Wichita Public Library’s Oscar shorts festival goes virtual. Here’s how to watch.

The Wichita Public Library’s annual Oscar Shorts Film Festival is a beloved event for Wichita.

But in the era of COVID, the library is hosting the festival online this year. It will provide free virtual screenings of the short films nominated for Academy Awards in the documentary, live action and animation categories.

You must go to https://www.wichitalibrary.org/academyawards/ to register for the film festival. An email with login information and access codes to view the short films will be sent to registered users by noon Monday, April 5. (You must have an email address to receive the passcodes).

You will have 30 days to access the online viewing platform. Registration is open now and limited to one person per household. You may share the passcodes with other people in your household.

Once you login and activate the virtual cinema platform, you will have 72 hours to view the films. You will need access to a desktop or laptop computer to watch. You must also have a Vimeo ( https://vimeo.com/) account to watch. If you don’t already have a Vimeo account, you will need to sign up for a free Vimeo Basic account. You will only need to provide your name and email address — no payment information is required.

The Wichita Public Library has been showcasing the Oscar Shorts program since 1986, and Wichita is one of the first cities in the country to give the public access to the nominated films, outside cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

To qualify for Academy Awards consideration, short films must be less than 40 minutes. They are not rated and may not be suitable for all audiences.

The 93rd Academy Awards will be presented on April 25. Here are this year’s nominees:

Documentary

“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard (USA, 24 min.) — On the anniversary of the start of the Nuremberg trials, 90-year-old Colette Marin-Catherine confronts her past by visiting the Nazi concentration camp in Germany where her brother was killed.

“A Concerto is A Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers (USA, 13 min.) — A virtuoso jazz pianist/film composer tracks his family’s lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather, from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook (USA, 35 min.) — In 2019, Hong Kong was rocked by the largest protests since Britain handed back the area to China in 1997. This is the story of the protests, told through a series of demonstrations by local protesters that escalate into conflict when highly armed police appear on the scene.

“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman (USA, 40 min.) — Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, this documents two female health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war.

“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan (USA, 19 min.) — The injustice surrounding the shooting death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at a South Central Los Angeles store became a flashpoint for the city’s 1992 civil uprising.

Live Action

“Feeling Through,” Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski (USA, 19 min.) — A late-night encounter on a New York City street leads to a profound connection between a homeless teen and a deaf/blind man.

“The Letter Room,” Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan (USA, 30 min.) — Oscar Isaac stars as a corrections officer who gets transferred to the letter room, where he soon finds himself enmeshed in a prisoner’s deeply private life.

“The Present,” Farah Nabulsi and Ossama Bawardi (USA, 11 min.) — On his wedding anniversary, a man and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift.

“Two Distant Strangers,” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe (USA, 29 min.) — A cartoonist’s repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to re-live the same awful day over and over again.

“White Eye,” Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman (Israel, 21 min.) — A man finds his stolen bicycle, which now belongs to a stranger. While attempting to retrieve it, he struggles to remain human.

Animation

“Burrow,” Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat (USA, 6 min.) — A young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing.

“Genius Loci,” Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise (France, 16 min.) — One night, Reine, a young loner, sees the urban chaos as a mystical oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide.

“If Anything Happens I love You,” Will McCormack and Michael Govier (USA, 12 min.) — Two parents struggle to overcome the hurt left by a tragic event that leaves their family changed forever.

“Opera,” Erick Oh (South Korea, 9 min.) — A look at how each interaction and action of individuals impacts the society within which they live.

“Yes-People,” Gisli Darri Halldorsson and Arnar Gunnarsson (Iceland, 9 min.) — One morning an eclectic mix of people face their everyday battle — such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope.