Shorts share Oscar spotlight, Canadian nominee says

As the countdown to the Academy Awards intensifies in Los Angeles, short films are gettingtheir share of the Oscar attention, says Canadian nominee Torill Kove.

Award organizers have been holding screenings, question-and-answer sessions and other activities featuring the filmmakers behind short films vying for Oscar this coming Sunday, Kove told CBC News Thursday morning.

"There was a great screening the Academy [of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] organized the other night of all the animated short nominees and the live action short nominees," said Kove.

"It was a packed theatre. It was amazing. There was a little party after that, but the screening itself was really fabulous, had really great energy and a lot of enthusiasm."

Born in Norway, Kove moved to Canada and studied animation at Montreal's Concordia University. She first won an Oscarnod in 1999 for her animated short My Grandmother Ironed the King's Shirts. This time, she's nominated for The Danish Poet.

Kove recalled that last time she was an Academy Award nominee, there were two films that dominated her category. However, this time around, all are strong contenders for Oscar gold.

"What people are saying is that any one of the films can do it because they're all really strong films," Kove said, adding that "there's a lot of camaraderie among the nominees."

Just being nominated definitely helps raise the profile of a short film, she said.

"The animated short and live action short they're difficult to see normally. There isn't a lot of exposure," Kove said.

"But the nominations are great. The Danish Poet is playing in theatres across Canada and the United States and so are the other nominees. We're now on iTunes. It's great."

The 79th annual Academy Awards will be presented at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday evening.