The Oscar race is on, which means 2022’s most well-respected films are up for consideration in the hope of walking away with entertainment’s most coveted trophy. Among those positioning for the prize in the category of Best Live Action Short Film (films under 40 minutes) is Evoke, made by Miami-based filmmaker Aaron M. Abelto. Abelto hopes to make the Oscar’s top 15 shortlist, which will be announced on December 21, 2022.
Evoke is Abelto’s third consecutive attempt at winning an Oscar in different categories. It follows Iron Temple, a film that Abelto wrote, directed, and starred in. That was Abelto’s second bid to compete in the Best Documentary category. The year before, Abelto championed The Power of Movement, a documentary that follows radiation oncologist and choreographer Dr. Niraj Mehta on his mission to increase cancer awareness and treatment as he embarks on healing cancer through movement.
Evoke follows the journey of Detective Clarke Cain and Jonathan Abel as they try to solve a murder mystery involving a young woman. “Evoke allowed me the opportunity to incorporate the effects of mental illness and the perception of acceptance in today’s society,” Abelto said in a statement. Along with Abelto, Evoke was produced by Rajesh D. Felix, Sarah E. Felix. David Escorcia served as Director of Photography.
The cast includes Abelto (Det. Abel), Tony Torres (Det. Cain), Jamil Malik (Dr. Brown), Leondre Thomas (Officer Smith), Kurt Dose (Officer Roberts), Tatiana Solodka (Paramedic), Roger J. Torres (Officer Anderson), Zach Felix (Paramedic), Bryan G. Thompson (Dispatcher) and Josh Felix (Robber), and is made under Able 2 Film Entertainment, Inc. (A2F).
Evoke has strong ties to Ukraine. One of the actors and two of the music artists are from Ukraine. The composers actually penned one of the songs for the film before the war, as one of the film’s composers is currently fighting in Ukraine.
Evoke was released in Los Angeles in theaters on September 16, 2022, and is now being shopped to platforms such as HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu, and Starz. The film aligns with Abelto’s dedication to telling powerful stories with a relatable purpose that an audience can genuinely identify with.
Short film voting for Academy members begins December 12, 2022, and ends December 15, 2022. The 95th Academy Awards are set to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on March 12, 2023, and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
