(JNS.org) An Israeli short film, “Aya,” has been nominated in the “Best Live Action Short” category for the upcoming Academy Awards. The film was directed by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, and produced by Israeli actress Yael Abecassis. “Aya” tells the story of a random encounter between a Scandinavian music critic and an Israeli driver who picks him up from the airport. Their encounter soon evolves into a deeper relationship. Another film with a Jewish theme nominated for an Oscar is Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida,” which tells the story of a young novitiate nun who discovers she is Jewish and that her parents had died in the Holocaust.