To see Oscar-nominated short films, look no further than this year’s Claremont 5 Second Film Festival on Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Claremont Laemmle Theatre, hosted by the Claremont Community College, which sponsors educational and cultural activities. 

This year, festival organizers have added an additional night to precede the event, focusing on music and film. This Spotlight on Music on Wednesday, May 6 will screen remarkable films about the influence of music.

Included in the evening will be the Oscar-winning film Lady in Number 6. It’s a documentary portrait of the world’s oldest Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer, a classical pianist who played in the orchestra of the Potemkin Village concentration camp Theresienstadt. She discusses the importance of music and laughter and how to have an optimistic outlook on life. Ms. Herz died at age 110, just a week before the film won an Academy Award.

On Thursday, May 7, A Single Life by Joris Oprin and Me and My Moulton by Torill Kove will be included at the event. Each were nominated for Animated Short Films in this year’s Academy Awards. The Festival includes films from around the world as well as works from local filmmakers. It begins with Red Carpet festivities and concludes with an After Party at Le Pain Quotidien.

The Claremont Community College supports musical enrichment and, last year, distributed 100 new guitars to deserving children. The film festival has sold out in each of the last three years. Tickets may be purchased online at www.5secondfilmfestival.com.