the BEAT of the week: Oscar-nominated shorts at the Nuart.

Ah, Oscar season is upon us once again. I, admittedly, have some reservations about the nominees among this year's pack, but I still have faith in one category: the shorts.

They're often overlooked and forgotten within the short span of a minute and a half (or however long they give you for a speech), but the quick spurts of passionate cinematic work are usually quite fun and moving. They're perfect for the short attention span. They might even clue you in to filmmakers to watch. And if anything, they'll surely help your Oscar party ballot.

So here's your chance to check them out for yourself! The Nuart will be screening the animated and live-action nominees up to the Oscars themselves. Have a gander and let me know what you think (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is quite beautiful, yes?)!

The Oscar Nominated Short Films of 2012 will screen beginning this Friday, Feb. 10 at the Nuart Theatre, located at 11272 Santa Monica Blvd. in West L.A.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Wernerfest!

There's no denying that German filmmaker Werner Horzog is a strange, strange man. But his arresting personality has lent itself to intriguing filmmaking that's unlike anyone else's. From documentaries to dramas to action films, Herzog can do it all -- even 3D, as Leslie saw back in April.

Herzog's work is quite extensive, and surely even most fans haven't watched a great majority of his work. But novice or expert fan, Wernerfest is the best excuse to dive right on in. The 12-hour film marathon takes place this Saturday, Oct. 8, from noon to midnight and features 13 of Herzog's early and classic works. There's his 1978 Nosferatu, his debut short Herakles, and even yes, Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. Stay the whole time or just watch a block -- it's only $10! And Herzog himself might be making an appearance too -- surely don't want to miss out on that.

Wernerfest! A Marathon of Werner Herzog Discoveries takes place this Saturday from noon to midnight at Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 100 in Miracle Mile.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

Do It. Gainsbourg And His Girls at the Silent Movie Theatre.

A couple years ago, I read what a fan Beck is of Serge Gainsbourg's Historie de Melody Nelson, and high-tailed it to Amoeba to get a copy.

This past weekend, there was a Serge Gainsbourg Tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Performers included Beck, Zola Jesus, Victoria Legrand of Beach House, Sean Lennon, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others.

These days, it seems more Americans may know who Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams, I'm Not There., Antichrist) is than her late famous French father, but a new documentary is in town to change that. Many of his numerous muses are featured in the film--Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Hardy, and Vanessa Paradis.

The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre is screening Gainsbourg And His Girls tonight through Friday.

611 North Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Tickets $10. Info: cinefamily.org, (323) 655-2510

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: France 3 + Morgane Productions

Check It. Feist's documentary "Look at What the Light Did Now."

One of my favorite albums from 2007 was Feist's The Reminder, a fun and wonderful collection of melodies, pop and folk that I believe really exposed some of the best in the former Broken Social Scene-ster. It's been a while since I've revisited the album, though, but thankfully, I now have an excuse to.

Look at What the Light Did Now is a documentary that followed Leslie Feist during the making and subsequent tour of The Reminder. It's an intricate look into the modern classic, and also sheds light on her many collaborators -- from acclaimed music video director Patrick Daughters, who of course directed the beautiful "1234" and "I Feel It All," to shadow puppet artist Clea Minaker, who worked on the graphics and stage settings for the tour. The doc features a lot of behind the scenes looks at what goes into making an album and a worldwide tour, and gives you an excuse to get lost in Feist's voice all over again. Here's a peek of the film's namesake song:

The doc played earlier this year in very limited release, but today it's available as a DVD-CD set, complete with live performances and rare tracks heard from the film. A great gift for the Feist fan, or someone who should be introduced to Feist (which, of course, is everyone). Click to buy here.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Joan Rivers at the Arclight.

Say what you will about Joan Rivers--but the lady's got charisma, and enough to give her a household-name career nearly half-a-century long (am I the only one surprised by the fact that she's actually 77 years old?! Do I even dare to say she looks..good?). But what's really behind that infamously plastic face?

The new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work hopes to reveal a different Rivers, taking a look at the struggles and complications that come with being a groundbreaking female comedian, and how Rivers' personal choices in beauty and health work in an entertainment industry known for preferring youth. It's an interesting story to be sure, and you can get even more insight when Rivers participates in a special Q&A for the Friday 7:30pm premiere at the Arclight. Tickets are now available.

The Arclight Hollywood is located at 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Help make the 'Inception' dream documentary.

If you saw Iron Man 2 this weekend, you probably caught the latest trailer for Inception, the new film by The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan. With frozen, floating bodies, streets folding onto themselves and Nolan's mind-warped filmography (Memento, Following), this probably won't be an easy film to follow, but it still looks nothing short of amazing.

And apparently, you can have a chance in being a part of it--sort of. Inception's plot has to do with dreams, and in conjunction with the film will be the release of a documentary about dreams, directed by Oscar-nominated documentarian Roko Belic. Now, according to Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, via a blog on his film community website hitRECord.org, people can contribute their own short films to be part of the documentary.

The video here explains the project in better detail, but basically the documentary needs people to interpret common dream themes like teeth falling out, falling, flying, etc. into creative short films/animations/visuals for cutaways in the doc. You can also make music, or compile a bunch of images.

So get working, creative BEATs! It's undoubtedly a cool chance to take part in a project for a sure-to-be-monumental film, or at least get involved with JGL's fun collaborative project hitRECord. Have fun, and let us know if you end up participating--we'd love to see your contributions!

-- Chau Tu

Do It. When You're Strange.

It was at Sundance last year, and now it's in L.A.

Writer/director Tom DiCillo's Doors doc "When You're Strange" is narrated by Johnny Depp and made with only footage from 1965 and 1971. Yeah, just take a minute to think about that awesomeness. Depp said it was "an honor to have been involved." Laemmle's Sunset 5, today through April 15.

When You're Strange is also playing at Laemmle's Encino and Pasadena theaters.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.ioncinema.com

Advance Notice. The White Stripes' 'Under Great White Northern Lights.'

Music and its cycles..we sure seem to be in the midst of a nostalgia period, no? This time around, we're welcoming back into our lives our favorite brother-sister/husband-wife duo The White Stripes. It's not exactly a full musical comeback that we all yearn for, but we'll take what we can get.

Instead, the red-and-white-clad band is the subject of a new documentary titled Under Great White Northern Lights. The behind-the-scenes film follows The White Stripes right after the release of their latest album, Icky Thump, in 2007, as they take off on a tour to hit every single province and territory in Canada. It's sure to be a rare peek into the lives of the usually private and mysterious band.

Under Great White Northern Lights is set to be released on DVD on March 16, but L.A. just happens to be hosting a few free screenings on the release date. RSVP on the film's website to attend screenings at The Echo or the Redwood Grill, or even a TBA-ed "secret" sneak peek. Or, you can also register to have a screening kit complete with a DVD, popcorn and peppermint candies sent to you to put on your own private screening, just for $30. Make March 16 a happy White Stripes day!

-- Chau Tu