Out from under obscurity - Oscar-nominated live-action & animated shorts

There was a time when the Academy Award-nominated Short Films categories produced little more than the quiet rumble of feet padding out to the kitchen and a serious strain on the nation's plumbing. Practically no one, apart from each filmmaker's immediate circle, had seen these very real motion pictures. Beginning Friday, the Oscar-nominated live-action shorts and animated shorts will play as separate programs at Landmark's Lumiere Theatre and Opera Plaza Cinemas in San Francisco, the Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, and Camera Cinemas in San Jose.

Nominated Live-Action Shorts I confess to having a secret yen for the overlooked live-action short, filmmaking at its best when the proper notes are struck. From this year's batch I would guess the Oscar will go to Britain's The Confession, for its nuanced look at two adolescent lads' different takes on sin and guilt. My personal favorite is the emotionally naked God of Love .

The Confession (United Kingdom) "It was an accident." Two rural English boys, Sam (Lewis Howlett, pitch-perfect as the pessimistic, guilty little sot) and Jacob (Joe Eales, scary good as the pragmatic, "shit happens" little guy), get a harrowing lesson in the psychology behind the Catholic ritual of confession. Faced with the scary prospect of donning the white robe - the long-haired, insolent Jacob rebels against the idea of putting on a dress - and telling a priest their nonexistent sins, the boys decide to dream up something important enough to fess up to. Tanel Toom's philosophical fable (written by Caroline Bruckner) deliciously delineates the boys' opposing life philosophies, and notes the crushing guilt inflicted on a young guy concerning two misdeeds that were, in truth, only accidents.

The Crush (Ireland) Eight-year-old Ardal Travis (pint-sized charmer Oran Creagh) has come to a momentous decision: his feelings for his teacher, Ms. Purdy (Olga Wehrty), are worth a duel to the death with her stupid adult boyfriend (Rory Keenan). Michael Creagh commands the adult-cartoon elements of a kid's Dublin-based fantasy well enough to produce a dash of suspense and a satisfying surprise ending.

God of Love (USA) Curly-haired cutiepie writer/director Luke Matheny puts his fro, crooning abilities and puckish sense of humor to good work in this piece of Gotham-based whimsy about a love-starved singer's last-ditch efforts to win the affections of a female band member. Matheny scores some salient points on that universal curse, unrequited love, and is good-hearted or savvy enough to include one queer boy in the conga line that surrounds him once he uses his magic "love darts."

Na Wewe (Belgium) Ivan Goldschmidt fashions the affecting tale of a vanload of strangers waylaid by rebels during the 1994 civil war in Burundi. The Hutu guerillas are looking for ethnic Tutsis to murder. Only it's not so simple to tell who is who in this world of Byzantine tribal identities. There's a lovely irony about how a Tutsi boy's love of the band U2 turns out to be a lifesaver.

Wish 143 (United Kingdom) David (Sam Holland), a 15-year-old cancer patient with a tumor the size of a peach set to crush the life out of him, wants to have sex in the worst way. Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite put a sweet spin on David's one night in paradise. I have to confess I wish the kid had a raunchier, less politically correct last wish, but there you are.

Nominated Animated Shorts This year's collection is wildly eclectic and imaginative. My prediction for "the Oscar goes to" is between the frisky Day & Night from the Pixar folks, and the purest example of storytelling from a child's point of view, The Gruffalo. My own choice would be the British/Australian co-production The Lost Thing, with its outsider's point of view and witty if resigned adolescent narrator.

Day & Night (USA) Teddy Newton's spunky look at how the oddest of odd couples overcomes their natural antagonisms and contrary natures to exchange roles is a sunny/moonlight delight.

The Gruffalo (United Kingdom & Germany) Max Lang and Jacob Schuh find a very Dr. Seuss feel for this perceptive look at how kids are introduced to the idea that it's a jungle out there.

Let's Pollute (USA) Brash and pushy like its faux point of view, Geefwee Boedoe's cheeky short manages to be more than a bratty six-minute PSA.

The Lost Thing (Australia & United Kingdom) Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan find their voice in the person of an inquisitive adolescent Aussie slacker-boy with boundless curiosity and a big heart.

Madagascar, A Journey Diary (France) Bastien Dubois' good-natured, party-down, impressionistic work presents a slice of Africa I'd love to see a lot more of.