By Mary Ann Bourbeau
ASBURY PARK –Now that the Academy Award nominations have been announced, people are surely rushing out to see the best feature film contenders before the Feb. 28 awards ceremony. But there is much more to the Oscars than feature films.
Each year, there are interesting selections in the short film category, although people often don’t have the opportunity to see these works. Now moviegoers will be able to view them all when The ShowRoom Cinema of Asbury Park hosts “Oscar Shorts at The ShowRoom.” All of the nominated short films will be screened for a four-week period, from Jan. 29 through Feb. 25.
Beginning on Jan. 29, guests can enjoy all the Oscar-nominated films in the animated and live-action categories. Feb. 6 will be The ShowRoom’s first Oscar Shorts Day, during which the nominated documentary shorts will be added to the mix, and all 15 films – five in each category – will be shown on a continuous loop throughout the day.
“It’s a marvelous opportunity for moviegoers to experience each of this year’s Oscar-nominated shorts in all three disciplines,” said Mike Sodano, who founded the art house cinema in 2009 along with his partner, Nancy Sabino. “The diverse short films that are nominated for an Academy Award this year offer an engaging view of the filmmakers’ creativity. In a succinct and powerful manner, the short films explore subjects such as honor killings in Pakistan, the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Vietnam veterans, Afghan-Americans, and nuns living in the West Bank. The ShowRoom is honored to bring such cinematic excellence to Asbury Park.”
Sodano explained that short films are seen as the gateway to longer films.
“Every major director or producer started off in the short film genre,” he said. “It’s their entry into the world of filmmaking. Hopefully, they will snag the attention of a big producer so they can then tell a longer story.”
Sodano points to the case of “Whiplash,” which was nominated for best picture at the 2015 Academy Awards.
“The director first made
that as a short film,” said Sodano. “He proved his chops and got financing to make a longer form of ‘Whiplash.’ It gave a lot of inspiration to filmmakers.”
Since it opened, The ShowRoom Cinema has screened independent, documentary and international films and hosted many eclectic live events.
“The caliber of this year’s short films is tremendous,” Sodano said. “At The ShowRoom, we can capitalize on the magic of short film and introduce new friends to our unique arts space in downtown Asbury Park.”
Oscar Shorts Day will feature exclusive promotions, raffles, refreshments and live entertainment in addition to the back-to-back films. There will be about 90 minutes of animated films, 100 minutes of live action and 180 minutes of documentaries.
“This is a tradition we started when we first opened,” Sodano said. “The popularity of it has grown so much. It’s one of our big highlights of the year.”
When the Cookman Avenue theater first opened its doors, it marked the first time in 30 years that a movie house opened in the city. In 2012, Sodano and Sabino renovated a former men’s haberdashery across the street and moved The Showroom to its current digs at 707 Cookman Avenue, offering three screening rooms instead of one. One room has 75 seats, another has 25 seats and a third has 15 seats.
“The smallest one is like an expanded living room setting, with club chairs and hassocks,” said Sodano.
On Oscar Shorts Day, viewers will be able to vote for the short films they predict will win the Academy Award. They can also participate in the “Name Theater 3” contest.
“It’s the most unique room, so we’re looking for a unique name for it,” Sodano said.
Although the contests will add some fun to the day, fans of the short film genre would be there regardless of the giveaways.
“Real film lovers love short films,” Sodano said. “People come from miles around to see them every year.”
For more information, visit www.theshowroomap.com.
Arts and entertainment writer Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworivertimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnBourbeau.
