Culture in brief: Oscar Shorts on Saturday

“Oscar Shorts – Celebrate the Underdog,” the one-day film festival that screens all the Oscar-nominated short films (animated, live action and documentary), will take place on Saturday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at Buzz Aldrin Middle School, 173 Bellevue Ave.     

“Underdog,” sponsored by Montclair Recreation and Cultural Affairs, is in its ninth year.

Jeanne Reilly, co-producer of the event said in a release, “It's a unique opportunity to see all 15 nominated films ry powerful and provocative and they move me in unexpected ways."

“Short films to this day are the ‘underdogs’ of the academy,” said Corinna Sager, the other co-producer, in a release, “but audiences are discovering them — and rightly so. There is a lot of talent behind them.

"When we started 9 years ago hardly anyone knew about shorts. Now you can even find some online.”  This year’s entries include the animated film “Garden Party” by French graduate students and the German-Kenyan live action film “Watu Wote” (Kiswahili for “Us All”), based on a true story of Muslim bus passengers in Kenya refusing to identify Christians after being attacked by the Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabab.

Buzz Aldrin students and faculty attend for free, and are involved by selling baked goods throughout the day and holding a raffle during the lunch break. All proceeds support the school’s Broadcast Studio, Chorus and Dance Departments.

For tickets and information, visit Oscarshortsmontclair.com.

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

MORNING SESSION - 10 a.m. to noon

ANIMATED SHORTS (Running Time: 53 minutes)

Dear Basketball – Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant, USA, 5 minutes

Negative Space – Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, France, 5 minutes

Lou – Dave Mullins and Dana Murray, USA, 7 minutes

Revolting Rhymes – Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, UK, 29 minutes

Garden Party – Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon, France 7 minutes

LIVE ACTION SHORTS ( Running Time: 40 minutes)

DeKalb Elementary – Reed Van Dyk, USA, 20 minutes

The Silent Child – Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton, UK, 20 minutes

Noon to 1 p.m. - LUNCH 

AFTERNOON SESSION - 1 - 5:30 p.m.

LIVE ACTION SHORTS CONTINUES ( Running Time: 55 minutes)

My Nephew Emmett – Kevin Wilson, Jr., USA, 20 minutes

The Eleven O’Clock – Derin Seale and Josh Lawson, Australia, 13 minutes

Watu Wote/All of Us – Katja Benrath and Tobias Rosen, Germany, 22 minutes

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS (Program A– 102 MINUTES)

Traffic Stop – Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, USA, 30 minutes

Edith + Eddie – Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright, USA, 29 minutes

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 – Frank Stiefel, USA, 40 minutes

3:15 – 3:30  BREAK

DOCUMENARY SHORTS - PROGRAM B (Running Time: 82 minutes)

Heroin(e) – Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon, USA, 39 minutes

Knife Skills – Thomas Lennon, USA, 40 minutes