Windrider Friends on Academy “short list”

by John Priddy

Gregg Helvey

The ”short list” for the Academy Awards (live action short films) include Gregg Helvey’s Kavi and Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12.

Helvey’s masterful work was a 2009 Angelus “triumph” winner and Heartland “Crystal Heart Award” winner.  Kavi will screen at the Windrider Forum at Sundance, opening night event on January 25th. 

Windrider “fave” Cretton, is still riding high with Short Term 12, which won the grand prize at Sundance Film Festival last year. Cretton and producing partner, Michelle Steffes actually met at Windrider 2008 and decided to collaborate on a film together.  That serendipitous collaboration became Short Term 12.  Cretton’s previous work, Deacon’s Mondays (with partner Lowell Frank), was an Angelus winner and screened at Windrider Forums around the country.

Short Term 12

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 .

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January 2010.

Destin Cretton

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre

Congratulations and Best of Luck to both Gregg and Destin!  We will be cheering for you. 

10 Live Action Shorts Still Alive For Oscar

By Nikki Finke | Friday December 4, 2009

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards®. Seventy-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

The Door, Juanita Wilson, director, and James Flynn, producer (Octagon Films Ltd.)
The Ground Beneath, Rene Hernandez, director, and Kristina Ceyton, producer (Passion Pictures)
Hotel, Tim Conrad, director-producer (Oyster Films)
Instead of Abracadabra, Patrik Eklund, director, and Mathias Fjellstrom, producer (Direktorn & Fabrikorn)
Kavi, Gregg Helvey, director-producer (Gregg Helvey)
Miracle Fish, Luke Doolan, director, and Drew Bailey, producer (Druid Films)
The New Tenants, Joachim Back, director, and Tivi Magnusson, producer (Park Pictures)
The Response, Adam Rodgers, director, and Sig Libowitz, producer (Look at the Moon Productions)
Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Cretton, director-producer, and Michelle Steffes, producer (Destin Cretton)
Sidney Turtlebaum, Tristram Shapeero, director, and Daniel Jewel, producer (Third Man Films Limited)