Cinephile No. 633 "2017 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts"

Written By Nathan Box

This was my first year to see all of the films in the Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts category. Much like the live action shorts, I had to search out and visit a local independent theater to watch them. For years, I have discounted these films because of the animation. After watching all of these shorts films, I now realize that was a mistake. What these movies lack in time, they more than gain back in original source material, storytelling, and enthralling animation. These are films demanding to be seen and they demand to be seen by more than just your children. 

These are great movies because I have never seen anything make such good use of 7 minutes. 4 of the 5 films nominated, we about 7 minutes. The fifth was closer to thirty-five minutes long and was very adult in nature. Funny enough, it was my least favorite of the nominees. The others made good use of the compact format by delivering engrossing stories of a man questioning life, a father with a growing daughter, a young bird stepping out in the wild, and a blind woman who can only see the past and future, but not the present. Each story approached animation differently, but each made masterful use of the art. Together, they told powerful stories that deserve to be seen again and again. 

 

Be good to each other, 

-Nathan 

 

 

Nathan Box
Hello! My name is Nathan. I've always believed I would meet that special someone in one of two places; either a record store or a book store. Maybe I need to amend? I moved to Seattle in February of 2011 from Oklahoma City (Try and not hold the Sonics/Thunder thing against me). I knew I wanted to work for a nonprofit and go to grad school. Within a couple of months, I was doing both. During the day, I work as a Fund Developer and Community Relations Manager for a nonprofit in Kent and at night I try to stay as busy as possible volunteering, trying new restaurants, finding hidden bars and exploring Seattle. The past few years has been both terrifying and exhilarating. I have done things on my own I didn’t think were within my capability. I love being outdoors. On any given weekend, I can be found hiking, on a road trip, volunteering, at a museum, seeing a movie (I see a lot of them). I am passionate about nonprofit work. I feel called to leave a mark on this world. Nothing against those who enjoy making tons of money, I just need to know I am making a difference.
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Cinephile No. 632 "2017 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts