2024 Academy Award Qualified Short Film ‘Perspectives’ in a Nutshell

On a hot day in Israel, a young female soldier named Ari goes from having fun with her girlfriend on a bus trip to slipping into a tense face-off with a man named Khaleel whom she suspects is a suicide bomber in the 2024 Academy Award qualifying short film Perspectives, written and directed by Neer Shelter.  

Ari must now choose between the other passengers’ lives and a potentially innocent man, with the world watching via live streams. Blending found footage with movie cameras, Perspectives is a 9-minute thriller that sends viewers on a choose-your-own-adventure journey while delving into the intricacies of how social media and cultural biases influence the narratives to the point of people being unable – and in some circumstances, unwilling -- to separate reality from fiction. 

Carmel Bin and Joy Rieger star in 'Perspectives' a 2024 Academy Award qualified short film directed by Neer Shelter. For Your Consideration in the Live Action category for Best Short Film.From the onset of the film, the two main characters seem glued to their cell phones and so fixated on snapping selfies that at first glance, it’s easy to wonder whether they are YouTubers or long-lost lovers. 

 As the plot thickens, we're quickly reminded that even in this hyper social world, many people remain stuck in their ways, living within narrow minded social bubbles while consuming propaganda from the news and social media feeds that keep people fearful and angry. 

Khaleel is silent throughout the entire movie, communicating only through body language. Ari thinks he’s weird and is concerned about him looking at her. Yet, she didn’t care about the older woman passenger who seemed annoyed with her making out with her girlfriend earlier during the bus trip.

Carlos Gharzuzi and Joy Rieger star in 'Perspectives' a 2024 Academy Award qualified short film directed by Neer Shelter. For Your Consideration in the Live Action category for Best Short Film.So, what makes Khaleel innocent, or is he a suicide bomber as Ari suspects?

If you’ve concluded that the latter applies in this situation when you watch the film, then what led to him becoming that way?

As a soldier, is Ari just trying to do her job or is she hateful or Anti-Arab?

Or, is she paranoid based on past experiences and/or teachings that have informed her thoughts and beliefs, and as a result, how she behaves in this particular situation? 

Perspectives illustrates how biases rooted in conflict that appear to have lasted from one generation to the next, leads to harassment and discriminatory acts as well as racial, ethnic and religious profiling that too often escalates into violent attacks – especially now in a time when social media tends to instigate drama, exploit harmful narratives and hinder pathways to peaceful resolutions between people from different cultures. 

Watch Perspectives here at this link to make up your mind about whether this interaction went well or sideways! 

Perspectives is currently vying for a spot on the Oscars shortlist for Best Live Action Short Film, following its premiere at BAFTA and Academy Awards qualifying Flickerfest.  

Perspectives also won Best Screenplay and Best Film at the Academy Awards qualifying St Kilda Film Festival. 

Presenting the Oscar Nominated Short Films! Our 2019 Showtimes in Philadelphia

As a participant in the national release of short films nominated for this year's Academy Awards, The Madlab Post is proud to offer audiences in the Philadelphia Tri-State area the rare opportunity to experience all categories in this cinematic showcase; including Live Action, Documentary and Animated shorts now through March 16, 2019.

"Period. End of Sentence." is about a group of women and girls leading a quiet revolution against the stigma of menstruation in a rural village outside Delhi, India. Now showing among all OSCAR nominated short films at The Madlab Post.Ticket holders attending The Madlab Post's presentation of all 2019 Oscar Nominated Short Films on select dates will also enjoy thematic surprises such as Trivia games with official OSCAR ballots, fireside chats on women's health and an exhibition featuring women in film among other attractions.

The exhibition is scheduled to include my exclusive one-on-one with Period. End of Sentence. director Rayka Zehtabchi -- the first Iranian-American woman to win an Oscar -- who discusses her filmmaking journey, and more.

The Madlab Post's screening room has limited seating capacity. We recommend that you purchase tickets in advance for the Oscar Shorts performance you wish you attend and don't miss this year's selection of the Best Short films recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences!

OSCAR Nominated Short Films 2019 Philadelphia Showtimes:

ANIMATION 

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

• Wednesday, March 6 - 5:00PM
• Sunday, March 10 - 1:00PM

DOCUMENTARY 

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

• Thursday, March 7 - 5:00PM 
• Saturday, March 9 - 1:00PM 
• Sunday, March 10 - 4:30PM 

LIVE ACTION

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

• Friday, March 8 - 5:00PM 
• Saturday, March 9 - 5:00PM

*VIEWER DISCRETION is Strongly Advised: This year's Live Action category contains a heavy group of short films that you can consider equivalent to an "R" rating. Themes include imperiled children, murder and racial violence. We want to ensure the comfort of all guests. If you are particularly affected by controversial subject matter, please carefully consider whether a performance is appropriate for you before planning to attend. 

"One Small Step" is a Chinese-American film about an ambitious young girl who aspires to be an astronaut with the support of her humble father. Now playing among all 2019 Oscar Animated Short Films at The Madlab Post.Stay tuned for additional dates and showtimes as this year's Oscar Nominated Short Films continues its run at The Madlab Post in Philadelphia! 

Want to be notified as soon as New Dates and Showtimes become available? Grab Your ANYTIME Pass, our fully flexible Advance Tickets, and you will be among the first to receive all additional showtimes for the Oscar Nominated Short Films playing at The Madlab Post now through March 16, 2019.

Presenting the Oscar Nominated Short Films! Here are the Philadelphia Showtimes....

Cinephiles have a rare opportunity to see all of this year's Oscar Nominated Short Films in one day! On Saturday, March 3rd, one day before the 90th Academy Awards telecast, I will be screening all 15 short film nominees back to back at my Philadelphia studio in the historic BOK building.

Attendees will also receive an official OSCAR SHORTS prediction ballot to guess the winners.

11:00AM - Oscar Shorts: Animation - RESERVE YOUR SEAT
Academy Award Nominees for Best Animated Short Film include Basketball legend Kobe Bryant's ode to basketball brought to life by Disney animator Glen Keane as they explore what it means to achieve your dream, and then leave it behind; a tale about a frogs that let loose in a deserted mansion; a comedic adaptation of Roald Dahl's dark poems; a PIXAR tale about a "Lost and Found" box that teaches a schoolyard bully a lesson; a stop-motion story about a son's reflection of his relationship with his father through their packing ritual.

1:00PM - Oscar Shorts: Live Action - RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Academy Award Nominees for Best Live Action Short Film include a comedic tale about a delusional patient of a psychiatrist who actually believes he's the psychiatrist; a story inspired by a 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia; the story of the Mississippi man who tries to protect his 14-year-old nephew Emmett Till from two killers out for blood.

More Oscar nominees in the Best Live Action Short Film category include the tale of a deaf four year old girl who lives in a world of silence until she learns the gift of communication; the story of Muslim bus passengers who fought off an attack in Kenya.

3:00PM - Oscar Shorts: Documentary - RESERVE YOUR SEAT
Academy Award Nominees for the category of Best Documentary (Short Subject) include the story of America's oldest interracial newlyweds whose love story is disrupted by a family feud that threatens to tear the couple apart; a portrait of 56 year-old artist Mindy Alper whose work reveals a lifetime of depression and mental disorder; the story of three women who are fighting the drug abuse epidemic in their town.

More Oscar contenders in this category include a story about the challenges of men and women released from prison who are training to launch a world-class French restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio; the story of Breaion King, a 26-year-old African-American schoolteacher from Austin, TX who was stopped for a routine traffic violation that escalates into a harrowing arrest.

It's an Oscar Nominated Short Film Marathon, exclusively at The Madlab Post. Who's ready?

*The Madlab Post's screening room has a limited seating capacity. Reservations must be made online in advance.