With the 95th Academy Awards quickly approaching, a dear friend suggested we do something extra special. On a Sunday whim, we made our way to a movie theatre nestled in a dying shopping mall and watched the five Academy Award-nominated live-action short films. Not much later, I further forayed into the category, settling into a dusty corner on in the library to watch the five nominated animated shorts back-to-back.
I don’t think I’m alone in assuming that the short film category is largely overlooked in the shadows of other Oscar-nominated films with big budgets, glamorous celebrities, and massive movie premieres. The marketing is rarely strong on shorts. However, I was pleased to find that many of them are pretty accessible to watch, and I appreciated the feasibility of watching them all in a few days.
A quick Google search reveals a long history of short films at the Oscars. Animated short films predated the live-action short film category, with the first film, a Disney animated short called Flowers and Trees, awarded in 1932. Today, unsurprisingly, the Walt Disney Company still boasts the most wins and nominations in the short film category and has managed to snag a nomination in the live-action category this year once again. The first live-action short film category at the Academy Awards appeared in 1957, almost 30 years after the first Oscars award show. Currently, the Academy accepts films under 40 minutes in duration for consideration in two major categories: best animated short and best live-action short.
Creating a short film is not a challenge that pales in comparison to big-budget movies. Building well-developed characters and a meaningful, engaging plot that delivers a poignant theme in under 40 minutes is no small feat. As creatures who value familiarity, time spent is a significant factor in the emotional attachment to characters and the storyline. Creating any substantial relationship between the film and the audience in the time allotted for a short film is an accomplishment.
Nominations for Best Live-Action Short Film:
- Le Pupille
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Written and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher
This film takes place in a little Italian town in World War II, Italy and focuses on the lives of orphan girls at a Catholic School. The war has left the school and town in a state of rationing and sacrifice. The girls are raised by strict, fun-opposed nuns. The townspeople seem to accept the general sentiment that God more willingly accepts the prayers of innocent orphans, and the nuns of the Catholic school capitalize on the orphans and fulfill prayer requests in exchange for money, food, and oil. When a stylish young woman begs the orphans to return her the loyalty of her cheating lover, she offers up a decadent cake. Under the strict rule of the nuns, only the orphan’s pupils are truly free. This charming flick was distributed and marketed by Disney and is one of the favorites to win the category.
- An Irish Goodbye
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Written and Directed by Ross White and Tom Berkeley
Another favorite to win is the sole English film, An Irish Goodbye, which follows the reconnection of two brothers following their mom’s death. In an effort to memorialize her, the boys set out to complete their mother’s bucket list together with her ashes in a number of equal parts humorous, morbid, and heartwarming montages.
- Night Ride
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Written and Directed by Eirik Tveiten
In a Norwegian village during Christmas time, a little person makes the spur of a moment to steal a tram in a film that is a lesson in spontaneity and taking the power back. Tveiten delivers a suspenseful narrative claiming that those who justice eludes can pack its biggest punch.
- The Red Suitcase
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Written and Directed by Cyrus Neshvad
The Red Suitcase tells the story of a young Iranian girl sent to France by her father to participate in an arranged marriage with a much older man. In a frightened and suspenseful sequence, she attempts to liberate herself from her predicament with all odds stacked against her. The film represents a clear and strong statement from the director about the ongoing struggle for the religious and political freedom of women in Iran.
- Ivalu
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Directed by Anders Walter and Pipaluk K. Jorgensen, Written by Anders Walter
Ivalu is a short film adaptation of the graphic novel by Morten Durr with a story as harrowing and cold as the Greenlandic glaciers and mountain lakes that make up most of the setting. Ivalu investigates the pure hope and perseverance of children and is not the only nominate short film to demonstrate the thickness and complexity of a sibling’s bond.
Nominations for Best Animated Short Film:
- An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It
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Written and Directed by Lachlan Pendragon
Of all the nominated films in this category, this Australian stop-motion flick takes itself the least seriously. An office worker seeks self-actualization in a dead-end sales job before realizing the horror of what the audience already knows, that he is not in control.
- Ice Merchants
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Written and Directed by Joao Gonzalez
This short tells the story of a father and son selling ice and quite literally living on the edge to make ends meet. This was a beautifully simple film with the most unique animation style among them. The softened primary color palette and soundtrack of this film support a meaningful story with zero dialogue.
- My Year of Dicks
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Written by Pamela Ribon and Directed by Sara Gunnarsdottir
This film was actually a surprisingly empowering take on the awkwardness and naivete of a teenage girl attempting to lose her virginity. Pam bumbles around these awkward and short-lived relationships with boys in a humorous and nostalgic style. Each chapter of the story undergoes a slight animation change that embraces the offbeat harmony of the narrator’s journey.
- The Flying Sailor
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Written and Directed by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
The Flying Sailor is an animated take on a real incident in 1917. In the short, the main character resembles a 20th-century sailor that survived the massive accidental of ships in Halifax Harbor that killed almost 2000 others. The sailor’s life flashes before his eyes as he revisits his life and childhood and experiences the fleeting quality of life.
- The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and the Horse
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Written by Jon Crocker and Charlie Mackesy and Directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Macksey
This short is a slice of sweet childhood fables utilizing a storybook animation style, reminiscent of Christopher Robin and his forest friends, to offer the audience little bites of wisdom throughout the film. This short is adapted from a children’s illustrated storybook and is marketed and distributed by Apple TV.
So, if you’re like me and your TikTok-addled attention span desires a short but impactful taste of something cinematic, these short films just might be it. At the very least, they give you a quick taste of a movie and current trends and directions in filmmaking. These categories deserve more attention and present an easy and accessible way to enjoy the film and follow a category or two this awards season.