Short-term 12, a film by 2001 Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) alumnus Destin Daniel Cretton, claimed the U.S. Jury Prize for short films during the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. Now, the production may also become an Oscar nominee. Last month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 live-action short films had advanced in the voting process for the 2010 Academy Awards. Cretton’s film is among those making the cut. The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee helped winnow the list from the 71 films originally qualified in the category to the 10 now still in the running. Committee members viewed all the eligible entries at screenings in New York and Los Angeles and made their preliminary votes. Three to five Oscar nominees will be selected from the remaining 10 films after more screenings take place this month. The Academy Awards nominees will be announced on Feb. 2. The 82nd annual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 7. Other PLNU alumni involved with the film include Bekah Macias (class of 2006), production coordinator; Brad Kester (class of 2007), assistant director; Jared Callahan (class of 2005), assistant director; and Whitney Ball (class of 2005), production assistant. About Short-term 12 Based on experiences Cretton had working at a residential facility for at-risk teenagers, the film stars Brad William Henke as “Denim,” the supervisor of a residential facility that houses 15 teen victims of abuse and neglect. The film has won awards at numerous film festivals, including: • 2009 Sundance Film Festival: Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking; • 2009 Seattle International Film Festival: Grand Jury Prize; • 2009 Cinevegas: Jury Prize, Best Short Film; • 2009 Genart Film Fest: Audience Award, Best Short Film; • 2009 Aspen Shortsfest: Special Jury Recognition; • 2009 Independent Film Festival Boston: Audience Award, Best Short Film; and • 2009 Ashland Independent Film Festival: Best Short Film Finalist. — From staff and contribution