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“The Last Repair Shop,” a short documentary from the Academy Award-nominated directing duo Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers, which features an Armenian character that is central to its story, has made the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Short Film, the Armenian Film Society reported.

The film tells the story of four devoted craftspeople who help keep over 80,000 student musical instruments in good repair in the city of Los Angeles, led by the charming general manager, Steve Bagmanyan, who faced ethnic persecution in Azerbaijan in the 1980s. The film blends the unexpectedly intimate personal histories of the repair people with emotional, firsthand accounts from the actual student musicians for whom their instruments made all the difference.

Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers were both nominated for an Academy Award in 2021. Ben Proudfoot won an Academy Award in 2022.

“The Last Repair Shop” is available online on Los Angeles Times’ YouTube channel.

The 2024 Oscar shortlist for Best International Feature Film includes Michael Goorjian's “Amerikatsi”, Armenia’s official entry for the Academy Awards.

The nominations in all categories will be announced on January 23, with the awards ceremony taking place on March 10, airing live on ABC.