Metro Cinema brings 'unique' Academy Award experience to Edmonton

Sydney Moule, executive director of the Edmonton International Film Festival, introduces the first of three Oscar-nominated short film series at the Metro Cinema starting March 3, 2024. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)

A local theatre is bringing a unique Academy Awards experience to Edmonton.

Over three nights, the Metro Cinema in Old Strathcona will be screening all of this year's Oscar-nominated short films.

Sydney Moule, executive director of the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF), said the series is an EIFF fundraiser and a chance for locals to beef up their Academy Awards experience.

"Any opportunity that you can sit for two hours and bang out an entire category of Oscar nominations is pretty unique," Moule said. "We're also the only place in Edmonton where you can watch these films."

The series kicked off with Sunday with a showing of this year's five nominated documentary short films.

Tuesday the five nominated animation shorts will screen at 6:30 p.m. The five live-action shorts will screen Wednesday at the same time.

Moule said one of this year's Oscar-nominated live-action films is a submission by the EIFF.

Nazrin Choudhury's Red, White and Blue is the third EIFF winner since 2021 to have been nominated for an Oscar.

"Our team in Edmonton picked that film and submitted it to the academy, and we were the only festival to do so," she added. "They are now on their Academy Awards journey, they are nominated for an Oscar. So we're so excited about that."

Tickets are $15 and are available on the Metro Cinema website. Money raised will go toward EIFF programming and supporting participating filmmakers.

The 96th annual Academy Awards air March 10.