Oscar® Nominated Animated Shorts of 2010

In addition to the 10 candidates for best picture and the smattering of contenders in other major categories, there are 15 movies whose titles will be mentioned at the Oscars on Feb. 27 that very few non-voters are likely to have heard of. These are the nominees for best short film, which are divided into three groups: animated, live action and documentary. In the past, opportunities to see the shorts were scarce, but lately they have been showing up in theaters and also on iTunes and cable.

Short films are often the work of younger filmmakers and sometimes contain the seeds of larger projects. But however modest its means or small its scale, a 10- or 15-minute movie requires as much craft and discipline as a feature. Maybe more. A short story can display infelicities of prose less forgivingly than a novel, and there is less room for error in a handful of shots and scenes.

And a lot of room for artistry, as is particularly evident in the animated selections. Animation today is a protean art, encompassing older, hand-drawn and stop-motion techniques; newer digital methods; and, quite frequently, hybrids of the cutting-edge and the tried-and-true.

– A.O. Scott, New York Times

At the ByTowne, two categories of Oscar nominated short films will be presented in two separate compilations: Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films Of 2010 and Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films Of 2010.

Special for BYTOWNE MEMBERS ONLY: Any time the two compilations play back to back, Members can see both for $10!

The programme of Animated Short Films includes all five of this year's nominees, plus two bonus shorts: (click on any title for more information)

The Lost Thing
A boy discovers a strange, lost creature on the beach. (Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan, Australia/U.K., 15 min.)

Madagascar, carnet de voyage
An Animated travelogue of Madagascar. (Bastien Dubois, France, 11 min.)

The Gruffalo
A clever mouse encounters predators but invents his way out of danger. (Jakob Shuh & Max Lange, U.K./Germany, 27 min.)

Let's Pollute
A modern satire that teaches us better polluting techniques. (Geetwee Boedoe, U.S., 6 min.)

Day And Night
The upbeat Day and moody Night manage to see past their differences to become friends (Tedd Newton, U.S., 6 min.)

plus!

URS
A man tries to take his aging mother up a mountain. (Moritz Mayerhofer, Germany, 10 min.)

The Cow That Wanted To Be A Hamburger
The newest insanity from veteran animator Bill Plympton. (Bill Plympton, U.S., 6 min.)