Short of the Week
We’ve followed the journey from 309 to 45, when the shortlists were released in late 2021 and then from 45 to 15, when the nominees were announced in February 2022, but finally the time has come to shine a light on the three short films that picked up the most prestigious statuette in filmmaking at the 94th Academy Awards. Although many of our favorites didn’t originally make the cut to nomination stage and we were of course saddened to learn of the news the short categories were demoted from the live broadcast, we were still excited for the awards with alums in each of the three categories (with their films freely available online) and had our fingers crossed that we’d see at least one of them scoop an award.
For once, our hopes weren’t dashed and in a rare turn of events, not only were all three winners previously featured filmmakers on Short of the Week, but all three films were available to watch online, for free. So, in case you missed it, here’s a rundown of the winning films – watch them while you can, as we can’t guarantee they’ll stay online forever.
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Alberto Mielgo’s The Windshield Wiper – click on image to watch film on YouTube
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The Windshield Wiper BY Alberto Mielgo
With all eyes firmly on Aardman’s festive special Robin Robin, Mielgo’s spectacular 15-minute animation exploring the question of “What is Love?” was a surprising, but certainly not underserved winner of the Best Animated Short Film Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards. Self-produced over the course of six years, Mielgo’s stunning animation style and relatable vignettes give The Windshield Wiper immediate draw to both general audiences and animation aficionados. A film we were proud to host on the Short of the Week YouTube channel throughout its ‘For Your Consideration’ campaign, we couldn’t be happier to see Mielgo receive the recognition his craft and talent duly deserved.
Read our article on The Windshield Wiper
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BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
The Queen of Basketball BY Ben Proudfoot
Having made it into the final five in the same category last year, with his short doc A Concerto is a Conversation, Proudfoot went one better this year, taking home the Best Documentary Short Subject Oscar for his portrait of the late Lusia “Lucy” Harris – the first and only woman ever drafted to the NBA. Inviting the filmmaker on to Short of the Week jut a few days earlier, to discuss the controversy over the demotion of the short film categories from the live ceremony, Proudfoot instead issued a rallying call on the importance of short documentary. His passion came through in that guest post for S/W and shines brightly in his work, with The Queen of Basketball a testament not only to Harris’ incredible story, but to Proudfoot’s dedication to his craft.
Read our article on The Queen of Basketball
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BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
The Long Goodbye BY Aneil Karia
Riz Ahmed’s star-power is impossible to ignore in the draw of this music video/short film, but it’s Aneil Karia’s name that holds the most interest to those embedded in the short film world. Having followed his career from debut short BEAT to Top Boy director and his first foray into feature filmmaking with Surge, his is a story that highlights the important role short film plays in a director’s career trajectory. Announcing his distinct directorial style early in his work, Karia’s immersive approach is vital in bringing this powerful tale, which Ahmed describes as “being broken up with” by the country he lives in, to screen.