On October 26, American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a shortlist of ten documentary films, which have a chance for an Academy Award nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category. Among the films, which will compete for the nomination for the Academy Award, there is “Close Ties’ by Zofia Kowalewska. It could be consider by the Academy because of winning the qualifyng award – Silver Dragon for the best documentary at 56th Krakow Film Festival.
‘Close Ties’: Forty five years of marriage is an impressive anniversary. Barbara and Zdzisław could be proud of themselves if not for the fact that the husband left the wife for his lover eight years ago. But now they are together again, although Barbara claims that if it were not for his infirm legs, Zdzisław would still be chasing skirts around Kraków. Despite the past resentment, everyday problems with paying bills, an occupied bathroom and rearranging furniture, they have a hard to define bond.
Among the films, which will compete for the nomination for the Oscar, there is also a winner of International Short Film Competition (Golden Dragon) at 56. Krakow Film Festival – “The Mute’s House” by Tamar Kay (Israel).
Full list:
“Brillo Box (3¢ Off),” Brillo Box Documentary
“Close Ties,” Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association
“Extremis,” f/8 Filmworks in association with Motto Pictures
“4.1 Miles,” University of California, Berkeley
“Frame 394,” Compy Films
“Joe’s Violin,” Lucky Two Productions
“The Mute’s House,” The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School
“The Other Side of Home,” Feeln
“Watani: My Homeland,” ITN Productions
“The White Helmets,” Grain Media and Violet Films
Five films from the above list will get the Academy Award nominations on 24 January 2017. The award ceremony, during which the winners in each category will be announced, will be held on 26 February 2017.
In 2014, two Polish productions were shortlisted: “Our Curse” by Tomasz Śliwiński and “Joanna” by Aneta Kopacz. Both of these films were nominated for the Academy Award. Last year polish documentary “Starting Point” was also shortlisted.