This Friday, all the Oscar-nominated shorts will be shown at The Regency South Coast Village Theater (live action link / animation link)
I was lucky enough to get a screener and was able to watch them all.
The verdict: Worth every quick minute of time.
LIVE ACTION:
The live action set ranges from a horrifying look at post-Chernobyl consequences to a goofy and lovable wannbe magician.
“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn (Russian): Even though the disaster at a Russian nuclear plant was over two decades ago, the shock waves are still being felt. In this memorable short, we're shown how a family touched by the tragedy copes - or doesn't.
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström (Swedish): funny, goofy, great spirit. The 
main character is a lovable loser who only wants to succeed as a magician despite his apparent lack of skill and his father's constant disapproval. My 2nd favorite.
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey (Hindi): This was a solid entry but didn't have enough power to push it over for me. The young boy, Kavi, has a terrible life but there was something lacking in the presentation. I think a bit more length, another few scenes would have helped.
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey (English): A very different and clever piece with a shocker for an ending. Nothing in this film is as you expect it to be.
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson (English): This was my favorite although it really didn't start out that way. The opening few minutes irritated the crap out of me but slowly the film began to grow on me and I ended up smiling broadly and chuckling in appreciation at the end.
I have a hard time picking a winner in this set but I'm going to go with "The New Tenants" because it's more fully realized. Although because it's a black comedy and there are two socially-aware entries here the Academy might go with either "Kavi" or "The Door."
ANIMATION:
The animation set is as fun and diverse as the live action set.
“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert (French): A cute little animation that goes to some strange and wonderful places as a stuffy man struggles to figure out how to pay his cafe check.
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell (English, 6): A funny idea that didn't really carry me in its execution. I loved the little 
girl character and Granny was perfection but it left some things unresolved for me.
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia (Non-dialogue): This one was a fun idea married to a tightly-paced storyline that reminded me of the old Looney Tunes cartoons in a very good way.
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin (English): Perhaps the most clever and unusual of all the films. I was entranced by the tapestry of this one. The sheer scope of it was mind-bending. I won't spoil it for you. My 2nd favorite.
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park (English): Come on - Wallace and Gromit? How could anything or anyone compete with the incomparable Nick Park? It's all there - the fatuous and foolish Wallace, long suffering Gromit, a villain of epic proportitions (like the penguin-chicken in "The Wrong Trousers") and the incredible story-telling artistry and craftmanship of the man who has never not won an Academy Award for his nominated work. This was my favorite and has to be a fav going in. Simply amazing. How he does this time after time and tops himself is just beyond me.
My favorite and I think the winner in this category would be "A Matter of Loaf and Death" although Logorama" is so visually stunning it might just edge out Nick Park's incredible work.
All in all, neither set disappoints and either set is worth the time and money you'd spend.
