A scene from "Toyland", which is among 10 international shorts nominated for Oscars in the Live Action and Animated categories.
During Oscar season, people often tell me they try to see "all" the nominated movies, by which they mean the feature films that are vying for the major awards. This year, that means "Slumdog Millionaire," "Doubt" and "The Reader," to name a few examples.
Sometimes, movie lovers also make a point of watching the big films in the less-significant categories, such as "Australia" (Costume Design) and "Defiance" (Music Score).
The short film "New Boy" is one of 10 shorts nominated for Oscars that will be shown on Feb. 21 at Malco Studio on the Square. It's about a 9-year-old African boy who begins his first day of school in Ireland.
A scene from "Toyland", which is among 10 international shorts nominated for Oscars in the Live Action and Animated categories.
Rarely, however, do fans get a chance to see the nominees in those categories that are devoted to that neglected and underappreciated form, the short film.
This year, however, shorts are getting their props, thanks to On Location: Memphis.
The not-for-profit organization -- best-known for the annual On Location: Memphis Film Festival, which this year is scheduled for April 23-26 -- will screen the 10 international shorts nominated in the Live Action and Animated categories at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Malco's Studio on the Square.
The nominated shorts originate from Russia, France, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, and range in length from 3 minutes ("Oktapodi" is a computer-animated tale of lovesick multi-tentacled mollusks) to 27 minutes (the live-action "On the Line" examines a security guard's unrequited affection for a bookstore clerk).
Several of the films are outstanding; though short in length, they take unexpected detours to at destinations the viewer doesn't expect.
In the live-action category, Steph Green's "New Boy," adapted from a short story by Roddy Doyle ("The Commitments"), looks at a young African immigrant trying to find acceptance as the only black child in a classroom in Ireland.
Denmark's wonderful "The Pig" stars Henning Moritzen as a man admitted into a hospital for "butt surgery"; he becomes upset when a comforting, whimsical portrait of a pig in his room is removed because it might upset the Muslim patient in the neighboring bed.
The 14-minute German film "Spielzeugland (Toyland)" is a more effective treatment of a child's view of the Holocaust than the recent theatrical feature, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas."
On the animated side, Russia's "Lavoratory -- Lovestory" is a charming and simply drawn film about a lonely washroom attendant who is surprised when bouquets of flowers begin to appear, adding color to her otherwise literally black-and-white world.
The five-minute "Presto" is a slapsticky Pixar comedy about a magician's battle with the rabbit in his hat that could have inspired a Bugs Bunny cartoon if its creators had lived in the pre-CGI days of Looney Tunes and Merri Melodies.
In addition to this year's contenders, several past Live Action and Animated Oscar nominees and winners will be screened, to extend the programs to feature length.
The Live Action program begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs 99 minutes. The Animated program starts at 9:50 p.m., and last 95 minutes.
Admission is $10. For that price, fans can stay for the whole evening, or attend either program.
To add Oscar allure to the event, On Location: Memphis officials will roll out a literal red carpet to the theater. Also, a costume contest will be held during the intermission between programs, with various movie-related prizes.
Contest participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite Oscar nominee, past or present, either performer (Clark Gable, for example) or character (Tootsie, for example).
For more information, visit onlocationmemphis.org.
-- John Beifuss, 529-2394
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