85th Academy Awards Documentary Short Subject Shortlist

AMPAS today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 85th Academy Awards has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar nominations. A total of 31 films were submitted and the 8 films are the following.

Inocente, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix, USA, 42'
Kings Point, Sari Gilman, USA, 40'
Mondays at Racine, Cynthia Wade, USA, 39'
Open Heart, Kief Davidson, USA, 39'
Paraíso (Paradise), Nadav Kurtz, USA, 10'
Redemption, Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, 35'
The Education of Mohammad Hussein, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, USA, 38'
The Perfect Fit, Tali Yankelevich, UK, 9'

As noted before the nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 5:30 a.m. PT.

The above films tell stories about immigrants, retirees in Florida, ballet shoemakers and more; take a look at some info about each film.

Inocente: A personal and vibrant coming of age story about a young artist's determination never to surrender to the bleakness of her surroundings. At 15, Inocente refuses to let her dream of becoming an artist be caged by being an undocumented immigrant forced to live homeless for the last nine years. Color is her personal revolution and its sweep on her canvases creates a world that looks nothing like her own dark past. Both a timeless story about the transformative power of art and a timely snapshot of the new face of homelessness in America: children. The challenges are staggering, but the hope in her story proves that the hand she has been dealt does not define her, her dreams do.

Kings Point: In the 1970s and 80s, hundreds of thousands of senior citizens migrated from New York City to Kings Point, a typical retirement community, located just outside West Palm Beach, Florida. Lured by blue skies, sunshine, palm trees, and the promise of a rich social life, they bought their way to paradise for just a $1,500 down payment. Now, as an aging community faces its own mortality, paradise has begun to exact a higher price. Through the experiences of six longtime residents, 'Kings Point' captures both the allure and the darker complexities of living in a world where 'nobody gets too close.' Poignant, funny and dark, 'Kings Point' is a deeply empathetic portrait of the last act of the American Dream.

Mondays at Racine: Every third Monday of the month, two bold, brassy sisters open the doors of their Long Island hair salon to women diagnosed with cancer. As locks of hair fall to the floor, women gossip, giggle, weep, face their fears, and discover unexpected beauty

Open Heart: Eight Rwandan children leave their families behind to embark on a life or death journey seeking high-risk heart surgery in Sudan. Their hearts ravaged by a treatable disease from childhood strep throat, they have only months to live. Open Heart reveals the intertwined endeavors of Dr. Emmanuel, Rwanda’s lone government cardiologist as he fights to save the lives of his young patients and Italian Dr. Gino Strada, the Salam Center’s head surgeon, who must also fight to save his hospital, Africa’s only link to life-saving free cardiac surgery for the millions who need it.

Paraíso: Three immigrant window cleaners risk their lives every day rappelling down some of Chicago's tallest sky-scrapers. Paradise reveals the beauty and danger of their job and what they see on the way down.

Redemption: New York City's canners - the men and women who survive by redeeming bottles and cans they collect from curbs, garbage cans and apartment complexes

The Education of Mohammad Hussein: An intimate look at how the largest Muslim community in America responds to the provocations of an anti-Islamic preacher. Through the eyes of children, the film examines what it is like to come of age as a Muslim in the United States ten years post 9/11.

The Perfect Fit: Ballet shoes might be worn by delicate girls, but they are crafted by burly men, whose hands tell a different story. A perfectionist shoemaker pounds his soul out making each pair, as he tries to ease the burden on the dancers’ feet.