For all of us out there that love (and make) short films it’s especially pleasing when the presenter announces the winners of the short film categories on Oscar night. I always wonder what the winner is thinking and feeling as they make that long walk from the back of the room up to the stage to accept their Oscar. In the early 90s they tried to do away with the shorts categories (at least on the telecast from what I remember) and there was such an uproar by a number of prominent filmmakers that they kept the categories intact. A couple of years ago they tried to give all of the shorts awards away at one time and that was an awkward train wreck. It has been suggested more than once that the shorts need to go. Sure the Oscar telecast is bloated and long but for a filmmaker the act of even having the shorts categories represents something to strive for. The knowledge that you have just as much of a chance as anyone at a real Oscar nomination is a great incentive to do you best work on your short film. The odds are still great but dedicated filmmakers work against the odds all the time. Since shorts are such a staple of the Internet the Academy should embrace the short film format more than ever. Even CNN has a story about the shorts filmmakers!
iTunes has recently posted all 5 Oscar nominated short films for sale via Shorts International. The direct iTunes links can be found at this link on Ticklebooth. The animated ones are all linked here. I haven’t been able to find and view the Documentary Short Subject nominees so if you have a link to them please post it in the comments. The Oscars are this Sunday so get your viewing done before then!