It's an honor just to be nominated ...

Well, maybe not, but being nominated for an Oscar certainly has its perks, including getting your film seen by a lot more people.

Moviegoers want to see the releases that are up for an Academy Award, and the Garde Arts Center provides an additional opportunity to do that each season with its Garde Cinema Winter Series.

This year's series kicks off tonight with one of the best movies of the year, "Spotlight." A collection of lauded films follow, from "The Martian" to "The Big Short" to "Brooklyn."

On the afternoon of Feb. 13, the Garde offers a round-up of Oscar-nominated shorts, which include the comedy "Ave Maria" and the drama "Stutterer." Folks who come to the Garde that day can vote on which of these live action shorts is their favorite.

A nominee for Best Foreign Film, "Mustang," hits the Garde screen on Feb. 25. In this motion picture from Turkey, five sisters play with some boys as they are walking home from school, setting off a scandal.

The Garde Cinema Winter Series goes beyond Oscar contenders, too. You can see the Coast Guard rescue thriller "The Finest Hours" on March 3, and "Monty Python's Life of Brian" on April 8 — because you should always look on the bright side of life.