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2021 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animated, Live Action, and Documentary
Various directors
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Streaming April 2 – 25, 2021
For the 16th consecutive year, ShortsTV and Magnolia Pictures present the Oscar-Nominated Short Films, opening on April 2. With all three categories offered – Animated, Live Action and Documentary–this is your annual chance to predict the winners (and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! A perennial hit with audiences around the country and the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. The Academy Awards take place April 25.
2021 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
Estimated Running Time: 94 minutes. Recommended for 16+.
Burrow
Directed by Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
A young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. 2020, U.S., 6 minutes.
Genius Loci
Directed by Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
One night, Reine, a young loner, sees among the urban chaos a moving oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide. 2020, France, in French with English subtitles, 16 minutes.
If Anything Happens I Love You
Directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier
Grieving parents struggle with the loss of their daughter after a school shooting. An elegy on grief. 2020, U.S., 12 minutes.
Opera
Directed by Erick Oh
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker and former Pixar animator Erick Oh, Opera is an animation project that can be defined as a contemporary animated edition of the Renaissance fresco mural paintings. 2020, U.S., 9 minutes.
Yes-People
Directed by Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson
One morning an eclectic mix of people face the everyday battle, such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope. 2020, Iceland, 8 minutes.
Plus a bonus selection of addition animated shorts selected from the Oscar shortlist:
The Snail and the Whale
Directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon
A tiny snail goes on an amazing journey by hitching a ride on the tail of a huge humpback whale. Based on the picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 2019, U.K./Germany, 26 minutes.
Kapaemahu
Directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Long ago, four extraordinary beings of dual male and female spirit brought the healing arts to Hawaii and imbued their powers in four giant boulders. The stones still stand on Waikiki Beach, but their true story has been hidden – until now. 2020, U.S., in Hawaiian with English subtitles, 7 minutes.
To Gerard
Directed by Taylor Meacham
A sprightly elderly man brightens the day of a little girl through magic. 2020, U.S., 8 minutes.
2021 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts
Estimated Running Time: 125 minutes. Recommended for 16+.
Feeling Through
Directed by Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
A late-night encounter on a New York City street leads to a profound connection between a teen-in-need and a deaf and blind man. 2019, U.S, 19 minutes.
The Letter Room
Directed by Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
When a corrections officer is transferred to the letter room, he soon finds himself enmeshed in a prisoner’s deeply private life. 2020, U.S., 33 minutes.
The Present
Directed by Farah Nabulsi
On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, shopping becomes a profound challenge. 2020, Palestine, in English and Arabic with English subtitles, 25 minutes.
Two Distant Strangers
Directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
Cartoonist Carter James’ repeated attempts to get home to his dog are thwarted by a recurring deadly encounter that forces him to re-live the same awful day over and over again. 2020, U.S., 25 minutes.
White Eye
Directed by Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman
A man finds his stolen bicycle, which now belongs to a stranger. While attempting to retrieve it, he struggles to remain human. 2019, Israel, in Hebrew with English subtitles, 21 minutes.
2021 Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts
Estimated running time: 118 minutes. Recommended for 16+.
Colette
Directed by Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
Resistance took courage in Nazi-occupied France. 75 years later, facing one’s ghosts may take even more. 2020, France/Germany/U.S., in French and German with English subtitles, 24 minutes.
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
A virtuoso jazz pianist and film composer tracks his family’s lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 2020, U.S., 13 minutes.
Do Not Split
Directed by Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
The story of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, told through a series of demonstrations by local protestors that escalate into conflict when highly armed police appear on the scene.
2020, U.S./Norway, in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese with English subtitles, 20 minutes.
Hunger Ward
Directed by Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, Hunger Ward documents two female health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. 2020, U.S., 40 minutes.
A Love Song for Latasha
Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan
A dreamlike portrait of a vibrant 15-year-old girl whose shooting death sparks the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. 2020, U.S., 18 minutes.