Our Oscar experts are predicting a tight race for Best Live Action Short between “Two Distant Strangers” and “The Letter Room” with 16 picking the former and nine siding with the latter. But I think that the four Experts who are opting for “Feeling Through” have it right.
Oscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin is the executive producer of Doug Roland‘s heartfelt film, which chronicles a teenager’s late-night encounter on a New York City street with a deaf and blind man. Below, I take you through my reasoning for why you should choose “Feeling Through” when making your Oscar predictions here at Gold Derby.
The rooting factor
As GoldDerby founder Tom O’Neil says, it’s always an asset at the Oscars if your film has got a character to root for or a story to become attached to as this inspires the “passion vote.” That emotional attachment gives voters...
Oscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin is the executive producer of Doug Roland‘s heartfelt film, which chronicles a teenager’s late-night encounter on a New York City street with a deaf and blind man. Below, I take you through my reasoning for why you should choose “Feeling Through” when making your Oscar predictions here at Gold Derby.
The rooting factor
As GoldDerby founder Tom O’Neil says, it’s always an asset at the Oscars if your film has got a character to root for or a story to become attached to as this inspires the “passion vote.” That emotional attachment gives voters...
- 4/24/2021
- by Nick Bisa
- Gold Derby
This year, there were 366 films in Oscar contention, with 50-plus nominated — including three centering on disabled people. While that isn’t much, it’s three more than most years and, sadly, it qualifies disability awareness as an innovation.
The teams behind Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” Netflix’s documentary “Crip Camp” and live-action short “Feeling Through” all express appreciation at the progress, but they’re aware that authentic depiction is an ongoing issue.
Supporting actor Paul Raci, one of the six Oscar nominations for “Sound of Metal,” says: “We haven’t turned the corner, but there is an opening in the consciousness, an expansion of awareness, and there are some initiatives to open up jobs to the deaf and disabled. We’ve heard this before. All we can do is keep expanding awareness, to make sure that films represent the population that we all live in.”
Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham,...
The teams behind Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” Netflix’s documentary “Crip Camp” and live-action short “Feeling Through” all express appreciation at the progress, but they’re aware that authentic depiction is an ongoing issue.
Supporting actor Paul Raci, one of the six Oscar nominations for “Sound of Metal,” says: “We haven’t turned the corner, but there is an opening in the consciousness, an expansion of awareness, and there are some initiatives to open up jobs to the deaf and disabled. We’ve heard this before. All we can do is keep expanding awareness, to make sure that films represent the population that we all live in.”
Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham,...
- 4/15/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Innovation can take many forms and sometimes it comes not from technology but technique. Nowhere was that more evident than during production and screenings of the Oscar-nominated short “Feeling Through.”
Writer-director Doug Roland fictionalized his real-life encounter with a member of the deafblind community for the project.
Newcomer and deafblind actor Robert Tarango played Artie. As there’s a broad spectrum of accessibility within the population, multiple methods of communication were used during production based on his needs.
Visual sign language interpreters used the Asl that’s typically associated with the deaf community when lighting conditions allowed Tarango to see them. The production also employed a tactile sign language interpreter who signed directly into Tarango’s hands so he could feel the words when he couldn’t see them. They also used haptics, a series of taps, to communicate specific details.
It was of utmost importance that the community depicted...
Writer-director Doug Roland fictionalized his real-life encounter with a member of the deafblind community for the project.
Newcomer and deafblind actor Robert Tarango played Artie. As there’s a broad spectrum of accessibility within the population, multiple methods of communication were used during production based on his needs.
Visual sign language interpreters used the Asl that’s typically associated with the deaf community when lighting conditions allowed Tarango to see them. The production also employed a tactile sign language interpreter who signed directly into Tarango’s hands so he could feel the words when he couldn’t see them. They also used haptics, a series of taps, to communicate specific details.
It was of utmost importance that the community depicted...
- 4/15/2021
- by Zoe Hewitt
- Variety Film + TV
Short films rarely get the attention they deserve throughout the year, but the 15 that get nominated for Oscars across three categories are the exception to the rule. Representing an entire art form is a lot to ask any one film, but luckily this year’s batch of nominees is well positioned to do the short form justice. This year’s five Best Live-Action Short Film contenders all follow traditional narrative structures, making each humanitarian tale easily accessible to those less familiar with short form.
The shorts category often highlights certain sociopolitical issues, and this year is no different. From racist police brutality to disability to the everyday struggles of a Palestinian family, the five nominees hold a mirror up to the world’s most egregious injustices. While each filmmaker takes a different tact, whether uncomfortable satire to understated drama, all five films address their respective issues with finesse. Here’s...
The shorts category often highlights certain sociopolitical issues, and this year is no different. From racist police brutality to disability to the everyday struggles of a Palestinian family, the five nominees hold a mirror up to the world’s most egregious injustices. While each filmmaker takes a different tact, whether uncomfortable satire to understated drama, all five films address their respective issues with finesse. Here’s...
- 4/8/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Law and order, and the lack thereof, were impossible to ignore amid last year’s “defund the police” protests, and the same tensions are reflected in the Oscar-nominated live-action shorts lineup. Some of the entries predate the George Floyd killing, while another was shot in direct reaction to that tragedy last summer; two more were made abroad, on opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, touching on themes that transcend borders. It’s not unusual for finalists in this category to come pushing a political agenda, and yet, this crop doesn’t feel like agitprop, but sincere, activist storytelling, well worth seeking out in theaters or on demand, as ShortsTV has once again made possible.
In “The Present,” which won top honors at the SXSW Film Festival, Palestinian Yusef (Saleh Bakri) and his daughter Yasmine (Mariam Kanj) must cross an armed checkpoint in order to fetch a refrigerator for his wife’s anniversary.
In “The Present,” which won top honors at the SXSW Film Festival, Palestinian Yusef (Saleh Bakri) and his daughter Yasmine (Mariam Kanj) must cross an armed checkpoint in order to fetch a refrigerator for his wife’s anniversary.
- 4/1/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscar-nominated live action shorts come from filmmakers based in the U.S., U.K, and the Mideast. They all center on the human desire to be seen as people.
Feeling Through
Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
Roland’s entry into the deaf-blind community came through a chance meeting about 10 years ago with a man holding up a sign asking for help to cross the street late one night in New York City. He was so struck by the encounter that he wrote the script for “Feeling Through” and completed it in 2019 with the help of the Helen Keller National Center and its now CEO, Ruzenski, who is nominated with him. Authenticity matters to Roland, so he cast Robert Tarango, whom he discovered working in the cafeteria at the Hknc. “I’m really happy that there is some strong disability representation this year,” he says, referencing his fellow nominees like “Sound of Metal.
Feeling Through
Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
Roland’s entry into the deaf-blind community came through a chance meeting about 10 years ago with a man holding up a sign asking for help to cross the street late one night in New York City. He was so struck by the encounter that he wrote the script for “Feeling Through” and completed it in 2019 with the help of the Helen Keller National Center and its now CEO, Ruzenski, who is nominated with him. Authenticity matters to Roland, so he cast Robert Tarango, whom he discovered working in the cafeteria at the Hknc. “I’m really happy that there is some strong disability representation this year,” he says, referencing his fellow nominees like “Sound of Metal.
- 4/1/2021
- by Shalini Dore
- Variety Film + TV
As usual, the Oscar contenders for live-action short include a range of social issue films, addressing topics from police brutality to disability. This year’s nominees employ a lighter touch than in years past, addressing weighty topics with an accessible levity and emphasizing shared humanity. Voters will likely be able to better appreciate the ambitious subject matter when handled with a — albeit respectful — sense of humor.
Inspired by the George Floyd protests, rapper Joey Bada$$ stars in “Two Distant Strangers,” which refocuses attention to police brutality and the BLM movement through a “Groundhog Day” inspired storyline. The high-concept 30-minute film marks the first narrative written and directed by comedian and “The Daily Show” writer Travon Free, and counts Sean “Diddy” Combs, Adam McKay, and NBA star Kevin Durant as producers. Free applies a satirical lens to the dark scenario, but very deliberately doesn’t let anyone off the hook.
Doug Roland...
Inspired by the George Floyd protests, rapper Joey Bada$$ stars in “Two Distant Strangers,” which refocuses attention to police brutality and the BLM movement through a “Groundhog Day” inspired storyline. The high-concept 30-minute film marks the first narrative written and directed by comedian and “The Daily Show” writer Travon Free, and counts Sean “Diddy” Combs, Adam McKay, and NBA star Kevin Durant as producers. Free applies a satirical lens to the dark scenario, but very deliberately doesn’t let anyone off the hook.
Doug Roland...
- 3/20/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The documentary shorts on this year’s Oscar shortlist include one Oscar winning director (Ross Kaufmann of “What Will Sophia Loren Do?”) and the animated shorts include films made by Pixar and DreamWorks Animation. But the real heavy hitters are congregating in the Best Live Action Short category, which is an impressive collection of films with some unexpected star power.
The 10 films on that category’s shortlist include one directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Tilda Swinton; another produced by three-time Oscar nominee Lawrence Bender and directed by two-time Emmy winner and “Daily Show” writer Travon Free; and another starring Oscar Isaac, who sports what ought to be an award-winning mustache.
The 10 shortlisted films, which were selected from a qualifying list of 174 shorts, will be narrowed down to five nominees by members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, with an assist from any members of the Directors Branch...
The 10 films on that category’s shortlist include one directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Tilda Swinton; another produced by three-time Oscar nominee Lawrence Bender and directed by two-time Emmy winner and “Daily Show” writer Travon Free; and another starring Oscar Isaac, who sports what ought to be an award-winning mustache.
The 10 shortlisted films, which were selected from a qualifying list of 174 shorts, will be narrowed down to five nominees by members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, with an assist from any members of the Directors Branch...
- 3/8/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Oscars Predictions:
Best Live Action Short Film
Updated: Feb. 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: There seems to be a strong three films at the top Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Human Voice” (with Tilda Swinton), Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s “Two Distant Strangers” (with Joey...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Oscars Predictions:
Best Live Action Short Film
Updated: Feb. 25, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: There seems to be a strong three films at the top Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Human Voice” (with Tilda Swinton), Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s “Two Distant Strangers” (with Joey...
- 2/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning actor Marlee Matlin has boarded Doug Roland’s short film “Feeling Through” — one of the first films to feature a deaf-blind actor in a leading role — as an executive producer.
The coming-of-age story follows Tereek (Steven Prescod), a teen wandering the streets of New York, desperate for a place to crash when he encounters Artie (Robert Tarango), a deaf-blind man in need of help getting home. What begins as an awkward meeting between strangers quickly becomes an intimate bond between friends.
First-time actor Robert Tarango was discovered while working in the kitchen at Helen Keller National Center, a division of Helen Keller Services which enables individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, or have combined hearing and vision loss to live and work in the communities of their choice.
Matlin, a Golden Globe and Oscar winner for “Children of a Lesser God” (1987), and her long-time interpreter and producer Jack Jason...
The coming-of-age story follows Tereek (Steven Prescod), a teen wandering the streets of New York, desperate for a place to crash when he encounters Artie (Robert Tarango), a deaf-blind man in need of help getting home. What begins as an awkward meeting between strangers quickly becomes an intimate bond between friends.
First-time actor Robert Tarango was discovered while working in the kitchen at Helen Keller National Center, a division of Helen Keller Services which enables individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, or have combined hearing and vision loss to live and work in the communities of their choice.
Matlin, a Golden Globe and Oscar winner for “Children of a Lesser God” (1987), and her long-time interpreter and producer Jack Jason...
- 1/12/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
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