Nominations:European Short Film

BUTTER LAMP / LA LAMPE AU BEURRE DE YAK France, China (15 min)
Director: Hu Wei
Screenwriter: Hu Wei
Producer: Julien Féret, Yangxu Zhou
Director of Photography: Jean Legrand
Editor: Hu Wei
Sound Design: Hervé Guyadère
Main Cast: Genden Punstok

SynopsisA young photographer and his assistant suggest to Tibetan nomads to photograph them. On diverse and more or less exotic backgrounds, families present themselves to the photographer. Through these shots, the photographer will weave unique links with each of the various villagers.

Director’s StatementHow long did it take to make your short? Was it difficult to get financing?

I wrote the scenario in one week and two months later we obtained the financial support of the French CNC and ARTE French television. But shooting was much more complicated because the crew was formed by French and Chinese technicians and with Tibetan actors. With such a team, shooting in China next to Tibet was extremely complex. The first two attempts to shoot the film failed and finally the third succeeded.

Which thoughts come to mind concerning a “European cinema community”?

To me, the two most essential concerns are the diversity and the liberty of expression which are most possibly at the heart of European cinema.

If you owned a theatre for one night, which films would you screen?

Hmmm, it’s a pity that it is only for one night. I would love to organise a special screenings for children like my three-year-old daughter. Of course, they can shout and run in the theatre. Or maybe, four or five films for the night, is it a good idea for kids? So these films would be: PIPPI LONGSTOCKING, MARY POPPINS, THE WIZARD OF OZ, DONKEY SKIN, THE KING AND THE MOCKING BIRD…

What is your next project?

A particular film, strange and mysterious. I would leave you some suspense.

HU WEI’S BUTTER LAMP NOMINATED FOR A 2015 ACADEMY AWARD

Hu Wei’s cultural film Butter Lamp has been capturing the heart of the film world and has just been nominated for a 2015 Oscar. This was not the only respected film festival to take notice of this exciting film, as it has achieved the grand total of 70 film prestige film awards and was selected by over 200 film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Rotterdam Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, quite a feat for a little film from China.

In the Butter Lamp, a young photographer and his assistant suggest to Tibetan nomads to take their picture.  Against diverse and mote of less exotic backgrounds, families appear to the photographer.  Through these shots, the photographer weaves unique links with each of the various villagers.

Butter Lamp’s director Hu Wei was born in Beijing, China, he lives and works between Beijing and Paris.  Wei graduated at La Femis, the National School of Fine Arts in Paris and Le Fresnoy.  Butter Lamp is only his third film, although this multi-award winning movie is only his second fictional short and now this talented director is currently directing his first ever feature film. AFI Film Festival selection also praised the film, “The Grand Jury prize for Live Action caught us by surprise with its spellbinding and poetic simplicity. Traversing hundreds of miles of geography and spanning generations of time without leaving one central location, this film functions as a profound mediation on the practice and effects of image making.”

This live action short was written by the director Hu Wei, stars real life Tibetan nomads and was produced by Julien Feret, the beautiful cinematography was created by Stephane Degieau and Jean Legrand.  Some of the 70 awards include; the Grand Prize at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the Golden Plaque Award at the Chicago Film Festival, the prestigious Grand Jury Award at AFI Film Festival (American Film Institute), a winner at London’s Raindance Film Festival, Best Short Film at Mexico’s Guanajuato International Film Festival and it was selected for a EFA (European Film Awards) nomination.

Wei wished to create a film between fiction and documentary, reality and drama, modern civilization and traditional habits.  This award winning film and his outstanding work has captured the attention of the worldwide film industry, making his initial wish quite the reality.

The Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on Sunday 22nd February.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards®. One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films, listed alphabetically and including director and production company:

Aya, Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)
Baghdad Messi, Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)
Boogaloo and Graham, Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak), Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (AMA Productions)
Carry On, Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)
My Father’s Truck, Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)
Parvaneh, Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)
The Phone Call, Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (RSA Films)
SLR, Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson, producer (Stigma Films)
Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol), Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon, directors (GREENproductions)

The Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in Los Angeles. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network and hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.