Where to Watch Oscar Nominated Shorts
I have felt bad since my article from earlier today where I confessed I had not seen any of the nominated shorts, aside from Pixar's Piper. In years past, I had usually managed to see some more of the shorts, but for some reason I missed all of them this year. And that's not saying I haven't seen some great shorts this year as I saw a lot of great ones at Fantastic Fest and Nightmares Film Festival.
It's time to rectify this problem! You can join in too. Here is what I have found so far for where you can watch this year's nominated shorts. I'll do my best to keep this updated as I find out more information in the weeks leading up to the Oscars. You should also keep in mind that ShortsHD will produce and release a collection of these shorts into theaters (sometime usually in mid-February) and onto VOD on February 21.
Without further ado, here's where you can watch some of the oscar nominated shorts.
Documentary (Short Subject)
4.1 Miles - Focusing on the refugee situation and growing huminatarian crisis, this documentary follows a Greek coast guard captain and his crew as they attempt to save lives. It is available to watch right now from the New York Times - Watch Here
Extremis - This documentary about end-of-life decisions and the right to die is available to watch right now on Netflix.
Joe's Violin - Joseph Feingold, a holocaust survivor, donates his favorite violin to a public school during a musical instrument drive. The young student who receives the violin becomes friends with her benefactor. It is available to watch right now from the New Yorker's Screening Room - Watch Here
The White Helmets - Neutral civilian volunteers comb through the wreckage and chaos of bombings to find and help survivors. These brave first responders wear white helmets. This documentary is available to watch right now on Netflix.
Watani: My Homeland - A family flees Aleppo after their father is captured by ISIS. Follow their journey as they relocate to Germany and try to find safety in a foreign land. It doesn't appear that Watani: My Homeland is available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Short Film (Live Action)
Note - Based on my quick search this evening, I do not believe that any of the nominated live action short films are available to stream in the U.S. I will update this section as soon as I find out anything different, but for now, you can at least read a little about each film. I assume that these films will be part of the package that ShortsHD will put into theaters and VOD in February.
Ennemis Interieurs - A French officer of Algerian descent conducts an interrogation of an Algerian man seeking naturalization. Set during the 90's and at the height of the Algerian civil war. Ennemis Interieurs is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
La Femme et Le TGV - Elle waves at the same train every day for three decades. When the train is detoured to another route, she goes in search of the train and the conductor with whom she has shared correspondence. La Femme et Le TGV is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Silent Nights - A young Danish woman starts to work at a homeless shelter in Copenhagen. There she meets and begins a relationship with an undocumented immigrant from Ghana. A secret may destroy their relationship. Silent Nights is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Sing - A young girl is having a hard time fitting in at her new school and her choir director treats her cruelly. Sing is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Timecode - A bored security guard reviews a complaint about the night security guard. The two of them begin to communicate through the cctv of the facility. Timecode is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Short Film (Animated)
Blind Vaysha - Vaysha was born with a unique vision impairment. Her left eye can only see the past while her right can only see the future. This leaves the present in her blind spot. Based on this description alone, I need to see this short film. Our Canadian friends may be able to watch this online, but Blind Vaysha is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Borrowed Time - A sheriff in the Old West returns to the scene of a tragic accident. He must find the strength to carry on his quest for redemption. The animation and the art direction on this project are both outstanding. After looking into it a bit, I saw that it was created as a side project by two Pixar animators. I regret to inform you that Borrowed Time is not available to stream in the U.S. at this time.
Pear Cider and Cigarettes - Techno Stypes (that's his name) needs a liver transplant, but he also needs to stop his hard drinking and partying ways. His friend Robert is sent on a mission by Techno's father to retrieve him from China and bring him home to Vancouver. Pear Cider and Cigarettes is available for rent or purchase from Vimeo - Watch Here
Pearl - A young daughter travels across the country with her father, a musician, as he struggles to provide for them both. What's really different about Pearl is that it was created as a VR experience, but you can watch it on youtube as a 360 Google Spotlight, which lets you rotate the camera and look wherever you would like during this charming animated tale - Watch Here
Piper - The newest animated short from Pixar, a young sandpiper has a fear of the tide and struggles to get food. An unlikely ally teaches the sandpiper a couple of new tricks. Piper is available to watch on the Finding Dory Blu-ray or can be purchased separately on iTunes.
Have any favorites out of all of these short films? Let us know.