KushIndian short film Kush, directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, is in the run for Oscars for Best live-action shorts. The film has been shortlisted by the Academy Awards in the list of 10 live-action shorts, out of which three or five films will be selected for Oscar nomination by the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members.

The 25-minute film, stars Sonika Chopra, Shayaan Sameer and Anil Sharma. It has been produced by Shubhashish’s father Sanjay Bhutiani through their Red Carpet Moving Pictures banner.

The film, set during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, is about a teacher travelling back from a field trip with her class of 10-year-old students. It traces her struggle to protect Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, from the growing violence around them.

Kush is one in 120 films which originally qualified for the category from around the world, read a statement on the official website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The film had also won an award at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.

Kush is in competition with Esteban Crespo’s Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me), Xavier Legrand’s Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just before Losing Everything), Mickey Nedimovic’s Dva (Two), Anders Walter’s Helium, Selma Vilhunen’s Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?), Jesse Atlas’ Record/Play, Miranda de Pencier’s Throat Song, Gabriele Mainetti’s Tiger Boy and Mark Gill’s The Voorman Problem.

The Short Films and Feature AAnimation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in Los Angeles.

Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December.

The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on January 16, 2014, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theatre.

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