Irish Oscar Hopes as Two Short Films Make the Shortlist
The IFB funded short film SHOE which was written and directed by Nick Kelly and Michael Creagh's film THE CRUSH have been shortlisted for Oscar® nomination for Best Live Action short.
SHOE tells the story of Vince who is about to kill himself - but that crazy beggar keeps killing the mood. Starring Peter Coonan and Pat Kinevane, the short film was produced by Seamus Byrne and Zanita Films (Eamon). It was funded through the IFB/BSÉ Signatures short filmmaking scheme and had its premiere at the recent Corona Cork Film Festival. "¨"¨
Speaking about the good news, Nick Kelly said "I think the success of Shoe is very much down to the power of Pat and Peter's performance. The chemistry between them, on and off camera, radiated outwards to infect everybody who worked on the movie. I'm genuinely humbled that so many talented people contributed so generously to the making of Shoe, and very proud of what we created together." "¨"¨
Irish director Micheal Creagh's film THE CRUSH has also been shortlisted in the same category. Produced by Purdy Pictures and independently funded, the short comedy follows an 8 year old schoolboy who is so besotted with his teacher that he challenges her boyfriend to a duel...to the death. "¨"¨The short films are two of only ten live action shorts which will now advance in the voting process for the 83rd Academy Awards ®. Seventy-six pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. Three to five nominees will be selected from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2011. "¨"¨
Irish short filmmakers have received huge profile at the Oscars in recent years. Martin McDonagh's SIX SHOOTER took home the award for Best Live Action Short, and GRANNY O'GRIMM'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, written and performed by Kathleen O'Rourke and directed by Nicky Phelan, Cathal Gaffney's GIVE UP YER AUL SINS, Juanita Wilson's THE DOOR, Steff Green's NEW BOY and Ruairí Robinson's FIFTY PERCENT GREY, also produced by Seamus Byrne in Zanita Films, have all received Oscar nominations. "¨"¨
The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.