MUMBAI: It’s always a proud moment for the Bollywood industry when any movie enters the race to the Oscars. Walking on those lines, Indian director Shubhashish Bhutiani's short film Kush has been short-listed by the Academy for 10 live-action shorts that will advance in the Oscar race.
Three or five films out of these 10 films will be selected for Oscar nomination by the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members.
Kush, a 25 minute film, stars Sonika Chopra, Shayaan Sameer and Anil Sharma. It has been produced by Shubhashish's father Sanjay Bhutiani through their Red Carpet Moving Pictures banner.
Bhutiani made the film, inspired by a true story, for his graduation project at New York's School of Visual Arts.
The film’s story takes place during the riots that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The story revolves around a school picnic where a teacher is trying to protect Kush, the only Sikh child in the group from the violence raging around them.
To top it all, Kush won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 70th Venice International Film Festival 2013 and jury prize at Hamptons International Film Festival.
The other nine short listed films include 'Aquel No Era Yo' (That Wasn't Me) by director Esteban Crespo, 'Avant Que De Tout Perdre' (Just before Losing Everything) by director Xavier Legrand, 'Dva' (Two) by Mickey Nedimovic, 'Helium' by director Anders Walter, 'Throat Song' by director Miranda de Pencier, 'Tiger Boy' by Gabriele Mainetti, 'The Voorman Problem' by Mark Gill, 'Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?' (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) by Selma Vilhunen and 'Record/Play' by Jesse Atlas.
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in Los Angeles. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on 16 January while the Oscar ceremony will take place on 2 March, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center.
