Cinema Art Theater to present Oscar nominees for Best Shorts

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society will be offering several screenings of the Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short Films, Best Animated Short Films, and Best Documentary (Short Subject) Films beginning Friday, Feb. 9. Check www.rehobothfilm.com for screening times.

Join the annual tradition of watching the Oscar contenders and casting a vote for the winner. The slate of nominees for Best Live Action Short films are:

• “DeKalb Elemntary,” inspired by a 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Ga.

• “My Nephew Emmett” takes place in 1955 when a Mississippi preacher tries to protect his 14-year-old nephew, Emmett Till from two racist killers out for blood. Based on true events. • “The Eleven O’Clock” features a delusional patient of a psychiatrist who believes he is actually the psychiatrist. As they each attempt to treat each other the session gets out of control.

• “The Silent Child” centers around a profoundly deaf 4-year-old girl named Libby who is born into a middle class family and lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her the gift of communication. 

• “Watu Wote/All Of Us” tells the story of Kenya being targeted by terrorist attacks of the Al-Shabaab for almost a decade. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians is growing. Until in December 2015, Muslim bus passengers showed that solidarity can prevail. “

The slate of nominees for Best Animated Short films are:

“Dear Basketball” features the collaboration of basketball great Kobe Bryant, visionary animator Glen Keane, and legendary composer John Williams. This animated short film explores what it means to achieve a dream, and then leave it behind. The film is an adaptation of Bryant's NBA retirement announcement after 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Narrated by Bryant, the film's hand-drawn animation and emotional score will touch fans of all ages with its universal message about love and loss. 

• In a “Garden Party,” a female frog gracefully swims in the water catching the attention of a curious male toad. These amphibians took residence in the rich villa where everything is very silent. The frogs explore their surroundings and follow their primal instincts. The owners seem to be gone for a very long time... 

• “Lou” is a toy-stealing bully who ruins recess for a playground full of kids. Only one thing stands in his way: the "Lost and Found" box. 

• “Negative Space” tells the bittersweet story of a relationship between a father and his son, Sam. Always leaving on business trips, the father connects with Sam by teaching him how to pack a suitcase efficiently. 

• “Revolting Rhymes” interweaves Roald Dahl's retellings of classic fairy tales with playful twists and surprising endings. Based on the book written by Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake, the film was directed by Oscar nominees Jakob Schuh.

Additional shorts to be included are “Lost Property Office,” “Weeds” and “Achoo.”

The Documentary (Short Subject) nominees selected for viewing include:

• Edith+Eddie,” America's oldest interracial newlyweds at ages 96 and 95. Their love story is disrupted by a family feud that threatens to tear the couple apart. 

• “Traffic Stop” is a HBO documentary that tells the story of Breaion King, a 26-year-old African-American schoolteacher from Austin, Texas, who was stopped for a routine traffic violation that escalates into a harrowing arrest. As captured on several squad-car dash cams, King is seen pulled from her car by the arresting officer, who repeatedly throws her to the ground before handcuffing her. En route to jail in a squad car she engages in a revealing conversation with another officer about race and law enforcement in America. The documentary juxtaposes raw footage of the incident with scenes from King's everyday routines, offering a vivid portrait of a woman whose life is turned upside down by a traumatic arrest. 

• “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405” is a portrait of a brilliant 56-year-old artist who is represented by one of Los Angeles' top galleries. Her body of raw, emotional work reveals a lifetime of depression and mental disorder. Mindy Alper has suffered through electro shock therapy, multiple commitments to mental institutions and a 10-year period without speech. Her only consistent means of communicating has been to channel her hyper self-awareness into drawings and sculpture of powerful psychological clarity that eloquently express her emotional state. Through an examination of her work, interviews, reenactments, the building of an eight and a half foot papier-mâché bust of her beloved psychiatrist, one learns how she has emerged from a life of darkness and isolation to a life that includes love, trust and support.[

Tickets can be purchased at the Cinema Art Theater, starting 30 minutes prior to each screening. Admission for a screening is $8 for RBFS members (card must be presented) and $10 for future members. All screenings are held at the Cinema Art Theater located at 17701 Dartmouth Drive in Dartmouth Plaza, behind the Lewes Wawa.

 For more information on this series, other events, or to become a member, go to www.rehobothfilm.com, or call 302-645-9095