Short of the Week
With S/W alums Gints Zibalodis and Nina Gantz making waves on the awards circuit, we have high hopes that more of our previously featured filmmakers will take home Oscars this Sunday (March 2nd). Zibalodis’ Flow is up for two awards – so fingers crossed!
With these rooting interests established, this final Oscars post before Sunday’s ceremony is dedicated to helping you win your Oscar prediction pool. The short film categories are the most opaque during award season and often are the wildcards that swing things. Since we carefully follow tendencies and trends, predicting the short film winners has become a bit of a tradition here at Short of the Week, and we think our track record is pretty good!
Last year, we nailed two out of three predictions, correctly calling War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko for Best Animated Short and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar for Best Live-Action Short. While we missed on Documentary, we identified it as a two-horse race but guessed wrong. We’re hoping to go one better this year, but the Academy always has a few surprises up its sleeve.
Of course, being the snobs we are, we can’t help but also lay our cards on the table by sharing which films we would award if given the chance. So, with only days to go, consult our predictions and reasoning below, and good luck!
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Best Animated Short Film
Winner: Beurk! (Yuck!) by Loïc Espuche
No matter your state of mind when you start watching Beurk! (Yuck!), it has a certain magical power that will inevitably move you. It’s undeniably SUPER cute but also far more clever than it first appears—something that I think everyone will agree with. By marrying crowd-pleasing to hidden depth, I believe that it has a strong chance to win.
In addition to its populist appeal, the film also has a strong festival pedigree, with an impressive run after its premiere in the Generation section of the 2024 Berlinale. It is currently nominated for a 2025 César too (which takes place two days before the Oscars, on Feb 28th). Some are dinging Beurk! for its conventional 2D animation style, but its vibrant colors and energy make it effortlessly entertaining and by capturing a universal coming-of-age story with humor and lots of heart, I think it’s bound to seduce Academy members who might find that something light, funny and irresistibly sweet, is what we could all use right now.
Our Pick: Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz
Since its 2023 premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Wander to Wonder has taken the festival circuit by storm, collecting numerous awards – including Academy Award-qualifying ones (of course!). So it’s not exactly a surprise that we join the praise and profess our love for this film.
Following the success of her previous short, Edmond, S/W alum Nina Gantz once again delivers a stop-motion masterpiece with a dark and twisted narrative. Recently awarded Best British Short Animation at the BAFTAs, Wander to Wonder impresses by being both emotionally engaging and remarkable on a technical level. Yet, while the film is commendable in every aspect, it is not the most accessible, and when has the Academy ever been known to favor festival darlings?
Picks by Céline Roustan
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Best Documentary Short Film
Winner: Incident by Bill Morrison
Incident is a complete package – a topical work that touches on a hot-button issue, that possesses interesting craft, and comes from a well-known (if niche) filmmaker. Oh, and it’s really good too.
The potential argument against it would be if too many voters find randomness rather than intention in Morrison’s multiscreen arrangement of found footage, and, more nebulously, whether the much-opined “vibe shift” here in the USA has led to a sense of fatigue with stories of police brutality. I think the opposite might be the case though and that voters will seize upon this aspect as a form of soft protest against Trump’s America. Whatever the reasoning, I would consider this a good win.
The Only Girl in the Orchestra, as the Netflix representative and as an artist profile (one of the most common subgenres for winners in this category) deserves a long look, but I find it indulgent and lacking in standout moments, so I’m counting on other voters to feel the same.
Our Pick: Instruments of a Beating Heart by Ema Ryan Yamazaki
We’ve been consistent in our praise of Ema Ryan Yamazaki’s short since featuring it in December: a review, a spot on our team picks feature, a nomination for the Short Awards, and a recent win as Best Documentary from our jury. I put it #1 on my year-end list and I do think it stands a chance on Sunday as it did win the doc industry’s major award, the IDA.
However, Oscar voting is open to the whole Academy, and I think the difficulty of this style of documentary storytelling is simply under-appreciated. Also, based on reviews from last week’s Oscar theatrical screenings, too many viewers seem to be dismissing the film as sentimental fluff rather than giving credit to its more provocative strands regarding cultural conditioning and pedagogy.
Picks by Jason Sondhi
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Best Live-Action Short Film
L’homme qui ne se taisait pas (The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent) by Nebojša Slijepčević
Already a big hitter on the festival circuit – having won the Cannes Palme d’Or and the short film prize at the European Film Awards – it’s difficult to see past Slijepčević’s short as the frontrunner for this year’s Best Live-Action Short Film Oscar. A powerful period piece, set in the not-too-distant past, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent takes its audience on a tense train ride through Bosnia and Herzegovina, presenting a story that lingers long after the credits roll.
Jason is suggesting S/W alums David Cutler-Kreutz & Sam Cutler-Kreutz, and their film A Lien, could win, predicting that voters might be swayed by the immigration aspect in their short. While I still think the festival reputation and subject matter of Slijepčević’s film’s will see it win the award, since David & Sam are filmmakers we’ve championed twice before, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that Jason is right.
Finally, with Netflix acquiring Anuja, that might be the smart bet here as it’s exactly the kind of film that tends to sway voters. But personally, I find this style of filmmaking a bit emotionally manipulative.
Our Pick: I Am Not a Robot by Victoria Warmerdam
The Best Live-Action Short Film Oscar often goes to a high-drama, emotionally charged story, but our pick, I Am Not a Robot, takes a refreshingly different approach. A subtle sci-fi film that turns a high-concept premise into something grounded and humorous, Warmerdam’s work avoids the serious, head-on style that typically wins over voters. But for us, it’s the standout among this year’s nominees.
Picks by Rob Munday