How an Army airborne veteran got an Oscar nomination

This week, 82nd Airborne veteran Jack Piatt could go home with an Academy Award, the film industry’s most coveted honor, and one of the most prestigious awards in entertainment. His work combines the storytelling of a Russian realist from the 1800s and the talents of internet viral video performers to create an innovative and visually stunning ensemble that’s hard to forget.

Piatt produced the wildly successful short film “The Singers,” an adaptation of a 19th-century short story by Ivan Turgenev, in which a lowly pub full of downtrodden men unexpectedly connect through an impromptu sing-off. The film explores the complexities of masculinity and the power of vulnerability through art.

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“We wanted to drill into that typical masculine shell that so many men hide so much of themselves behind and take a peek inside and let people see there’s more than just pain and toil wrapped up in their story. I personally know so many men, family, friends, and otherwise who could be one of these guys. This film is for them,” Piatt told We Are The Mighty.

“The Singers,” which hit 5 million views in its first two weeks on Netflix, was shot on 35mm film at a Moose Lodge in La Habra, California, reminiscent of an American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

“Even though there is a somber, lonely mood hanging in the air; there’s also a shared community of men who come sit with each other every day to drink, share stories, and sometimes just be in a bar with other people who might understand what it’s like to walk in their boots,” said Piatt.

The casting of the singers—a combination of viral-video singing talent and other one-of-a-kind personalities from the unlikeliest corners of the internet—came together without a traditional script. Instead, they received guidance from director Sam Davis and improvised much of the rest.

“Rather than for me to write dialogue for first-time actors to perform, why not let them be themselves?” Davis told Netflix. “Casting and writing were one and the same in that sense, so it was a really chaotic but beautiful workflow.”

Playing the lead role is Mike Yung, a subway performer turned “America’s Got Talent” semi-finalist. Get a load of these pipes in the viral video of his subway performance that launched his rise to stardom:

“We wanted to tell a story about everyday people and shine a light on raw talent that can be hiding right in front of you. For me, I grew up around men like these characters in our film. I know that look of loneliness. We wanted to capture what it would look like if for one moment in time, these characters connected through joy and artistic expression,” said Piatt.

Yung is joined by Judah Kelly, winner of Australia’s “The Voice;” Will Harrington, a New Orleans busker and pianist; Matthew Corcoran, an Oklahoma-based operatic tenor; and Chris Smither, a Folk-Blues legend.

Oh, and of course, Hutch, another U.S. Army Airborne combat veteran, storyteller, and survivor, perhaps best known for his interviews on Soft White Underbelly.

“We don’t know what their backgrounds are. We don’t know their political ideations. No matter what the landscape is or the circumstances are, art can permeate it, and soulfulness can shift the room. That’s the power of music,” Piatt said in a 2025 interview as “The Singers” celebrated its premiere at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival.

Piatt, a member of Veterans in Media and Entertainment, an organization for filmmakers building their careers after military service, has spoken about how his military service helped prepare him for his career as a filmmaker, and he encourages other veterans to remember the same.

“I would tell them that their service experience is an advantage. You have discipline, time management, and problem-solving skills with the ability to hustle. Those are all important qualities on a film set. Start off as a [Producers Assistant] and show the producers you can keep your head down, take direction, and work hard, and doors will open for you if you are persistent and consistent in your efforts.”

That team player mentality is already building connections with fellow veterans.

“Jack is an extraordinary filmmaker who willingly explains that his military background actually was extremely useful as he pursued a career in the film industry,” Retired Army Colonel Lisa Costanza, a SAG-AFTRA actor and member of VME, told We Are The Mighty. “He is an amazing artist who is willing to help veteran filmmakers with his insights and guidance. A big shout out to Netflix for championing this film and supporting veterans!”