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The only opportunity in the Cincinnati metro area to see all Oscar-nominated short films on the big screen at one time in one place.
MEMORIAL HALL ~ SATURDAY MARCH 11 ~ Program A, 5:00 PM Program B, 8:00 PM ~ SUNDAY, MARCH 12 ~ Program A, 3:00 PM Program B, 6:00 PM
SPECIAL GUEST: Cincinnati native PATRICK OSBORNE Director, 2016 Oscar-nominee Pearl, Director, 2014 Oscar-winner Feast, Animation Supervisor, 2012 Oscar-winner Paperman, Join us for Q & A, Meet & Greet after Program A each day. EVENT DETAIL Screening in the beautiful, newly renovated Memorial Hall, OTR, 1225 Elm Street, Cincinnati 45202. Map and Parking Info Thirteen entertaining and thought-provoking films featuring the best in comedy, romance and drama from Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. The films are not rated but are basically PG, except for the animated film Pear Cider & Cigarettes, which is not suitable for children. See the Parent's Note. Sat, Mar 11 — 5:00 PM, Sun, Mar 12 — 3:00 PM Total Run Time approx. 85 minutes. (Program sequence/composition subject to change; all nominees will be shown.) 
Borrowed Time Oscar Nominee
Directors Andrew Coats & Lou Hamou-Lhadj, USA, 7 min. Mourning the loss of his father, a weathered sheriff returns to the scene of an accident he has spent a lifetime trying to forget. As memories and regret come flooding back, he must face the past and find the strength to endure. The filmmakers worked together as students at NYU Tisch. Later, while full-time employees at Pixar, they collaborated in their spare time, devoting five years to this project. Their goal was a more mature, more emotional and somewhat darker story than the young people's films they worked on at Pixar. Borrowed Time has screened at 50 festivals and won 15 awards.
Pearl Oscar Nominee
Director Patrick Osborne, USA, 6 min. Set inside a beloved hatchback, their home on wheels, PEARL follows a girl and her dad as they crisscross the country chasing their dreams. It's a story about the gifts we hand down and their power to carry love, and about finding grace in the unlikeliest of places. In the space of only 6 minutes we see the evolution of a parent-child relationship -- kids idolize their parents, as teens they shun interaction and as adults they go back to a sense of regard and appreciation. Working with Google Spotlight Stories, Osborne created the film for Google's mobile 360, an immersive VR (Virtual Reality) experience. As such, it explores what the audience can see, literally allowing us to shift our viewpoints -- looking at the road ahead through the windshield, watching the father drive or watching his daughter in the backseat. The 2D version presented in theatres has a slightly different look and feel than the 360 and VR versions, yet conveys the central theme. We recommend additional viewings with 360 controls here: http://bit.ly/PTO_Pearl and also with VR apps and goggles. You can learn about Google Spotlight Stories here.
Piper OSCAR WINNER
Director Alan Barillaro, USA, 6 min. This uncomplicated and beautifully told story is about a young sandpiper realizing self-sufficiency as it encounters ocean waves and learns to search for food. Like that rare and fluid documentary that imparts a sense of magic to its subjects. With subtle but unobtrusive and genuine humor, this is another ode to parent-child relationships, a poignant, emotional story with a beautiful message. Rich in color and detail, the animation is the top-tier effort we expect from Pixar, which surprisingly has not won a shorts Oscar since 2002's "The Birds." PIPER has a good chance this year, and the score by Adrian Belew is an asset. 
Blind Vaysha Oscar Nominee
Director Theodore Ushev, Canada, 8 min. In this metaphoric tale of timeless wisdom and beauty based on the short story by Georgi Gospodinov, Vaysha is not like other young girls – she was born with one green eye and one brown eye. But her odd eyes aren't the only thing that's special about her gaze. Her left eye sees only the past. Her right, only the future. Like a curse, Vaysha's split vision prevents her from living in the present. Blinded by what was and tormented by what will be, she remains trapped between two irreconcilable temporalities. The film is animated on a Cintiq tablet in a linocut-style – a woodcut effect – a technique director Ushev has worked with since a teenager. The film is comprised of roughly 12,000 drawings, and incorporates music from the Bulgarian musician and composer Kottarashky. 
Asteria Bonus Film
Directors Alexandre Arpentinier, Mathieu Blanchys, Tristan Lamarca, Lola Grand, Thomas Lemaille, Jean Lusseau, France, 5 min. Two astronauts attempt to plant their flag on a newly discovered planet. But first they need to get rid of some pesky aliens whose business there is unknown.
The Head Vanishes Bonus Film
Directors Franck Dion, France/Canada, 9 min. In this poetic short based on a true story, we share the journey of Jacqueline, an elderly woman living with degenerative dementia. Jacqueline isn't quite in her right mind anymore, but she's determined to take the train to the seaside, as she has done every summer. Only this year, she's constantly being followed by some woman who claims to be her daughter, and the trip takes some unexpected turns.
Once Upon A Line Bonus Film
Director Alicja Jasina, USA, 7 min. A man leads a boring life until he falls in love. Things get out of control, but at the end, he discovers there are other ways of living and the world is full of color and hope. 2016 Student Academy Award, Best Animated Short Film
Pear Cider & Cigarettes Oscar Nominee
Director Robert Valley, Canada/UK, 35 min. PEAR CIDER is an elegy for the kind of friend you love, who represents trouble but is an unforgettable part of one's life. Narrated by the director, this is a personal, true story, shading toward animated documentary. The brightly colored animation is similar to Richard Linklater's Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly and is a definite a nod to Japanese Manga and American comic book history, recalling Robert Crumb and Harvey Pekar. The crowdfunded soundtrack is varied and extensive. Altogether a serious story and a tribute to the problematic people in our lives without whom we would not be the same. See Parent's Note, below. PARENT'S NOTE: Pear Cider & Cigarettes has themes and scenes that may not be suitable for young people under sixteen. We'll have a Parental Guidance warning prior to this short, so that parents and caregivers can usher young folks out of the theater if they wish.  ~ PROGRAM B, Live-Action Shorts ~ Sat, Mar 11 — 8:00 PM, Sun, Mar 12 — 6:00 PM Total Run Time approx. 125 minutes. (Program sequence/composition subject to change; all nominees will be shown.)  Sing OSCAR WINNER
Director Kristof Deak, Hungary, 25 min. Set in 1990s post-socialist Budapest, Hungary, SING is based on a true story. Zsofi is struggling to fit in at her new school – singing in the school's famous choir is a consolation, but the choir director may not be the inspirational teacher everyone thinks she is. Zsofi and her new friend Liza uncover the cruel truth and the girls face a tough choice: to stand up against a corrupt system – or to fit quietly into it. 
Silent Nights Oscar Nominee
Director Aske Bang, Denmark, 30 min. Inger volunteers at a homeless shelter and falls in love with the illegal immigrant Kwame. Here's a film that humanizes those who have been maligned, shortchanged, massively generalized, or simply used as a scapegoat in the media as of late — even though the character flaws in the central characters could stereotype, for some, behavior that make immigrants undesirable. 
Timecode Oscar Nominee
Director Juanjo Gimenez, Spain, 15 min. Not only did it win the Palme D'Or at Cannes for short film, it accomplishes in fifteen minutes what "La La Land" attempts in two hours. That's due mostly to an incredibly simple script and the performances of the enchanting Lali Ayguade and the awesome Nicolas Ricchini.
Ennemis Interieurs Oscar Nominee
Director Selim Aazzai, France, 28 min. An interview at a local police station turns into an inquisition during which a French-Algerian born man sees himself accused of protecting the identities of possible terrorists. This close-up on France's troubled history with its former colonies has one man controlling the fate of another with the stroke of a pen during a turbulent period in the 1990s. 
La Femme et la TGV Oscar Nominee
Director Timo von Gunten, Switzerland, 30 min. Elise Lafontaine has a secret routine. Every morning and evening for many years, she has been waving at the express train that passes her house. One fateful day, she finds a letter from the train conductor in her garden and her lonely life is turned upside down. She engages in a promising correspondence through poetic and thoughtful letters – two anonymous writers sharing their world with each other ... until the day the train line gets cancelled. The story is inspired by true events and stars César Award nominee Jane Birkin.
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