Watch Animated and Live-Action Short Film Nominees Online: Scroll Down for Links
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) dramatically narrowed the field in several categories, issuing new shortlists of films in contention for several award categories.
Visual Effects
In the Visual Effects category, the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee was wow-ed by this year’s high-profile de-aging processes, advancing both Gemini Man and The Irishman to the final 10. Also making it into the final round are director Tom Hooper’s Cats, Disney’s (almost) all-CG The Lion King and the single-shot WWI drama 1917.
All members of the VFX branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from the shortlisted films, either online or at one of the planned “satellite bake-off screenings” next month. Five films will be nominated for Oscar consideration following those screenings.
Here’s the list:
Alita: Battle Angel
Avengers: Endgame
Captain Marvel
Cats
Gemini Man
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Terminator: Dark Fate
Director J.J. Abrams (leaning forward) on the set of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Walt Disney Pictures
Documentary Feature
The field for the Documentary Feature Oscar has been narrowed to 15 titles out of a total of 159 that were submitted for consideration. The shortlist was voted on by members of the AMPAS Documentary Branch. For Sama, made during the uprising in Aleppo, Syria, must be considered a front-runner, given its win for best documentary feature at the Cannes Film Festival as well as at the IDA Documentary Awards, but several of these films have been widely applauded and it’s hard to tell which way AMPAS may go in the end.
Advocate
American Factory
The Apollo
Apollo 11
Aquarela
The Biggest Little Farm
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
The Great Hack
Honeyland
Knock Down the House
Maiden
Midnight Family
One Child Nation
For Sama
Channel 4 / Frontline PBS
Documentary Short Subject
Out of 96 films submitted, just 10 have been selected to advance in the Documentary Short Subject category. Like the Documentary Feature shortlist and nominees, these are voted on by members of the AMPAS Documentary Branch.
“After Maria” (trailer on YouTube)
“Fire in Paradise” (trailer on YouTube)
“Ghosts of Sugar Land” (trailer on YouTube)
“In the Absence” (full film on YouTube)
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” (trailer on IMDb)
“Life Overtakes Me” (trailer on YouTube)
“The Nightcrawlers” (full film on YouTube)
“St. Louis Superman”
“Stay Close” (full film on POV/PBS)
“Walk, Run, Cha-Cha” (full film at The New York Times)
International Feature Film
This category (until this year known as Foreign Language Film) has already been more controversial than usual this year. The Academy sparked an outcry by ruling, late in the decision-making process, that the Nigerian film Lionheart contained too much English-language dialogue to qualify for the award, which requires films be spoken “predominantly” in another language. A week later, the Academy disqualified an Austrian film, Joy, for the same reason. Meanwhile, France disappointed some fans by declining to submit Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which has been very popular on the film-festival circuit, selecting instead the contemporary police drama Les Misérables, co-winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes.
All that said, director Bong Joon-ho’s class-struggle thriller (and box-office hit) Parasite is clearly the film to beat in this category, with director Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory and director Mati Diop’s Atlantics likely looking to play spoiler.
Czech Republic, The Painted Bird
Estonia, Truth and Justice
France, Les Misérables
Hungary, Those Who Remained
North Macedonia, Honeyland
Poland, Corpus Christi
Russia, Beanpole
Senegal, Atlantics
South Korea, Parasite
Spain, Pain and Glory
Atlantics
Netflix
Makeup and Hairstyling
These 10 films have been selected to advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category. On January 4, the AMPAS Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be able to view seven-minute excerpts from each film in advance of voting on the final five nominated films.
Bombshell
Dolemite Is My Name
Downton Abbey
Joker
Judy
Little Women
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917
Once upon a Time…in Hollywood
Rocketman
Music (Original Score)
Members of the Academy’s Music Branch voted on the 15-film shortlist, reduced from 170 eligible scores, and will determine the nominees.
Avengers: Endgame
Bombshell
The Farewell
Ford v Ferrari
Frozen II
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
The King
Little Women
Marriage Story
Motherless Brooklyn
1917
Pain and Glory
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Us
Music (Original Song)
Members of the Academy’s Music Branch whistled their way through 75 eligible songs to reach this 15-song shortlist. Notably absent is the Taylor Swift/Andrew Lloyd Webber contribution to the soundtrack of Cats, which earned a Golden Globe nod earlier this month and seemed like a gimme for the Oscars.
“Speechless” from Aladdin
“Letter To My Godfather” from The Black Godfather
“I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough
“Da Bronx” from The Bronx USA
“Into The Unknown” from Frozen II
“Stand Up” from Harriet
“Catchy Song” from The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
“Never Too Late” from The Lion King
“Spirit” from The Lion King
“Daily Battles” from Motherless Brooklyn
“A Glass of Soju” from Parasite
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman
“High Above The Water” from Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4
“Glasgow” from Wild Rose
Animated Short Film
Out of 92 animated shorts that qualified, 10 have been shortlisted for the Academy Awards by members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, who also determine the final five nominees.
“Dcera (Daughter)” (trailer)
“Hair Love” (full film on YouTube)
“He Can’t Live without Cosmos” (trailer)
“Hors Piste” (full film on Vimeo)
“Kitbull” (full film on StudioDaily)
“Memorable” (excerpt on YouTube)
“Mind My Mind” (trailer)
“The Physics of Sorrow” (trailer)
“Sister” (full film on Vimeo)
“Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days” (full film on YouTube)
“Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days”
National Film Board
Live Action Short Film
No fewer than 191 live-action shorts qualified for consideration, a roster that the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch whittled down to 10 for this shortlist.
“Brotherhood” (full film on Vimeo)
“The Christmas Gift” (trailer on YouTube)
“Little Hands” (full film on Vimeo)
“Miller & Son” (full film on Vimeo)
“Nefta Football Club” (full film on Vimeo)
“The Neighbors’ Window” (full film on Vimeo)
“Refugee” (trailer at Radiant Studios)
“Saria” (full film on Vimeo)
“A Sister” (excerpt on Vimeo)
“Sometimes, I Think about Dying” (full film on YouTube)
