game" was close with 8 nods while Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" and Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" each received 6 nominations.

Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar," James Marsh's "The Theory of Everything," and Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" got 5 nominations each.

My biggest surprise? Ava DuVernay's "Selma" was virtually ignored except for a Best Picture nod and a Best Song nomination for John Legend and Common's "Glory."

Where's David Oyelowo who gave one...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the full list of nominations today for the The 87th Annual Academy Awards, which air Sunday, February 22 at 7 Pm Et/4 Pm Pt from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California. This year marked the first time that nominations for all 24 categories were announced live. J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuar&#243n announced the first 12 nominations, then Chris Pine and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs revealed the final 12 nominees at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California. Check out the full list of nominations below:

Best Picture

American SniperBirdmanBoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelThe Imitation GameSelmaThe Theory of EverythingWhiplash

Best Director

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest HotelAlejandro Gonz&#225lez I&#241&#225rritu - BirdmanRichard Linklater - BoyhoodBennett Miller - FoxcatcherMorten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Steve Carell - FoxcatcherBradley Cooper - American SniperBenedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation GameMichael...

Full list of nominations for the 87th Academy Awards.Oscars 2015The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman lead chargeTimothy Spall, David Oyelowo among shutoutsNominees reactionsBest Film nominees in detail

Comment: Jeremy Kay reflects on who’s in and outGALLERIES: Films / ActorsVIDEO: Nominations announcement2014 Nominations

(presented in 2015)Best motion picture of the year“American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers“Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers“The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers“Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers“The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers“Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, ProducersPerformance by an actor in a leading roleSteve Carell in “[link...

Thursday morning the nominations for the 87th annual Academy Awards were unveiled by filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams, actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs live from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. Check out a full list of the nominees below, and see how they reflect the rest of the season's offerings at The Circuit. Best Picture "American Sniper" (Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan) "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole) "Boyhood" (Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland) "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson) "The Imitation Game" (Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman) "Selma" (Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner) "The Theory of Everything" (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten) "Whiplash" (Jason Blum,...

After months of speculation and predictions, the nominees for the 2015 Academy Awards are here! Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead in nominations -- both receiving nine -- while American Sniper surprises with six nominations, leaving Selma being recognized in only two main categories.

As expected, Boyhood took six nominations and The Imitation Game landed a whopping eight. Meanwhile, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash and Foxcatcher all have five nominations each.

During a live announcement by Chris Pine, Academy president Cheryl Boone and directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams on Wednesday, the potential winners were revealed to the public.

Video: The Best and Worst Dressed at the 2014 Oscars

Getty Images

Check out the complete list of nominees, below:

Best motion picture of the year

• American Sniper

• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

• Boyhood

• The Grand Budapest Hotel

• The Imitation Game

• Selma

• The Theory of Everything

• Whiplash

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Steve Carell in [link...

Hollywood awards season headed into homestretch Thursday morning with the announcement of the 87th annual Academy Award nominations. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman were the most honored, with nine nominations each, including Best Picture. Meryl Streep nabbed her 19th nomination, and Bradley Cooper earned his third consecutive acting nod. And the nominees are … Best Picture "American Sniper""Birdman""Boyhood""The Grand Budapest Hotel""The Imitation Game""Selma""The Theory of Everything""Whiplash" Best Actor Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher" Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper" Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game" Michael Keaton, "Birdman" Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything" Best Actress Marion Cotillard,...

This morning brought the 2015 Oscar nominations announced by directors Alfonso Cuar?n (Gravity) and J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens), actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. At first glance, the first things I notice are no nominations for Selma in Director or Actor and no The Lego Movie in Best Animated Feature. Jennifer Aniston (Cake) missed out on a nomination as Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night) took that fifth and final slot as the most likely replacement. Continuing on the actress front, or Supporting Actress in this case, Rene Russo (Nightcrawler) did not land a nomination as many thought she might and no, it wasn't Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year) as many others thought it may be. It was Laura Dern (Wild) taking that final slot and a bit of a wasted nomination if you ask me. In the Best Actor...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)

“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)

“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)

“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)

“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)

“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)

“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)

“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)

“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson,...

The Academy has whittled down 141 submissions to a shortlist of ten films in the running for the 87th Academy Awards.

The films in alphabetical order by title are:

Aya, dirs Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis;

Baghdad Messi, dir Sahim Omar Kalifa, pdr Kobe Van Steenberghe;

Boogaloo And Graham, dir Michael Lennox, wr Ronan Blaney;

Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak), Hu Wei, director, pdr Julien Féret;

Carry On, dir Yatao Li;

My Father’s Truck, dir Maurício Osaki;

Parvaneh, dir Talkhon Hamzavi, pdr Stefan Eichenberger;

The Phone Call, dir Mat Kirkby, dir wr James Lucas;

Slr, dir Stephen Fingleton, pdr Matthew James Wilkinson;

Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol), dirs Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon.

The Academy’s short films and feature animation branch reviewing committee viewed all the eligible entries.

The branch will now select three to five nominees following a series of screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

The...

The Academy has announced the 10 live-action short films that have advanced in this year's Oscar race. Five nominees will be announced along with all other categories on Jan. 15, 2015. Potential nominees come from across the globe, qualifying with either a short theatrical run or acceptance in a competitive festival. 141 pictures had originally qualified in the category. Recent winners include familiar names like Terry George, Martin McDonagh, and Andrea Arnold. A full list of the nominees below: “Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films) “Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions) “Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit) “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions) “Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology) “My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes) “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director,...

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films) “Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions) “Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit) “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions) “Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology) “My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes) “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts) “The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films) “Slr,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson, producer (Stigma Films) “Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol),” Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon, directors (GREENproductions)The Academy’s Short Films and Feature...

Los Angeles, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards®. One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)

“Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)

“Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)

“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (Ama Productions)

“Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)

“My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)

“Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)

“The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (Rsa Films)

“Slr,” Stephen Fingleton,...