Adam McKay Boards Oscar-Contending Short ‘A Lien’ as Executive Producer
Marcus Jones
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Adam McKay is reentering the Oscar race in support of a new, timely project.
IndieWire can exclusively announce that “The Big Short” and “Don’t Look Up” director is boarding “A Lien,” one of the titles on the Oscar shortlist for Best Live-Action Short, as an executive producer via his production company Hyperobject Industries.
Written and directed by brothers Sam and David Cutler-Kreutz, who Vimeo just recently added to their list of Breakout Creators of 2024, “A Lien” highlights the often traumatizing experience surrounding the path toward permanent residence in the United States, and the unseemly tactics the Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses in order to round up more detainees.
“‘A Lien’ is pure cinematic tension,” said McKay via statement. “And then it hit me, this is reality for thousands of people every day.” The filmmaker is known for being outspoken on social media about the many issues Americans are facing, like the immigration policy exhibited in “A Lien,” having recently connected “Wicked” to “radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, [and] propaganda.”
Best Live-Action Short contender “A Lien” is also produced by Tara Sheffer and Rebecca Eskeris, and stars Victoria Ratermanis (“Fosse/Verdon”) and William Martinez (“Grey’s Anatomy”), who additionally served as executive producers.
Academy recognition for “A Lien” comes on the heels of the film’s festival run, which garnered a number of festival prizes such as the Special Jury Award from Salute Your Shorts 2024 and the Grand Prize Narrative Awards from the Washington Film Festival 2024.
The Kreutz brothers first made waves with their short film “Trapped,” which won a Special Jury Award at SXSW Film Festival 2024, a Best U.S. Short win at the Palm Springs International ShortFest 2024, and an honorable Mention at the Philadelphia Film Festival 2024.
Earlier this awards season, McKay was also attached as an executive producer on the film “Union,” which made it onto the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. In addition to the projects he has helmed, McKay and his Hyperobject Industries colleagues, which includes his long-time producer Kevin Messick and producers Betsy Koch, Todd Schulman, and Maeve Cullinane, have produced feature length films like “The Menu” and “Fresh,” and TV series like “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”
Due to the California wildfires, the Oscar nominations voting period is extended through Friday, January 17, at 5 p.m. PT.
“A Lien” is now streaming on Vimeo Staff Picks.
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