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The Oscar Shorts: Coming to a Theater Near You?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:30:00 -0800

In case my recent posts on the Oscar-nominated short films have piqued your interest in seeing the little gems for yourself, there's good news: The films start making their way around the country today thanks to Magnolia Pictures. One program shows all five of the live-action short films, while the other combines the five animated shorts. I went to both shows last year and highly recommend them: It's great to see films like this that so rarely make it into theaters.

If your city doesn't have the shorts yet, don't worry - they'll be touring around the country even after the Oscars are handed out. To see where they're playing so far and what other cities already have planned stops, just read more.

IN THEATERS NOW

Alaska
Anchorage: Out North

Arizona
Tempe: Valley Art 1 Theatre
Tucson: The Loft Cinema

California
Berkeley: Shattuck Cinemas
Los Angeles: The Landmark
Pasadena: Laemmle's One Colorado Cinemas
Sacramento: Crest Theatre
San Diego: Hillcrest Cinemas
San Francisco: Embarcadero Center Cinema
San Rafael: Smith Rafael Film Center
Santa Cruz: Nickelodeon Theatres

Colorado
Boulder: International Film Series
Denver: Chez Artiste

Connecticut
Hartford: Real Art Ways Cinema
Norwalk: Garden Cinemas Norwalk 4
Stamford: Avon Twin Theatre

Delaware
Wilmington: Theater N at Demours

Florida
Bradenton: Lakewood Ranch 6
Fort Lauderdale: Cinema Paradiso
Lake Worth: Lake Worth Playhouse
Tallahassee: Tallahassee Film Society, Inc

Georgia
Atlanta: Midtown Art Cinemas 8

Hawaii
Honolulu: Doris Duke Theatre

Illinois
Chicago: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema

Indiana
Indianapolis: Key Cinemas

Iowa
Iowa City: University of Iowa, Bijou Theater

Kansas
Salina: Salina Art Center

Maine
Brunswick: Frontier Cafe
Ellsworth: Grand Theatre
Rockland: Strand Theatre

Maryland
Baltimore: Landmark Harbor East 7

Massachusetts
Brookline: Coolidge Corner Theatre
Pittsfield: Colonial Theatre

Michigan
Detroit: Detroit Institute of Art
Ann Arbor: Michigan Theater

Minnesota
Minneapolis: Lagoon Cinema

Missouri
Kansas City: Tivoli @ Manor Square
Springfield: Moxie Cinema
University City: Tivoli Theatre

Nebraska
Omaha: Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater

New Hampshire
Concord, NH: Red River 3

New Jersey
Cape May: Cape May Beach 4

New Mexico
Santa Fe: The Screen

New York
Albany: Spectrum
Glens Falls: Charles R. Wood Theater aka Wood Theatre
Hudson: Time and Space Limited
Hunter: The Mountain
Ithaca: Cornell Cinema
New York: IFC Center
Rochester: Little Theatre

North Carolina
Charlotte: Ballantyne Village 5
Wilmington: Cucalorus Film Foundation

Ohio
Columbus: Gateway 8
Cleveland Heights: Cedar Lee Theatres

Oklahoma
Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Tulsa: Circle Theatre

Oregon
Portland: Hollywood Theatre

Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg: Pocono
Harrisburg: Midtown Cinema
Philadelphia: Ritz 5 Movies
Pittsburgh: Regent Square Theater

Tennessee
Nashville: Belcourt Theatre

Texas
Austin: Alamo South Lamar
Dallas: Magnolia Theatre - Dallas
San Antonio: Santikos Bijou @ Crossroads 6

Utah
Salt Lake City: Tower Theatre

Washington
Seattle: Varsity Theatre

Washington, DC
E Street Cinema

Wisconsin
Madison: Sundance Cinemas 608

COMING SOON

Feb. 22
Boulder, CO: International Film Series
Norwalk, CT: Garden Cinemas Norwalk 4
Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa, Bijou Theater
Rochester, NY: Little Theatre
Salt Lake City, UT: Tower Theatre

Feb. 23
Tallahassee, FL: Tallahassee Film Society, Inc
Wichita, KS: Wichita Public Library

Feb. 25
Durham, NC: Carolina Theatre - Durham

Feb. 28
Boston, MA: Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater

Feb. 29
Santa Rosa, CA: Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
Pelham, NY: Pelham Picture House
Fort Worth, TX: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Milwaukee, WI: Times Cinema

March 4
Utica, NY: Munson Cinema

March 6
Hollywood, CA: Egyptian Theatre

March 7
Provincetown, MA: New Art Cinema

March 8
Napa, CA: Jarvis Conservatory

March 13
Reno, NV: Reno Film Festival

March 14
Amherst, MA: Amherst Cinema Arts Center 3

March 18
Reno, NV: Nevada Musuem of Art

March 19
Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr Film Institute

March 28
Albuquerque, NM: Guild

April 18
Fresno, CA: Fresno Filmworks c/o Tower Theatre

April 27
Grande Prairie, AB: Grande Prairie Live Theatre

Oscar Nominees: The Live-Action Short Films

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:30:00 -0800

The short film categories used to be some of the most obscure at Oscar time, but recently, I've come to appreciate these little gems. Online video has made it easier to track down the shorts before I have to fill out my Oscar balot, and now they eventually hit theaters and even iTunes.

I recently showcased this year's five animated shorts nominees, and today, I'm highlighting the five contenders in the Live Action Short Film category. They're an interesting bunch, from a satire about a substitute teacher to a somber look at life in a cancer ward. To check out clips of the five films, just read more.

Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)
This French film has one of the most interesting premises in the category this year: Two thieves have their lives changed when they somehow wind up adopting a deaf, homeless boy. It looks like I'll have to wait till the films are in theaters to see this one with its subtitles, but if you speak French, you're in luck. Be sure to tell the rest of us what's happening in this clip:

Om Natten (At Night)
At Night is the longest film in this category, and it seems like the heaviest. The Danish film focuses on three young women spending the holidays in a cancer ward. While the clip below feels bleak and moody, the film also makes a point of showing the patients' sense of humor and love of life.

Tanghi Argentini
This Belgian film is described as a modern fairy tale set in an office, where a clerk enlists the help of his coworkers as he attempts to learn the tango for a blind date. The film, which is set at Christmastime, eventually becomes a fable about giving. At first glance, it reminds me a bit of the delightful Japanese version of Shall We Dance?

The Tonto Woman
This short is based on a short story of the same name by Elmore Leonard, who also wrote 3:10 to Yuma. The film revolves around a cattle rustler who meets and befriends a woman who is struggling to readjust to society after being held captive by the Mojave Indians for more than a decade. You can watch several clips of the film on YouTube. Here's one:

Il Supplente (The Substitute)
This Italian film was one of the shorts shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. In it, a new substitute teacher turns up in a high school classroom, trading insults and sarcastic barbs with a room full of rowdy kids. The kids actually wind up getting excited about school - until a secret about the substitute is revealed. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any clips of this one, but you can buy the film for $1.99 on iTunes - or watch a clip there for free.

Source, Source, Source, Source, and Source

Get the Oscar Shorts on iTunes!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:30:24 -0800

Remember when I said I wished the Oscar-nominated shorts would make their way to the iTunes store? Well, it's happened. Now, you can buy nine of the 10 nominated movies for just $1.99 each. All five of the live-action shorts are there, along with four of the animated shorts - the only one missing is Pixar's Lifted, which comes out this summer.

You can also see if the shorts will be coming to a theater near you. And to get a taste of the nominated films (and see a few for free), check out my take on the live-action movies or the animated shorts.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

The Oscar-Nominated Shorts: Now Playing at a Theater Near You?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:52:18 -0800

I never have any shortage of opinions when it comes to my Oscar predictions in the major categories. But since I don't normally get to see the animated shorts or live-action short films, I'm left totally clueless or faking my way through uninformed opinions. Thankfully, not only are many of the films online this year, but Magnolia Pictures has also put together a program featuring all 10 short-film nominees, including No Time For Nuts (above) and West Bank Story, plus a few other indie shorts.

Lest you think this art-house assortment is only coming to New York and Los Angeles, have no fear. The program is now playing in more than 35 cities and will expand to 25 more theaters nationwide in the coming weeks. To see the full list of locations, read more

The 10-film program of Oscar-nominated shorts is now playing at these locations:

Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa, Bijou Theater
Atlanta, GA: Midtown Art Cinemas 8
Brookline, MA: Coolidge Corner Theatre
Ithaca, NY: Cornell Cinema
Chicago, IL: Music Box
Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati Art Museum
Columbus, OH: Gateway 8
Santa Fe, NM: CCA Cinematheque
Austin, TX: Dobie Theatre
Houston, TX: Greenway 3 Theatre
Dallas, TX: Magnolia Theatre - Dallas
San Antonio, TX: Santikos Embassy 14
Boulder, CO: International Film Series
Denver, CO: Starz Filmcenter
Detroit, MI: Detroit Institute of Art
Indianapolis, IN: Key Cinemas
Springfield, MO: Moxie Cinema
Salina, KS: Salina Art Center
Kansas City, MO: Screenland Theatre
Honolulu, HI: Doris Duke Theatre
Tucson, AZ: Loft Cinema Twin
West Los Angeles, CA: Nuart Theatre
Milwaukee, WI: Times Cinema
Minneapolis, MN: Lagoon Cinema
Hartford, CT: Real Art Ways Cinema
Pleasantville, NY: Jacob Burns Film Center
New York, NY: IFC Center
Tulsa, OK: Circle Theatre
Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Dover, DE: Schwartz Center for Arts
Pittsburgh, PA: Harris Theatre
Portland, OR: Cinema 21 Theatre
Seattle, WA: Varsity Theatre
San Francisco, CA: Lumiere Theatre
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas
San Rafael, CA: Smith Rafael Film Center
Salt Lake City, UT: Tower Theatre
University City, MO: Tivoli Theatre

The Oscar shorts are coming soon to these locations:

2/23/2007
Hollywood, CA: Egyptian Theatre
San Diego, CA: Ken Cinema
Santa Rosa, CA: Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
South Lake Tahoe, CA: Lake Tahoe Community College
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema
Maplewood, MN: Plaza Maplewood Theatre
University Park, PA: PSU GSA CAFE Film Committee
Fort Worth, TX: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

2/24/2007
Wichita, KS: Wichita Public Library
Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Theater

3/7/2007
Buffalo, NY: Market Arcade Film & Arts Center

3/8/2007
Fort Lauderdale, FL: Cinema Paradiso
Lake Worth, FL: Lake Worth Playhouse
Reno, NV: Reno Film Festival

3/9/2007
Gulf Breeze, FL: Gulf Breeze 4
Scranton, PA: Scranton Cultural Center

3/10/2007
Wilmington, DE: Theater N at Demours

3/13/2007
Norfolk, VA: Naro Expanded Cinema

3/16/2007
Miami Beach, FL: Miami Beach Cinematheque

3/22/2007
Paducah, KY: Maiden Alley

3/23/2007
Grande Prairie, AB: Grande Prairie Live Theatre

4/10/2007
Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Melnitz Movies

4/13/2007
Fresno, CA: Fresno Filmworks c/o Tower Theatre
Albuquerque, NM: Guild

5/11/2007
Chicago, IL: Gene Siskel Film Center

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