It's almost Academy Awards® time and whether or not the writers will still be on strike, it seems that each year the movies are less and less relevant to the show itself. Between the Valentino dresses, Armani suits and pregger rumors, we feel Oscar® (or at least media coverage) has lost its focus.

Enter Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International and their Indie Movie-loving glory: they're teaming to showcase this year's Academy Award nominated short films (animated and live action) that are rarely seen. They will be presenting the showcase at the Embarcadero Center Cinema and Shattuck Cinema in Berkeley for your viewing pleasure, starting February 15. This is a great idea, since every year we watch the live telecast, we're teased (teased!) with short 15 second clips of (what look like) very good films.

But whereto do we go to watch them? We never seem to know. While Wholphin has done a good job of gaining more exposure for lesser-seen shorts, they can't cover everything. So this year, for bragging rights amongst the film nerds, we're talking up all the nominees and hope that you'll support them when they're shown at theaters.

Picture courtesy of Oscar.com.

The nominated Live Action Shorts are:

AT NIGHT, Denmark. At Night is about three young women, ages 18 to 20, who each have cancer and share their relationship problems while spending the holidays in a hospital. A wonderful 40 minute film about the bond these three women form while discussing some of the troubles in their lives, healthwise and other.

IL SUPPLENTE (THE SUBSTITUTE), Italy. The Substitute is a comedy about a substitute teacher who arrives at a high school and teaches in an unusual manner. This short is a look at someone looking to shake up the norms of the classroom and is a funny and smart short film.

LE MOZART DES PICKPOCKETS (THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS), France. The Mozart of Pickpockets is a story of a pair of pickpockets whose luck changes after they take in a deaf homeless boy and put him to "work." Described as a "tragi-comic" short, Mozart shows a difficult situation and how it plays out between the different characters. Making of (without English subtitles).

TANGHI ARGENTINI, Belgium. Tanghi Aregentini is a short film about a man who asks his office co-worker to teach him tango for a blind date that's approaching. The premise is a bit strange, but is one to watch for, as Tanghi Argentini has been picking up audience prizes at various film festivals it's been shown at.

THE TONTO WOMAN, United Kingdom. Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, The Tonto Woman is a story of a cattle rustler who meets a woman living in isolation after being held prisoner for eleven years by the Mojave Indians. A well-acted short film that draws the audience into its story easily. Trailer.

The nominated Animated Shorts are:

I MET THE WALRUS, Canada. The story of I Met the Walrus is an interesting concept: a 14-year-old sneaks into John Lennon's hotel room in 1969 and winds up interviewing him. The short is different than traditional animation and makes for an interesting contrast to the subject of the film. Trailer.

MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI, Canada. Madame Tutli-Putli is a stop-motion animation about a woman boarding a mysterious night train and her experiences while on board. Madame Tutli-Putli is a dark looking short film, with beautiful cinematography that's slightly reminiscent of Tim Burton's style. Trailer.

MEME LES PIGEONS VONT AU PARADIS (EVEN PIGEONS GO TO HEAVEN), France. Even Pigeons Go to Heaven is a delightful short film with a sort of claymation/computer animation feel to it and is about a priest selling a machine to an old man, promising that it will transport him to heaven. There's a twist ending, but funny nonetheless.

MY LOVE (MOYA LYUBOV), Russia. The look of My Love, has been described as a moving oil painting. The clips we've seen are in Russian, but worth a look to see a snippet of this beautiful short about a young man searching for love. Film clip (without English subtitles).

PETER & THE WOLF, United Kingdom & Poland. This short is of Prokofiev's classic musical piece, but the way it is presented is beautiful. The snow and the forest scenes are well done and a combination of stop-frame animation and digital animation. The score is beautiful and something to look out for. Trailer.