Bernardo Villela is like a mallrat except at the movies. He is a writer, director, editor and film enthusiast who seeks to continue to explore and learn about cinema, chronicle the journey and share his findings.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Short Film Saturday, so I figured I may as well make the the first in 2025 a super-sized one. As you may know quite a few notable titles have been entering the public domain the past few years. So this weekend I decided to post all the Disney animated shorts that have entered. Yes, Steamboat Willieentering last year was big news and opportunists everywhere pounced on it. However, this year’s crop is larger. There are more Mickey and miscellaneous shorts as well as the beginning of the iconic Silly Symphonies series. Enjoy!
During TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar every year I like to keep a running log of what I see. It’s a great chance to check off a number of films I should’ve seen already. My goals are: At least 31 films, 100 nominations accounted for by the films seen. As of this writing I’ve not yet seen a TCM selection this year. When I see either those or something from my To Be Watched list I’ll try to guess what the nominations are as I watch the film.
In 2024, I made a huge dent in the Best Animated Short category seeing all the shorts I’d not yet seen through 1969. I will be logging these films both here and on my Letterboxd.
1 Nickel Boys (2024)
A film shot in the POV of Elwood and Turner two boys who meet in the late 1960s at a boys reformatory in Florida. The cinematography in this film is engaging, breathtaking and unique. It was seriously snubbed of a nomination in that category. However, the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay nods are richly deserved as the film is engaging and flows brilliantly.
Nominations: 2
Wins: ?
2 Is it Always Right to be Right? (1970)
Aside from obvious stylistic choices of the era, this film could be about America now.
Nominations: 1
Wins: 1
3 The Shepherd (1969)
Nominations: 1
Wins: 0
4 Seven (1995)
This addition is a bit of a cheat, but I went to see the 30th Anniversary re-release of Seven today. When I went to log it on Letterboxd and realized it wasn’t a movie I’ve marked as seen. I knew I had seen it if not beginning-to-end in pieces on cable long ago.
Coming out of it, I speculated on it’s nominations and I’m shocked it was only one. I know it’s become more beloved over the years, but still…and that one in Editing one of the most important categories and shutout elsewhere is stunning.
Nominations: 1
Wins: 0
5 I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui)(2024)
Finally got to see Brazil’s most nominated film ever it and it was more than worth the wait.
The Movie Rat 