With the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony a little more than a week away, the Belcourt Theatre has once again queued up a three-part slate of Oscar-nominated short films for those who’d like to catch them on the big screen. The Documentary (Short Subject) category features perhaps the most compelling and diverse assemblage of nominees, among them director Carol Dysinger’s “Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (If You’re a Girl),” which is shot in Afghanistan and centers on just what it sounds like. The Short Film (Live Action) category includes a number of promising titles as well, including “Saria,” which follows a pair of young siblings who attempt to escape the abusive conditions at their orphanage. Finally, there’s the Short Film (Animated) category, which features “Memorable,” a stop-motion short that plays with presentation and animation style in a manner reminiscent of Charlie Kaufman’s 2015 film Anomalisa. As it has been for a decade-and-a-half, the slate of Oscar nominees is presented by ShortsTV and Magnolia Pictures. Visit belcourt.org for tickets and showtimes. Opening Jan. 31 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. D. PATRICK RODGERS
2020 Oscar-Nominated Short Films
