One of my favorite things about Animated Short, specifically, is seeing how many people respond to a film that doesn’t vibe with their normal tastes with animation. It’s not that they dislike what they see, but a lot of audiences assume that the category will only have cutesy animals or family-friendly content. A few years ago, I would pay money to see people reacting to eventual nominee, Bestia.
If you have been following this trio of predictions posts, you may have noticed that I have a theory for what voters will gravitate to in terms of what they like. Mind you, these are all untested thoughts, and who knows why people vote for what they do. For Animated Short, I like to think that other animators and filmmakers respond to the style of animation used.
In the Feature section, Pixar and Disney remain king, but that doesn’t always mean that it always extends to the shorter category. Many of us presumed that Once Upon a Studio was going to make the cut since it honored the longevity and legacy of the Mouse House. Are we seeing the tide turning for more independent and international shorts to be appreciated? Neither Disney nor Pixar has won here since 2018.
113 films qualified for this year’s category. and in alphabetical order, we have…
Éiru
When the water supply vanishes from warring village, the titular Éiru sets her eyes on glory to save her people. The Clan of Mighty Flame is determined to climb down the well to find the ones who wronged them…but the only one who can slide down is the young girl they all dismiss. I love how Éiru’s flaming hair is rounded and full as a contrast to everyone else’s pointy straight line design. The colors of red, yellow, and orange feel so alive here as they hum and throb against shades of blue and black. It’s a short that comments on access to necessary resources while proving that bravery knows no gender, size, or age.
Forevergreen
Okay, okay, this short has a cute animal. An orphaned bear cub finds a father figure in a friendly tree, but their relationship is tested when the bear grows more interested in consuming the trash that is invading the forest’s space. When I saw this film at Palm Springs Shortsfest, I knew nothing about it and the ending had me shamelessly crying. I love how co-directors Jeremy Spears and Nathan Englehardt don’t shy away from the materials the animation is made out of. In addition to Spears being an accomplished whittler (check out his site here), both artists have worked on Disney projects like Zootopia, Frozen, Moana, and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
There is so much texture and detail in Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski’s short that you cannot help but be wowed. The story begins with a young girl discovering a pearl in her grandfather’s house, but he tells her a story of greed surrounding its origin. Are they truly pearls of sorrow, like those shed by Eve after she and Adam were expelled from the Garden of Eden? How does money and wealth relate to love and generosity? I love how the mouths of the characters in the fable don’t move like marionette puppets, but there is enormous delicacy and emotion at play here.
Hurikán
There are moments of quiet calm sprinkled throughout Jan Saska’s black and white film about a man (who happens to have the head of a pig) who tries to fill a beer keg to impress and apologize to the woman (who does not have a pig head) he has a crush on. There’s something here that appeals to that feeling of being lonely before it gives way to some frantic, kinetic moments.
I Died in Irpin
‘I decided to stay home with my boyfriend, because that’s what grown-ups do when they are in love,’ says the narration in Anastasia Falileieva’s short about a young couple that flee Kyiv to reach a relative’s house after Russia’s invasion. This is a film about refusing to face reality, no matter how violent, as Falileieva explains her frustrations with her relationship and her boyfriend’s family as the invasion creeps closer and closer. It’s devastating in its honesty.
The Night Boots
Elio is sent to bed while his parents are entertaining dinner guests, but he is tempted to venture outside when a rock is tossed through his window. With his trusty boots on his feet, Elio wanders into the woods with his dog following right behind. This is a film about discovering the world for yourself when you are still at an age to rely in your parents for their perspective. Director Pierre-Luc Granjon uses charcoal to gorgeous effect.
Ovary-Acting
Why the heck do we keep asking women when they are going to have kids? We do it way more than we think we do, I assure you. Filmmaker Ida Melum was curious about why we do this as a society when we don’t put the same pressure–at all–on men. When Eva finds herself stuck at her sister’s baby shower, she gives birth to her own reproductive organs and they have some…shall we say…illuminating conversations. Also, musical numbers. It’s a great short to open up a discussion not just with the people bugging you about when you’re going to reproduce, but Melum’s film reminds young women that they should have these conversations with themselves.
Check out our interview with Melum here.
Playing God
There is something beautifully grotesque and alarming about Matteo Barani’s film about mortality and self-preservation. A clay sculpture awakens in a workshop under a blazing lamp. The first few images even reminded me of what a quieter moment would look like from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When this particular creation realizes that other figures, disfigured or broken, are on display, he tries feverishly to escape. The film is drenched in flesh-tones peaches and reds, and proves that animation is not just for kids. I adore this short.
Retirement Plan
You know those things we always tell ourselves we are going to do when we have time? Those individual lists are the basis of John Kelly’s simple, healing, and transformative film. Narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly’s film shows us that there is never enough time to accomplish everything we think we want to do, but that doesn’t mean our spirit will give up on trying. We can all connect with the statements made in this film, so it’s no wonder that Kelly’s short has won a slew of prizes this season.
You can read our interview with Kelly and watch the film here.
Snow Bear
All hail hand-drawn animation! Aaron Blaise’s ode to friendship and love melts right off the page in Snow Bear, a heartbreaking and deeply felt film. In my interview the Oscar-nominated director (which you can read here), I admitted just how this short affects me every time I watch it. A polar bear searches high and low for a companion, and he resorts to making one himself out of snow. The face of this bear is so expressive that you cannot help but grin, and there is an image later that reminds me so much of Rankin/Bass’ Frosty the Snowman. Blaise’s film makes you feel temperature. The filmmaker is behind so many iconic and beloved Disney characters (he animated The Beast in Beauty & the Beast), so this might be his time to recognize his contributions to the world of animation.
A Sparrow’s Song
Tobias Eckerlin takes the enormous threat of war but finds something small, gentle, and forgiving amidst the potential horrow. A widowed air raid warden finds a near-dead sparrow and takes it home to help it recover. She gives it water and buys it a cage. We do not see much of the widow’s eyes, but the eyes of the bird feel wide with hope. The image of a gasmask on a child’s face is a startling one, as if commenting on the absurdity of war and conflict while nature thrives and we learn to allow hope drown out fear. Eckerlin’s film is so tender and special.
Eckerlin won the Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards.
The 12 Inch Pianist
‘A guy walks into a bar’ begins Lucas Ansel’s comedy about a genie with a hearing problem, but it examines male inadequacy and communication. Based on Simon Rich’s short story (no wonder I was laughing like buffoon…), Ansel stretches out what could’ve been a silly joke or a one-note story into something thoughtful, hilarious, and reflective.
Ansel won the Silver Medal at the Student Academy Awards, and you can watch the short here.
Two Ships
Even if you live with your partner or spouse, their job might call them to be away from home at completely different times. How we sustain connection, trust, and communication is the focus of McKinley Benson’s film about keeping that bond alive when you can’t see the other person. I love how Benson (who co-wrote the film with his partner, Mackenzie) uses color to identify specific people and spaces, and there is no dialogue. Sometimes you just don’t need words.
Watch our interview with the couple here and our full review here.
Versa
When you have a Disney short in contention, you always have to consider it, right? The history doesn’t just speak for itself, and Malcon Pierce’s personal story of navigating the loss of a child is telegraphed by dance and the cosmos. While not many have seen the film yet (I haven’t been able to get my hands on a screener), no doubt many will be moved by Pierce’s honesty. We look forward to catching up with it!
Whale 52
Could this be the year that Bill Plympton returns to the Oscar conversation? The animator’s latest, directed by Daniel Neiden, seems to focus on an older man, Kaufman, making a connection with a young boy, Enam, who has select mutism, but the emotions really sink its fingers into your chest. Enam asks Kaufman if he has ever heard of Whale 52, the legendary loneliest whale in existence, but it leads to a conversation about much deeper things. There is a pure curiosity at play here that I couldn’t shake.
Next Tier
All Heart
As If Swallowed by Earth
Black Man, Black Man
Butterfly Kiss
Cardboard
Criminal
Hairy Leg
Murmuration
On Weary Wings Go By
Patterns
Pow!
Shadows
Transferable
Trash
Wednesdays with Gramps
Don’t Count Out
Balconies
BUDO
Cafuné
Capybaras
The Eating of an Orange
Fracti
Gigi
Humantis
Luz Diabla
The Quinta’s Ghosts
Solstice
Two Black Boys in Paradise
