Hindi
ShortsTV & BookMyShow Stream bring home the Oscars magic
MUMBAI: After the much-awaited announcement of Oscar 2021 nominations last month, film enthusiasts in India can now watch this year’s Academy Award contenders for short films from the comfort of their homes. ShortsTV has collaborated with BookMyShow Stream to present these films exclusively to Indian audiences. The partnership will bring this year’s most spectacular short films under the live action & animation category starting 16 April, 2021.
This year, for the first time, Indian audiences will get the chance to watch Oscar-nominated short films before the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, 25 April 2021. These films can be accessed on rent at Rs 149/- per category.
To learn more about how to rent these 2021 Oscar-Nominated Short film compilations, please visit https://in.bookmyshow.com/explore/c/stream. Users will be able to pre-book these films on BookMyShow Stream, starting today.
ShortsTV president – Asia Tarun Sawhney said, “Short films have surged in popularity in India over the last couple of years and what is better than bringing Oscar nominated Shorts straight to your living room courtesy our partner BookMyShow Stream. Film buffs this year would be able to stream the world's best short films directly on their screen without the hassle of traveling to a theatre.”
BookMyShow COO – cinemas Ashish Saksena added, "BookMyShow Stream has successfully brought the magic of world cinema to the screens of Indian audiences with a thoughtfully curated content library from across the globe. Our partnership with ShortsTV is a step forward in enriching this content experience for users, as we get ready to showcase this year’s spectacular line-up of Oscar-nominated short films and share the excitement around one of the most-awaited award cinema ceremonies in the world with millions of movie fans in the country."
Coinciding with the theatrical and virtual releases, ShortsTV has also launched The ShortsTV Podcast – Award Season and is releasing weekly episodes leading up to the awards ceremony. Guests include Academy members, industry insiders, this year’s nominees, previous winners and more. The podcast is currently available to stream on Spotify, Google Podcast and iTunes.
Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards were announced on 15 March 2021. The complete list of this year’s nominated short films are as below:
ANIMATED SHORT FILM NOMINEES
GENIUS LOCI
Director: Adrien Merigeau
Synopsis: One night, Reine, a young loner, sees among the urban chaos a moving oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide.
Country of Origin: France
TRT: 16 minutes
Language: French
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU
Director: Michael Govier, Will McCormack
Synopsis: In the aftermath of tragedy, two grieving parents’ journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child.
Country of Origin: USA
TRT: 12 minutes
Language: English
OPERA
Director: Erick Oh
Synopsis: “Opera” is a massive 8K size animation installation project which portrays our society and history, which is filled with beauty and absurdity. Erick enables viewers to experience the range of in-depth emotions through this epic reflection of human life.
Country of Origin: USA/South Korea
TRT: 9 minutes
Language: Non-Dialogue
YES-PEOPLE
Director: Gísli Darri Halldórsson
Synopsis: One morning, an eclectic mix of people face the everyday battle – such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope.
Country of Origin: Iceland
TRT: 8 minutes
Language: Icelandic
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM NOMINEES
FEELING THROUGH
Director: Doug Roland
Synopsis: A late-night encounter on a New York City street leads to a profound connection between a teen in need and a Deaf-Blind man.
Country of Origin: USA
TRT: 19 minutes
Language: English
THE LETTER ROOM
Director: Elvira Lind
Synopsis: “The Letter Room” is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room, where a new world suddenly opens to him ways to find solace and spirituality afterwards.
Country of Origin: USA
TRT: 33 minutes
Language: English
THE PRESENT
Director: Farah Nabulsi
Synopsis: On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, how easy would it be to go shopping?
Country of Origin: Palestine
TRT: 25 minutes
Language: Arabic/English
TWO DISTANT STRANGERS
Director: Travon Free, Martin Desmond Roe
Synopsis: In "Two Distant Strangers,” cartoonist Carter James' repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to relive the same awful day over and over again. Starring Joey Bada$$, Andrew Howard and Zaria Simone.
Country of Origin: USA
TRT: 29 minutes
Language: English
WHITE EYE
Director: Tomer Shushan
Synopsis: A man finds his stolen bicycle, which now belongs to a stranger. While attempting to retrieve it, he struggles to remain human.
Country of Origin: Israel
TRT: 21 minutes
Language: Hebrew
Hindi
Hansa Entertainment launched to produce across OTT, TV and film
New venture from R K Swamy Hansa Group eyes multi-language stories for digital-first audiences.
MUMBAI: Hansa Entertainment has just stepped into the spotlight because when a legacy media house decides to script its next act, even the credits get excited. Hansa Entertainment Private Limited has been incorporated to develop and produce original programming across digital, television, OTT platforms and theatrical features. The company will create short-running series, long-running series and original films for OTT, alongside standout theatrical ventures. It will also launch a podcast platform called Hansa Spotlight and produce content for the fast-growing vertical drama format. Stories are initially planned in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada.
The venture is founded by Sruti Swamy and Siddharth Swamy, drawing on the rich legacy of Hansa Vision and the broader R K Swamy Hansa Group. Sruti brings creative expertise with a master’s in architecture, interiors and design from Milan and a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian School of Business. Siddharth contributes a data-driven perspective, having studied data science at Imperial College London.
Sujatha Narayanan has been appointed CEO of Hansa Entertainment. With over two decades of experience in creative content curation and production across film and OTT, she is also a well-known film columnist and media entrepreneur.
R K Swamy Hansa Group executive chairman Srinivasan Swamy said, “The launch of Hansa Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter. The new entity is the brainchild of the next generation and will be independently managed by Sruti Swamy, who is the Director and the newly appointed CEO.”
Hansa Entertainment director Sruti Swamy added, “I am very optimistic about the future of Hansa Entertainment, given the content explosion and the opportunities offered by new technologies for production.”
Hansa Entertainment director Siddharth Swamy noted, “The idea is to grow a contemporary production house that creates compelling stories for today’s multi-platform audiences while drawing inspiration from the rich storytelling traditions that audiences have appreciated over the years.”
Hansa Entertainment CEO Sujatha Narayanan said, “Hansa Entertainment will evolve as a story-first, IP-driven entity. We have already put together a smart team of interesting and dynamic creators who will helm our vertical dramas, shows and films.”
In the ever-evolving world of Indian entertainment, where stories now travel faster than the scripts that birth them, Hansa Entertainment is stepping onto the stage with fresh ink and big ambitions proving that even the best legacies know when it’s time for a compelling sequel.
