Belongings crammed into cardboard boxes and ordinary paintings hanging on the wall. John Oldman’s farewell party begins not in a crowded hall, but in the coolness of an empty house in the midst of a move. Sitting around this table, his academic friends realize they’ve never actually heard the real story of the man they’ve known for years. Directed by Richard Schenkman, this drama completely turns the conventions of the science fiction genre on their head. Rather than hiding behind visual effects, it is woven together with the smell of tobacco in the room and the growing silence. The weight of a ten-thousand-year-long life is put into words in an ordinary living room.

5 wins & 1 nomination total