Shorts Intl. Bring Nominated Toons to Theaters, iTunes

U.K.-based Shorts International will bring for the fourth year running the Oscar-nominated animated and live-action short films to U.S. theaters, starting Feb. 6.

The release, supported by Magnolia Pictures, will reach theaters in 60 cities before the Oscar winners are announced on Feb. 22.

The short films will also be made available for download in the iTunes stores in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada on Feb. 17.

The nominated animated shorts and their countries of origin are: Lavatory Lovestory by Konstantin Bronzit, Russia; La maison en petits cubes (House of Small Cubes) by Kunio Kato, Japan; Oktapodi from Gobelins l’ecole de l’image, France; the Pixar short, Presto by Doug Sweetland, U.S.A.; This Way Up by Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes, U.K.

The live-action films include Auf der strecke (On the Line) by Reto Caffi, Switzerland and Germany; Grisen (The Pig) by Dorthe Warn’ H’gh, Denmark; Manon sur le bitumen (Manon on the Asphalt) by Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont, France; New Boy by Steph Green, Ireland; and Spielzeugland (Toyland) by Jochen Alexander Freydank, Germany.

Additional bonus films will also be part of the theatrical program.