by Hope Madden
The 2026 program of Oscar nominated animated shorts is characteristically brilliant. Artistic styles range from brushstrokes to stop motion to simple, hand-drawn animation and the tales told run an even wider gamut. Gorgeous, heartwarming, clever and endlessly watchable, the shorts celebrate the boundless talent and creativity in human artistry.
The Three Sisters
14 minutes, directed by Konstantin Bonzit
Konstantin Bonzit enlists spare but effective animation and no dialog at all to tell the most uproarious and delightful film of the lot. Three sisters life side by side by side on a tiny island until one day, a sole sailor docks looking for a place to stay. It’s a clever bit of fun, slyly told.
Forevergreen
13 minutes/ directed by Nathan Englehardt and Jeremy Spears
Stirring, gorgeous, dear, clever, joyous, heartbreaking, funny—Evergreen delivers it all, and in just 13 minutes. The story follows an orphaned bear cub who finds shelter and safety in the limbs of a loving evergreen tree. The animation is stunning, as is the film’s ability to draw so much emotion.
Retirement Plan
7 minutes, directed by John Kelly
Co-writer/director John Kelly (scripting with Tara Lawall) animates a clever, witty, delightful wish list from an unprepared middle-aged man (voiced to perfection by Domhnall Gleeson) listing all the things he will do once he’s retired and has the time. An utter joy.
Butterfly (Papillon)
15 minutes, directed by Florence Miailhe
The brushstroke painting technique Miailhe uses is such a perfect medium for this tale of the water. The animation flows and moves, as Alfred Nakache’s life swims before our eyes. His youth, afraid of the water. His adolescence, a remarkable swimmer. His young adulthood, an Algerian-born Jewish Olympian in 1936’s German games. Memories of love, loss, and survival, all told from the water, leave a stirring impression.
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
17 minutes; directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
This enchanting, almost spooky stop-motion tale sees a wealthy grandfather spinning the tale of his most precious possession to his curious granddaughter. His tale is of his youth of poverty, his love for a sorrowful girl, and the tears of pearls that she shed. The unforgettable animation and Colm Feore’s beautiful voicework make this an unforgettable fable.
The Oscar Nominated Short Films are presented in three separate feature-length programs (Live Action, Animated, Documentary) at theaters beginning this weekend.
