Your Guide to the Oscar Nominated Short Films of 2011

This year, Shorts International continues to promote the Academy-Award® nominated short films, which are available for screening in several cities across the country, as well as in the UK and Canada. But if you can't make a screening, they are also available on iTunes and On Demand. The shorts are original, thought provoking, funny and fresh, so don't miss them – it's quite a different experience from the predictable fare we mostly get fed at the multiplexes. For more information, and to join the spirit of Oscar® voting and choose your own personal favorites, visit http://www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts/. Let's start our thoughts and musings with this year's animated. So, in alphabetical order…

ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
– ANIMATION – Day & Night
Writer/Director: Teddy Newton
USA / Six minutes

This animated short was played before the start of Toy Story 3 in theaters last year, so audiences may already be familiar with it. The characters of Day and Night couldn't be more different, and at first, they each maintain their superior attitudes. Of course Night is a "darker" guy than Day, and Day is almost annoyingly chipper as they flip back and forth in a sort of "look what I can do" take on their duties . They finally arrive at the point of appreciating the important aspects they each bring to the table of passing time and nature, and form a respect and friendship. All the visions of day and night take place within the bodies (looking like little ghosts) of the characters, which is a cool touch—and the visions are clever and colorful. Rating: Three Bones

The Gruffalo
Directors: Max Lang & Jakob Schuh
UK / 27 Minutes

Coming in as the longest of the animated shorts (and the one with likely the biggest budget), this film is based on a beloved children's book and is lovely and sweet – not ground-breakingly clever, but a pleasure. Helena Bonham Carter (her voice lilting in a lovely maternal story-reading turn), Robbie Coltrane, and Tom Wilkinson are the famous voices who can be heard in the exceptional British cast. The animation is colorful and detailed and the characters of the squirrels and the mouse have that "aww" factor (and there's a great moment involving insects that wowed). The story is a tale of a mouse who ventures about the woods searching for a nut. He must use his wits to survive run-ins with animals who want to eat him. As he is adept at story-telling himself, he invents a monster he calls a Gruffalo. Is the Gruffalo real? See it to find out. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

Let's Pollute
Director: Geefwee Boedoe
USA / Six Minutes

This short is a satirical take on humans and our history of disregard for our natural surroundings. The animation is more crude than most of the others, but it's striving for the flavor of an educational "filmstrip" from the 1950s or 1960s, as is the narrator voice (Jim Thornton), and it succeeds. It's all tongue-in-cheek, but it gets its point across – and we all might see ourselves in it a little bit, even if we fancy ourselves as being better than that. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

The Lost Thing
Directors/Writers: Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan
Australia / UK / 15 minutes

The most abstract of the offerings, this sweet and melancholy story is about a boy who finds a "thing" when he is collecting bottle caps on the beach. No one notices the thing, as no one is willing to look beyond their day-to-day involvements, except the boy. The thing seems to be constructed of items from a junkyard – items that have been tossed aside, guilty of the crime of no longer being wanted. Having noticed the thing and that it seems to be lost, the boy embarks on a journey to find it a home. Tim Minchin's narration adds the perfect inflections of a boy looking back on the day his earlier self found the lost thing. The denouement when the thing finally arrives "home," is rather moving and visually stunning. Rating: Four Bones

Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage
Director: Bastien Dubois
France / 11 minutes

This spectacular display functions as an inventive travel journal that whisks the viewer to Madagascar to witness the rituals of dance and death and just, well, life. This short doesn't have a story line, but it doesn't need one. Some of the faces the animators captured will make the moviegoer gasp a little – the expressions, the etched lines and the depth are wonderful. The whole piece makes you feel like you have been on a holiday when it is over. Rating: Four Bones

Final Thoughts: So which one will win? Well, in my opinion, the race is down to Madagascar and The Lost Thing, though there certainly isn't a lemon in the bunch. The Academy may like the flashy and celebrity voiced offering from the UK that is The Gruffalo, and it's good, but it just doesn't have the heart of the other two.

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ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
– LIVE ACTION – The Confession
Director: Tanel Toom
UK / 26 minutes

Two nine-year old friends are informed they must make their first confessions along with the rest of their class. Sam is the "good" one and Jacob is the fun one, albeit a bad influence. When the movie starts, neither has much to confess – maybe talking back to their parents – but a seemingly innocent prank sends the movie along a tragic path, and said confession takes on a whole new meaning. The actors who play the boys are naturals and their chemistry is great. The Confession offers up a thought-provoking moral dilemma to the audience. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

The Crush
Director: Michael Creagh
Ireland / 15 minutes

An eight-year old Irish boy has a big crush on his teacher and decides to take matters into his own hands when she gets engaged to someone he deems not worthy of her. This small Irish film is both funny and suspenseful, and takes the audience down one path only to quickly revert and shock them with a completely new direction. The Director, Michael Creagh, used his nephew Orin Creagh to play the schoolboy, and that act of nepotism results in perfect casting. This kid makes a shot of his character walking across a school field memorable. The combination of the sweetness of his freckled face, contrasted with his spunky dialogue during the "duel" he has challenged his teacher's fiance to is priceless – as is the ending. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

God of Love
Director/Writer: Luke Matheny
USA / 18 minutes

Brooklyn-based Luke Matheny has written, directed, and starred in what is likely the most original plot of all this year's shorts. His dart throwing/lounge singing (yes, at the same time) character Raymond Goodfellow (catch the allegory) is in love with someone who does not feel the same way – Kelly, a drummer in his band. Unfortunately, she is in love with his best friend Fozzie. Raymond receives a mysterious package of darts that have the power to make the injected instantly fall in love with whomever does the dart injecting (though maybe not forever). Despite having such power, Raymond eventually learns some valuable lessons about love, friendship, and loyalty. This film is a total charmer and leaves the audience feeling like Cupid himself has thrown one of the darts at them. As an added bonus, the cast plays and sings all the music, and it's terrific. I challenge you to not fall in love with the goofy and talented Luke Matheny and his friends. Rating: Four Bones

Na Wewe
Director: Ivan Goldschmidt
Belgium / Burundi / 19 minutes

This film takes us back to 1994, when genocide was erupting in Rwanda, and reminds us that neighboring countries such as Burundi were not exempt from the violence or the Hutu/Tutsi hatred. A minibus is stopped by a band of Hutu rebels and its inhabitants are treated to the inhumane selection process that those who wield the power (because they have the guns) inflict on them. Each of the passengers must tell their stories and hope to be spared – and they all have stories. The bus includes a businessman who is not of African descent, when they leave him alone, adding to the message that violence can be quite random. The movie is realistic and disturbing (complete with a child rebel who has the empty look of those who no longer value life) and has a good universal message about human nature at the end. Rating: Three and a Half Bones

Wish 143
Director: Ian Barnes
UK / 25 minutes

Samuel Peter Holland gives a moving performance as David, a teenage boy who is in a facility being treated in his last stages of cancer. The UK's version of the Make a Wish Foundation has been tasked with granting him a big wish – hoping that it involves meeting a favorite sports figure or the equivalent "do-able" wish. But David has other ideas – he's a virgin, he wants a woman and he's not going to accept anything less. At first, everyone is against him, but eventually, even the resident priest comes to see his point of view. Though David is very sick and the reality of his condition is grave, the humor and compassion shine through in this film that takes a lousy situation and molds it into an uplifting tale – complete with a metaphor involving fruit that will haunt you for a couple of days. This film takes the scary subject of cancer and puts you right into the thick of what a real person goes through – and makes you understand the unique views of a teenager who has been fated to die. Rating: Four Bones

Final Thoughts: All the live action shorts this year are excellent. But the race should be between God of Love and Wish 143. This year's crop notably includes several terrific performances from children—the boys from The Confession, the lad from The Crush, and the teenager from Wish 143. It's obvious they were directed well and weren't spoiled with any pixy dust from Hollywood. Yet.

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Actors Who've Never Been Nominated for Oscars

Frankly, we're stunned. Shocked. Stupefied, even! Surely somewhere along the way, these men and women should have received an acknowledgement from the Academy Awards. Just once. But no. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

As you read the list of talented actors who were never nominated but totally should have been, try not to hurt your neck from all the head-shaking disbelief. Luckily, there's still time for the Academy to correct its mistakes; for now, though, these stars can at least take comfort in the fact that they're already winners in our eyes.

Kevin Bacon
No, 'Footloose,' 'Tremors' and 'The Hollow Man' don't scream Oscar, but Bacon's sizzled as an underrated character actor in biggies like 'JFK,' 'A Few Good Men' and 'Apollo 13.' Still, we could forgive the Academy overlooking his small roles, but to not recognize his brave, nuanced turn as a pedophile in '04's 'The Woodsman' is just ... criminal.
Matthew Broderick
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss the fact that the former Ferris has been quietly great (and all grown up) in movies like 'Glory,' 'Election' and 'You Can Count on Me.' He's got two Tony awards, so when will Oscar wise up and realize that Broderick's the real deal? Anyone? Anyone?
Steve Buscemi
When you need a lowlife, a loser, a guy who gets dumped into the wood chipper, who do you call? Buscemi, that's who. He's a brilliant actor, with a Globe nomination ('Ghost World') and two Indie Spirit Awards ('Ghost World,' 'Reservoir Dogs') to prove it. But will Oscar ever notice? Ignoring Buscemi's body of work like this, is tantamount to tossing DVDs of all his performances into a wood-chipper.
Jim Carrey
The over-caffeinated funnyman really can act his ass off, as he proved in the ahead-of-its-time satire 'The Truman Show,' as comic Andy Kaufman in 'Man on the Moon' and in the universally lauded 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Yet Carrey was snubbed for each -- if there's a silver lining, given his recent choices ('I Love You Phillip Morris' ), Carrey may still get another shot.
John Cusack
He was the dean of teen movies until he astonished everyone with his dark turn as a con artist in Stephen Frears' 'The Grifters.' After being snubbed again for 'Being John Malkovich,' it looked like his luck might change, with a heralded performance in 2007's moving 'Grace Is Gone.' Alas, it seems there is no 'Sure Thing' when it comes to the Oscars.
Jeff Daniels
Those of us who loved 'Squid and the Whale' are still reeling that Daniels wasn't recognized for a terrific performance that earned him his third Globe nomination (after 'Purple Rose of Cairo' and 'Something Wild'). Could it be the Academy won't forgive him for 'Dumb & Dumber'? Geez, you film one explosive diarrhea scene ...
Mia Farrow
Really? Not for 'Rosemary's Baby'? Not for any of her collaborations with then-husband Woody Allen (especially not for 'The Purple Rose of Cairo,' 'Alice' or 'Hannah and Her Sisters')? As her on-screen performances have gone fewer and farther between, due to her focus on family and humanitarian efforts, the chances of her getting an Oscar nom become slimmer and slimmer. If it's any consolation, she's too busy saving the world to probably even notice.
Richard Gere
Sure, he's done some drippy romances, but it's still surprising that the Academy's never looked his way -- not for 'American Gigolo,' not for 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' not even for 'Chicago' (which won him a Golden Globe). On the other hand, he's been named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive not once, but twice. Eat your heart out, De Niro.
Hugh Grant
The charming, usually snide Brit has a Golden Globe award for his breakout American role in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' and that's it. And while his biggest movies have been fairly straight-forward romantic comedies, Grant has always surprised audiences with a character turn -- from 'Bridget Jones's Diary' to 'About a Boy' -- that remind you there's a lot more to his range. But Grant doesn't regret his choices; he's gone on record to say that comedic performances are just as tough as dramatic roles.
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Leigh built up a career with emotionally draining roles in films like 'Rush,' 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' and most famously 'Single White Female,' racking up multiple critics' choice awards; she received a Golden Globe nom for her performance in 'Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle,' but no Oscar. The next year it looked like she was poised to finally get a nomination for her method turn as a drug-addicted singer in 'Georgia,' but it never came to pass. Maybe the Academy is still stuck on her "American girl" image from 'Ridgemont High.'
Steve Martin
Historically, Oscar doesn't look favorably upon comedy, so -- despite five Golden Globe nominations -- the guy who gave us one of the funniest performances ever in 'The Jerk' has a big fat goose egg in the Oscar nod column. Academy voters, wake up and smell the genius -- and please don't let 'Pink Panther' make you think less of him.
Ewan Macgregor
It may be in his contract that he must drop trou in every film, but that's not why we're such devoted McGregor fans (really!). He's not afraid to portray lowlifes ('Trainspotting,' 'Young Adam'), the lovelorn ('Moulin Rouge,' 'Big Fish') or Obi-Wan Kenobi. We just wish the Academy would find it in them to give him an invite to their party.
Gary Oldman
Oldman is probably one of the best actors alive, but he does it so effortlessly, everyone tends to forget that fact. That's the only way to explain how the Academy could completely fail to acknowledge roles as versatile as 'Sid & Nancy,' 'State of Grace,' 'JFK,' 'The Contender' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula.' And we'll even risk angering Batman fans by admitting that he deserved a nomination for his role in 'The Dark Knight' just as much as Heath Ledger.
Dennis Quaid
Quaid scored a Golden Globe nod and an Indie Spirit Award win for his portrayal of a closeted gay husband in 2002's 'Far From Heaven,' but the Academy didn't echo the kudos. As long as he keeps taking roles like 'Smart People', we bet he'll end up in good (read: Oscar-nominated) company someday.
Isabella Rossellini
With her model-perfect looks, Rossellini didn't have to say a word to entrance us. But with her film-legend pedigree (Mom is Ingrid Bergman; Dad is director Roberto Rossellini), it's no surprise she wowed us on screen: Her performance in 1986's 'Blue Velvet' gave us chills. Oscar was, alas, indifferent.
Meg Ryan
Thrice Golden-Globe-nominated for romantic comedies, Ryan never received props for her fine dramatic work as a heroic soldier in 'Courage Under Fire' or as an alcoholic mom in 'When a Man Loves a Woman.' Perhaps if she had, she wouldn't have delivered such an emotionally and, yes, physically naked turn in 'In the Cut.' You decide if that's a good thing.
Harry Dean Stanton
Being a character actor means you don't get to chance to steal the spotlight too often, so the 84-year-old Stanton has hadn't too many chances to get top billing. But that doesn't mean he can't control the screen whenever he appears. And even though we'll concede that 'Repo Man' never stood a chance, it is a downright injustice that he was never acknowledged for his haunting work in 'Paris, Texas,' one of the most praised and beloved films of the 1980s.
Donald Sutherland
Sutherland, you old dog. You've done 'M*A*S*H,' 'Klute,' 'The Day of the Locust,' 'Ordinary People,' all multiple-Oscar-nominated. And yet, for some reason, you've never made that exalted short list yourself. This sounds like a conspiracy worthy of Jack Bauer. Get him on it. We think you've got some pull there.
Bruce Willis
In our humble opinion, it's ludicrous that Willis didn't get a nod for 'Die Hard,' not to mention his Golden-Globe-nominated turn in 'In Country' and his underrated work in 'Sixth Sense.' But it's not like John McClane gives a crap about awards, anyway.
Jeffrey Wright
Still not a household name, Wright is one of the most exciting actors in the biz. He's chameleonic in films like 'Broken Flowers', 'The Manchurian Candidate', 'Quantum of Solace', 'W' and 'Cadillac Records.' But his best chance for Oscar glory, for a stout turn in 'Syriana,' was overshadowed by eventual winner George Clooney.
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Nominated, Never Won: Oscar's Biggest Losers

"It's an honor just to be nominated." That line that gets tossed around so much that most viewers of the Academy Awards telecast think the phrase is just a meaningless gesture. But for this unfortunate batch of talented actors and filmmakers, it really is the best they've done.

For whatever reason -- be it bad luck or some grand Machiavellian conspiracy to deny these artists of their just rewards -- a grand total of 82 nominations have been amassed without one single, solitary win between them. After you see this list of Oscars' biggest losers, featuring men and women regarded as some of the most talented in Hollywood history, you'll be shaking your head in astonishment that they never won.

JOAN ALLEN
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Brilliant yet unheralded for years, the future 'Contender' nominee (2001) snagged her first Oscar nod in 1995 with a stunning turn as Pat Nixon in 'Nixon,' only to suffer the outrage of being upset by Mira Sorvino, future guest star on 'Will & Grace.'
ROBERT ALTMAN
Record: 0–5, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: While Altman was a true contender with each nomination (and later recognized with an honorary Oscar), he probably should have won for his first nod, for 'M*A*S*H' in 1971. Instead he lost to one-time nominee Franklin J. Schaffner for a more "serious" take on war, 'Patton.'
ANNETTE BENING
Record: 0–3 (So Far)
Most Crushing Loss: 'American Beauty' won five Oscars in 2000, but none were Bening's; the honor went to Hilary Swank for 'Boys Don't Cry.' And in 2005, she got kudos for 'Being Julia' but lost to ... Hilary Swank. She's nominated again this year for 'The Kids Are All Right' -- luckily for her, Hilary Swank isn't even nominated; unlucky for her, Natalie Portman has been the clear favorite for her part in 'Black Swan.'
RICHARD BURTON
Record: 0–7
Most Crushing Loss: Burton had two more nominations than he did marriages, but like those relationships, all ended in heartbreak. Losing for 'Virginia Woolf' to Paul Scofield ('A Man for All Seasons') had to be painful, but probably not as much so as his second divorce from Elizabeth Taylor.
GLENN CLOSE
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: Although she was great in 'Dangerous Liaisons,' she couldn't have been too upset about losing Best Actress to Jodie Foster for 'The Accused.' But when her intense turn in 'Fatal Attraction' was trumped by Cher's in 'Moonstruck,' she probably boiled a few rabbits.
TOM CRUISE
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: While we dug him in 'Jerry Maguire,' Cruise's strongest shot at showing us the money (aka winning Best Actor) was as a Vietnam vet in 1989's 'Born on the Fourth of July.' Alas, Cruise lost to Daniel Day-Lewis, whose 'My Left Foot' kicked him in the groin (metaphorically).
JOHNNY DEPP
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Once known as one of the most unsung versatile actors working today, Depp has lately become ... well, sung, nominated for his now-iconic jaunt as Capt. Jack Sparrow in 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' But it's his 'Finding Neverland' loss that has us hoping "never" isn't a word we'll have to associate with him for long.
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: At 30, he was the leading man in a Scorsese epic, 'The Aviator,' but he was up against critical darlings Cheadle, Eastwood and Depp. (They all wound up losing to Jamie Foxx for 'Ray.') And just think about the movies he hasn't been nominated for: 'The Departed,' 'Titanic,' 'The Departed.' Did we mention 'The Departed'?
ALBERT FINNEY
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: The veteran Brit has been nominated for Oscars for almost 20 percent of his major roles. Does that help quell the pain of losing the Best Actor race for classics like 'Tom Jones'? Yeah, probably. Finney's never appeared at an Oscar ceremony.
COLIN FIRTH
Record: 0–1 (So Far)
Most Crushing Loss: Firth lost last year's race to Jeff Bridges, who himself finally won after losing four times before that. And though 'A Single Man' marked his first Oscar nomination, Colin has long been a favorite of critics' choice lists and the BAFTA. If he doesn't win this year for 'The King's Speech' -- after being called the early front-runner, then somebody probably has it out for him.
ED HARRIS
Record: 0–4
Most Crushing Loss: Hollywood's sexiest bald guy, who got his first Best Actor nod for 'Pollock' in 2001, seemed like a lock in 1999 for his supporting role as God-like Christof in 'The Truman Show.' Alas, the award went to James Coburn. Guess the Academy must be atheist.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Record: 0–5, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: Aside from an honorary trophy, Alfred freaking Hitchcock never won an Oscar -- seriously. Not for 'Psycho,' not for 'Spellbound,' not even for 'Rear Window' or 'Vertigo.' And while Hitchcock was up against some pretty killer competition for Best Director, we think the Academy is 'Psycho.'
DEBORAH KERR
Record: 0–6, 1 Honorary
Most Crushing Loss: We'll say 'From Here to Eternity,' just because that movie went on to win eight of its thirteen nominations. But unfortunately, the biggest slight against Kerr's career is her unfortunate distinction of being the woman with the most nominations for Best Actress -- without a single win. Luckily, the Academy fixed their mistake in 1994, with an Honorary Award "in appreciation for a full career's worth of elegant and beautifully crafted performances."
LAURA LINNEY
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: She made a big splash in a little film with 'You Can Count on Me'; she lost to another single mom (Julia Roberts as 'Erin Brockovich'). But after more great (and nominated) turns in 'Kinsey' and 'The Savages,' you can count on the fact that Linney will always be an actor to watch.
JULIANNE MOORE
Record: 0–4
Most Crushing Loss: In 2003, she was nominated for both Best Actress ('Far From Heaven') and Best Supporting Actress ('The Hours'), but lost in both categories. Catherine Zeta-Jones took the award for Supporting, while her 'Hours' castmate Nicole Kidman won for Best Actress. The only way we can explain this, is that the Academy clearly got mixed up by who was nominated for what award, and somehow Moore got lost in the shuffle.
PETER O'TOOLE
Record: 0–8, 1 honorary
Most Crushing Loss: The Academy gave him an honorary award in '03, but not a REAL Best Actor statue for 'Lawrence of Arabia' ('62) or 'Lion in Winter' ('68) or 'My Favorite Year.' ('83) His lousy streak held in '07, with another Best Actor loss for 'Venus.' At least he got to joke about it in the opening montage. ("Eight. Zilch.")
THELMA RITTER
Record: 0–6
Most Crushing Loss: Like Kerr, Ritter holds a dubious distinction of most nominations for a Best Supporting Actress Award, without a single win. It had to hit hardest with 'All About Eve,' which won Best Picture, racked up fourteen nominations and forced Ritter to compete in the same category as her co-star Celeste Holm, who had already won the award in 1947.
SIGOURNEY WEAVER
Record: 0–3
Most Crushing Loss: Nominated for Best Actress ('Gorillas in the Mist') and Supporting ('Working Girl') in the same year, her truly stinging setback was her first Best Actress nod ('Aliens,' 1986) when she lost out to first-time actress Marlee Matlin ('Children of a Lesser God').
PETER WEIR
Record: 0–5
Most Crushing Loss: While there's no shame in losing to Sydney Pollack and Oliver Stone, the 'Dead Poet's Society' director came maddeningly close with 'The Truman Show' in 1999. The winner? Some guy named Spielberg. Aw, cheer up, Peter. They say sixth time's the charm.
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