O Cinema is proud to present this nationally-touring program highlighting all of the Live Action Short Films, Animated Short Films and Documentary Short Films that received Academy Award nominations this past year. The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2020 program offers viewers the rare opportunity to experience the year’s best short films from across the globe, collected together in this special cinematic showcase courtesy of Shorts HD and Magnolia Pictures.
LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL):
Young Afghan girls learn to read, write and skateboard in Kabul.
(Dir. by Carol Dysinger, 2019, UK, in Dari with English subtitles 39 mins., Not Rated)
LIFE OVERTAKES ME:
In the grip of trauma, hundreds of refugee children in Sweden withdraw from life’s uncertainties into a coma-like illness called Resignation Syndrome.
(Dir. John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson, 2019, Sweden/USA, in English, 39 mins., Not Rated)
IN THE ABSENCE:
Documents the sinking of a South Korean Ferry. As a result of the ineptitude of the first response to the emerging situation, hundreds of people, mostly children, lost their lives.
(Dir. by Yi Seung-Jun, 2018, South Korea, in Korean with English subtitles, 28 mins., Not Rated)
ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN:
Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives, must overcome both personal trauma and political obstacles to pass a critical bill for his community.
(Dir. by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, 2019, USA, 28 mins., Not Rated)
WALK RUN CHA-CHA: Paul and Millie Cao lost their youth to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Forty years later, they have become successful professionals in Southern California – and are rediscovering themselves on the dance floor.
(Dir. by Laura Nix, 2019, USA, 21 mins., Not Rated)