For Academy Awards obsessives, there is no greater headache than predicting the Shorts. Best Animated Short, Documentary Short, and Live Action Short are so tough to get a read on, with precious few precursors to help along the way. And yet, the Academy provides a shortlist of 15 films for each category. To assist, I’ve watched all the shortlisted films, breaking them down, reporting on my experience with the shorts, and trying to get into the voters’ minds to predict the final nominees.
While major studios often dominate the Animated Feature nominees, the same can’t be said for Animated Short. 113 animated shorts qualified for this year’s Academy Awards — a hefty list — but major studios were absent primarily from qualification. Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey” qualified after premiering with “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” but failed to receive a spot on the shortlist. Likewise, Disney and Pixar, who were once mainstays in the category, didn’t even appear in the longlist of qualified shorts. It’s yet another sign of the changing tides in the animation space.
The most recognizable name on the shortlist, though, is Cartoon Saloon. The legendary Irish studio’s “Éiru” premiered alongside presumed Best Animated Feature nominee “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” last year to rave reviews. The studio has yet to win an Oscar, despite nominations for its first four features, as well as a Best Animated Short nomination for Louise Bagnall’s short film “Late Afternoon” in 2018. Directed by Giovanna Ferrari, “Éiru” is set in the Iron Age, following the young title character as she sets out to become a mighty warrior. The scraggly hand-drawn animation has so much character and is told with such fun energy. This is certainly the highest profile film on the list, which doesn’t always add up to a nomination, but this year, “Éiru” seems like the surest bet for a nomination. The real question is: can Cartoon Saloon finally win its Oscar?
Disney may not be on the shortlist, but two shorts hail from former Disney animators. Aaron Blaise, who received a Best Animated Feature nomination for co-directing “Brother Bear” in 2003, returns with “Snow Bear,” which he animated entirely on his own over the course of three years. It’s a genuine throwback to animation of the Disney Renaissance, with a lovable main character who just wants a friend. While it’s one of the most traditional shorts on the shortlist, Blaise has built a huge profile for himself on social media, so the short has a lot of fans. He would also join the very short list of filmmakers to receive a Best Animated Short nomination after having been nominated for Best Animated Feature, following Pete Docter and Nick Park. “Snow Bear” is also one of three shortlisted shorts to receive an Annie Award nomination.
Former Disney animators Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears, who worked as animators on films like “Zootopia 2,” “Big Hero 6,” and more, co-directed “Forevergreen,” coincidentally also about a bear. Here, a bear befriends a kind evergreen tree, and the two live together in harmony until trash threatens to disrupt everything. What sets “Forevergreen” apart is its hand-crafted aesthetic. Though it’s computer-generated, the elements appear to be almost whittled out of wood, almost like a diorama that’s come to life. The film is charming enough, though heavy-handed and perhaps a bit schmaltzy, which isn’t necessarily helped by the Bible verse that pops up at the end.
Name-brand studios may not have produced any films on the shortlist, but the name recognition could come from previous nominees in the category. Funny enough, two-time nominee Konstantin Bronzit tried to avoid any prejudice from name recognition altogether by directing and submitting “The Three Sisters” under a pseudonym, Timur Kognov, only revealing his identity after the announcement of the shortlists. His short follows a tiny island inhabited by three sisters who fall on hard times and must bring in a renter, which causes a rift among them. It’s a very silly and strangely horny short that’s so much lighter than expected.
One previously nominated directing team, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, did take credit for their work on the excellent stop-motion short “The Girl Who Cried Pearls.” It’s a clever little fable told by a grandfather to his granddaughter, but the truth of his tale may be out of reach. The meticulous animation gets the vibe just right: a little bit messy design, crafted like out of an old man’s memory. It’s the sort of short that feels tailor-made to be a nominee and has already received an Annie Award nomination.
Another stop-motion short that could garner a lot of attention is “Playing God,” a dark horror flick that uses the medium itself as the monster. A clay sculpture awakens, surrounded by horribly disfigured figures watching him in horror. An unseen god-like sculptor pulls and tweaks the sculpture, shaping it to exacting specifications. Body horror meets claymation in a perfect pairing, with a simple, creepy design that couldn’t be more effective. It’s cool as hell, but will the Academy agree? In some ways, this reminded me of the 2022 Animated Short nominee “An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It,” which also broke the fourth wall, using stop-motion as its storytelling device. While I can’t rely on the Academy always making the coolest choice, I think the short is impressive enough to win them over.
While horror isn’t always up the Academy’s alley, “The Quinta’s Ghost” walks the line between drama and horror. Telling the story of the creation of Francisco Goya’s “Black Paintings,” the striking animation brings it to life with deep shadows and a painterly touch. It’s rendered in computer animation, but with painted accents that help connect to Goya’s art style. It’s atmospheric in the best ways.
Adult themes of war and conflicts take center stage in two shortlisted shorts. First, Anastasiia Falileieva’s “I Died In Irpin” recounts her days in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s war in Ukraine, as she and her boyfriend flee Kyiv. It’s a tragic story of how her personal abuse meets the terror of literal war. The sketchbook-style art pairs well with Falileieva’s narration and her deeply personal reflections.
Similarly, “Papillon,” or “Butterfly,” chronicles the true story of Jewish swimmer Alfred Nakache, who swam in the Olympics before and after surviving the Holocaust. Featuring striking hand-painted animation, the story comes to life as if leaping off the canvas. It’s a story of survival, unfolding the memories and all the pain that comes with them. The film’s maturity, both in style and storytelling, will certainly appeal to the Academy.
Another story of grief on the shortlist, “The Shyness of Trees,” finds a touching metaphor for the moment of grasping for those last few moments with someone before they pass. This French animated short is beautifully stylized, sad, and cathartic. Anyone who has lost a parent or grandparent in their later years will connect to this.
“Autokar,” a Polish short, shifts to a kid’s perspective: a young girl in the 1990s who is sent alone on a bus to emigrate from Poland to Belgium. Along the way, her imagination runs wild, and a dreamlike world full of anthropomorphic animals gives her the courage on her journey. The animation is a perfect fit for a child’s imagination and fear, capturing both curiosity and dark undertones. The short stretches a bit long, but it’s a solid entry nonetheless.
“The Night Boots,” which won the Annecy Cristal award, follows another sort of child’s journey. Late one night, Eliot decides to explore the forest near his house, and encounters a friendly dog and all sorts of scary creatures he never knew lurked so closely. Crafted with rare pinscreen animation, the imagery is quite evocative. Even so, the story doesn’t live up to the visuals. It’s a fantastical journey, but the film seems more interested in showcasing its unique animation than in telling a captivating story, making for an unfulfilling experience.
Two shorts center on anthropomorphic pigs, though they’re quite different from each other. Much more geared towards adults is “Hurikán.” In this Czech short, the titular character just wants to save his favorite beer stand from shutting down, but he’s chased down by thugs, faces off with cops, and dries up while on the run. The black-and-white animation is surprisingly intricate, capturing the darkly comedic tone perfectly. There’s a phenomenal sense of pacing in the short, a burst of energy that made me want to see more with this main character.
Next up on the pig front is “Cardboard,” which follows a family of pigs as they move into a sketchier-than-expected trailer park. Still grieving the loss of their mom, the dad struggles to handle and connect with his two rambunctious kids. In many ways, this felt like a throwback to classic Pixar shorts, perhaps one that would play in the early 2000s. The cartoonish CG animation looks terrific, and it’s full of life, humor, and character. To that end, it perhaps doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a charming little short nonetheless. The Annie Awards agreed, nominating it for Best Short Subject.
Finally, the shortest film on the list seems perhaps the simplest, but it packs a punch nevertheless. “Retirement Plan” follows a man dreaming about all the things he’ll do once he’s retired, and he has big plans. Narrated to brilliant effect by Domhnall Gleeson, there’s a charm and relatability to this piece that absolutely draws you in. The animation’s simplicity, like a New Yorker cartoon come to life, accentuates the big dreams in the man’s life. It’s a wistful, melancholic short, unexpectedly moving.
As always, the wide variety of tones and styles among these nominees makes it nearly impossible to predict. For my predictions, I’m first picking a film that feels important, one that touches on weightier themes. For that, I’m going with “Butterfly,” a timely short. Next, the high profile of “Éiru” and Cartoon Saloon has me fairly confident it will land among the final nominees. The two stop-motion shorts should both appeal to the Academy in different ways. “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” feels like a classic nominee in the category, a bit more traditional, and coming from former nominees, but it is impressive. “Playing God” takes the medium itself and makes something a bit more stylized and radical, something I think the branch will appreciate. That leaves a tough choice for the final spot. I’m tempted to put in “Snow Bear” because of Blaise’s promotion and love in the industry, while the sadness and moving stories of “The Shyness of Trees” or “I Died In Irpon” could easily push it into the final nominees. Ultimately, “Autokar” just feels right because of its imaginative world while still touching on weighty themes of migration and more. Tough to narrow these down, but that’s what I’m going with. See my final predictions below, followed by my favorites from the shortlist.
Predicted Nominees:
- Butterfly
- Playing God
- Eiru
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Autokar
Close: Snow Bear, The Shyness of Trees, I Died in Irpin
My Favorites:
- Playing God
- Éiru
- Retirement Plan
- The Quinta’s Ghost
- Hurikán
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