What comes to mind whenever we talk about period dramas? Stiff lace collars, elegant language, and the repressed yearning of a Jane Austen novel. For Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, it was a punchline that went on to become a revolution. Their short film, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, began as a clever word game between two friends. However, it soon grew into something bigger and earned an Oscar nomination, placing the movie among this year’s contenders for Best Live-Action Short Film at the Academy Awards. 

For Julia and Steve, the movie was always about starting a conversation around women and menstruation. That is why when Jane Austen’s Period Drama was announced as a nominee at this year's Oscars, the reaction was not calculated; it was pure shock, quickly followed by overwhelming joy. 

Since the Oscar nomination, celebration has slowly given way to a flood of emails and conversations, even as the magnitude of the moment lags behind the reality. While talking exclusively to NetflixJunkie after the historic feat, Julia Aks did not shy away from sharing the exact feeling of seeing their names appear on television, a moment so overwhelming it almost refused to settle into memory. 

“It is like the initial shock and joy,” she said, describing the mix of disbelief and excitement that followed.

“I mean, so such an overwhelming moment when we saw our name on the TV. And now, it is kind of settled into a lot of emails. But I am expecting it to really, really hit when we are at the Oscars. I mean, when we're all dressed up, and we are in a room with our idols. I do not know, I am expecting it to hit a little differently on March 15th,” Aks continued.

Steve Pinder meanwhile, is not convinced the feeling will ever fully land. For him, the experience remains so surreal that he feels it is almost impossible to claim as his own. He laughs at the absurdity of it all, the idea that something he made now exists in the same conversation as films and artists he grew up watching.

“I do not know if it is ever going to hit. It feels very surreal. It is like, what? I do not know. It is very hard to claim,” Pinder said. While both Pinder and Aks were on the moon making it to the Oscar nominations this year, there is more they are looking forward for on the starry night. 

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As the champagne chills and anticipation builds for Hollywood’s most glittering night, the newly minted Oscar nominees are already imagining the unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime encounters that could make their Academy Awards experience truly surreal.

There is no doubt that the Academy Awards, aka Oscars, are famous for their star-studded rooms, and Julia Aks and Steve Pinder are making sure they make full use of their time at the Dolby Theatre. While they are really excited about the nomination, they are also eagerly looking forward to meeting their idols, and the duo has already ‘must-meet’ lists ready. 

“I am really excited if I can find my way to Guillermo del Toro,” Aks said.

“Every time I hear him in interviews, every time I see his films, I just... They are so whimsical and so macabre in a way that I have... And they are magical realism. I do not know. His art has always really intrigued me and has held a special place in my heart. And then every time I hear him in interviews, I generally agree or get inspired by everything he says. So, if I can corner him, which I'm going to (laughs),” she continued.

Pinder’s dream encounter feels a little more conversational. He mentioned Emma Stone with an easy enthusiasm, describing her as someone who carries the spirit of a theater kid into every performance.

“Emma Stone, just because she is such a theater nerd. I mean, she has always been in movies. I do not even know if she has done much theater, but man, what a theater geek in the best way. And I am like, this feels like our people. I just feel like we would have a good time,” said Pinder.

Aks also hopes for a more niche, personal interaction. A devoted fan of the animated film K-pop Demon Hunters, which she says she has watched five times, she dreams of talking to EJAE, the singing voice behind one of its characters, Rumi. As a singer herself, she is less interested in celebrity small talk and more eager to dive into vocal technique, range, and the details only fellow performers tend to obsess over.

"As a singer myself, I would love to talk with EJAE and just geek out about vocal technique. I want to talk to her about her vocal range, but that is like a very niche thing. So, if I can corner her, I would also do that," she continued. 

As the stars, Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, prepare to walk into the Oscars surrounded by the artists who once inspired them from afar, their nomination already stands as a quiet victory: a reminder that even the most unconventional ideas can find a global stage.

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Once you have seen it, share your thoughts. Did the short film meet your expectations? Let us know in the comments.