Two New Yorker Films Receive Academy Award Nominations

Two New Yorker Films Receive Academy Award Nominations

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the list of nominees for the 98th Academy Awards today, and two short films from The New Yorkerwere included: "Two People Exchanging Saliva" directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata and "Retirement Plan" directed by John Kelly. This is the first Oscar nomination for all three directors. This is the fifth consecutive year that films released by The New Yorkerhave received a nod for an Academy Award, with a total oftwenty-oneOscar-nominated films to date. A victory at this year's ceremony, on March 15th, will mark the second consecutive year in which a film released by the magazine has received an Academy Award-and bring the number of Oscar-winning films in the magazine's slate up to three.

"We are thrilled by this recognition from the Academy of two radically different films that each, at their core, are about freedom and the pursuit of a meaningful life," Paul Moakley, the executive producer of video at The New Yorker, said. "It is a privilege for The New Yorkerto be a home for thought-provoking and innovative short films like these."

Details about the films follow, and the filmmakers are available for interviews. Press stills are also available for each title.

Live-Action Short Film

"Two People Exchanging Saliva," written and directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata, imagines a dystopian Paris where slaps to the face have replaced currency and kissing is forbidden-and punishable by death. When a young woman, Malaise, starts working at a glamorous boutique, she develops a quick connection with a wealthy customer, Angine, igniting the envy of her supervisor. A dark comedy of attraction and competition played out against a bizarro backdrop of stylized violence, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and received the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, hosted by the American Film Institute. Executive Producers include Julianne Moore and Isabelle Huppert.

Animated Short Film

"Retirement Plan," directed by John Kelly, rests on a structure that is as straightforward as it gets-a man's list of ambitions for after he stops working. And yet, in the film's seven minutes, that list, narrated by the actor Domhnall Gleeson, becomes a journey, humorously illustrating the necessary tasks, aspirational hobbies-hiking, birdwatching, yoga-and life-enriching activities for which he imagines he'll finally have time.

In addition to The New Yorker'snominated films, four additional films released by the magazine had been shortlisted by the Academy for this year's awards: "Cashing Out," "Rovina's Choice," "Last Days on Lake Trinity," and "Extremist." The New Yorker's "I'm Not a Robot," a dark comedy about technology that claimed the prize for Best Live Action Short, took home the award last year. And "Stutterer," released by the magazine in 2016, won that year's award for Best Live Action Short.

The films are presented by The New Yorker, from a team led by Moakley and supported by Condé Nast Film and Television, led by Helen Estabrook and Sarah Amos. The films are part of the "Screening Room" series, which features fictional films that will make you laugh, cry, and challenge your view of the mundane and the extraordinary. The New Yorker's films have garnered numerous honors, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Magazine Awards, and SPD Awards.