Yesterday marked the online debut of the 2011 Sundance Competition short films, and in that first batch of 4 films we were treated to the World Premiere of New York-based filmmaker Nick Paley's Andy and Zach—my favorite short in the program. Nick Paley happens to be a fan of Short of the Week, so we traded emails regarding the film, Sundance, and his thoughts on short films online.

One of the most notable short film success stories of recent years, this independent short animation from Matthew A. Cherry played theatrically in front of Angry Birds 2 this summer.

From the rise of the celebrity exec producer to the dwindling dominance of Animation's big studios, these are the Oscar short films trends you need to know about.

In the first of a recurring series, where we look to speak to those involved in the funding, production, distribution and programming of short film, we speak to Guardian Docs Executive Producer Jess Gormley.

With nominee voting for the 2023 Academy Awards opening today (Thu 12th Jan), the S/W team highlights the five standout films from each short film category.