2007 Best Narrative Short: West Bank Story

Short musical comedy "West Bank Story"
with Academy Award Winning Writer/Director Ari Sandel.

A musical comedy set in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falafel stands in the West Bank... David, an Israeli soldier, falls in love with the beautiful Palestinian cashier, Fatima, despite the animosity between their families' dueling restaurants. Can the couple's love withstand a 2000 year old conflict and their families' desire to control the future of the chic pea in the Middle East?

West Bank Story won the 2007 Academy Award for the Best Live Action Short Film. It takes a humorous yet hopeful look at the Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and has received an overwhelming response from Arab and Jewish audiences. Ari Sandel has traveled extensively and is very involved with various political organizations promoting peace.

West Bank Story - the whole short!http://www.westbankstory.com/

2008 Oscar Nominated Short Films

The nominees for Best Animated Short Film of 2006 are:
I MET THE WALRUS (Canada), MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI (Canada), MEME LES PIGEONS VONT AU PARADIS, (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven) (France), MOYA LYUBOV (Russia), and PETER AND THE WOLF (United Kingdom and Poland).

The nominees for Best Live-Action Short Film of 2006 are:
AT NIGHT (Denmark), IL SUPPLENTE (Italy), LE MOZART DES PICKPOCKETS (France), TANGHI ARGENTINI (Belgium) and THE TONTO WOMAN (United Kingdom).

It was fun seeing most of these films with an audience at the Loft's screening. Couldn't quite make it through the whole three and a half hours. ZZZZZ Though I did make it through all the wonderful animated films. It was so much easier to see the humor in John Lennon's stream of consciousness ramblings in I MET WALRUS with a good audience. Also, Peter and the Wolf got some laughs. I thought the funniest was the French film, Even Pigeons Go to Heaven.

OSCAR UPDATE:
'Peter & the Wolf' won Best Animated Short Film.

Like I said, I didn't get through all the very looooooooong live action films. But one I saw and very much enjoyed was the very sweet Belgium Tango comedy, TANGHI ARGENTINI. It was a nice change to have the humor come from a kind place. According one LA Weekly reviewer (see link below) this film, along with the French short, LE MOZART DES PICKPOCKETS, were favorites with festival judges.

OSCAR UPDATE:
'Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)' won Best Live Action Short.

I hope that is some help with your Oscar polls. I plan to stay awake for most of the Oscar presentations! You?

Movie Blessings,
Jana Segal
Reel Inspiration

For a good article on the shorts, go to:
http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/short-run/2007-academy-award-nominated-shorts/18346/

Check out the official website for full descriptions of shorts:
http://www.magpictures.com/profile.aspx?id=5c159792-0633-45c1-86f1-262e040173ef