Periods, old age and communal conflict: Oscar shorts showcase variety

"The live action short category, it's particularly diverse in its genres," Julia Aks, nominated alongside Steve Pinder for their satire "Jane Austen's Period Drama," told AFP. "That makes me very hopeful that the Academy, the pinnacle and the barometer of the industry, is broadening." Aks and Pinder's 13-minute comedy sees Georgian era heroine Estrogenia Talbot get her period in the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal. When her suitor mistakes the blood for an injury, it soon becomes clear...