15 Animated Shorts Vying for an Oscar

This year's toons in contention range from Walt Disney celebrations to shorts hand drawn with only crayons.

By Beatrice Verhoeven - The Hollywood Reporter - December 4, 2023:

This year’s animated short contenders tackle light and dark subject matter, like rapping with a pet dog to generational trauma, in as few as five minutes.

One such contender is Carl’s Date, the first Pixar short film released in theaters since 2018’s Bao, which won the Oscar for best animated short film in 2019.

Another is The Brave Locomotive from Andrew Chesworth, who served on the animation team for Big Hero 6, which of course won best animated feature in 2015.

Here is a list of 15 of this year’s animated short contenders that could gun for the big prize at the Oscars.

Aikāne

An island warrior falls into a mysterious underwater world and begins an epic adventure.

Armat

Élodie Dermange’s short delves into her family’s Armenian origins and reckons with generational trauma.

Boom

This five-minute short is about birds who try to protect their eggs from a volcanic eruption.

The Brave Locomotive

Andrew Chesworth, who worked on the animation team for Big Hero 6, wrote and directed this musical tale.

The Bridge

Izumi Yoshida’s film, inspired by true events of the 1920s, tells the story of orphans forced into adulthood.

Carl’s Date

The first Pixar short film released in theaters since 2018’s Bao follows the main character from 2009’s Up.

Chutes

Kenzie Sutton’s short examines capitalism and consumerism through the lens of childhood toys.

Colour!

A young girl attends a new school and risks losing her identity by blending in with the crowd. 

Electra

Blending live action and animation, the Czech short film explores father-daughter relationships.

Epicenter

A man and a woman both have surreal connections to South Korea’s Bukhansan mountain.

It Dawns the Longest Night

The four horsemen of the apocalypse meet to discuss the current state of humanity.

Letter to a Pig

After the war, a Holocaust survivor writes a thank-you letter to a pig who saved his life.

Mum’s Spaghetti

Poppy aspires to become the world’s next great rapper alongside her beatboxing dog, Snoop.

Once Upon a Studio

Produced by Disney Animation Studios, this short honors the studio’s centennial this year.

Rosemary A.D. (After Dad)

The poignant story about a father and daughter is completely hand-drawn with crayons.