Trying to figure out what will get nominated in the short-film categories at the Oscars is one of the hardest things to forecast. Fear not, we are here to help! Below are all 15 films that made the just-released Academy Awards shortlist for Best Animated Short along with descriptions and embedded videos and/or links where available.
Some of the subjects covered by this year’s batch of cartoon shorts are a group of bald brothers confronting their flaws while all seeking hair transplants, a troubled captain attempting to raise his daughter, the brutality of ISIS on Coptic men in Africa, and young boy curious about kissing.
Here is your 2025 Oscars Best Animated Short cheat sheet:
“Au Revoir Mon Monde” – With the end of the world imminent, a man who is stuck in a fish costume rushes to get to a strange tower before it’s too late. Filmmakers Estelle Bonnardel, Quentin Devred, and Baptiste Duchamps took home the gold medal in animation at this year’s Student Academy Awards. Watch below:
“A Bear Named Wojtek” – Introduces us to Wojtek, an orphaned Syrian brown bear that was brought to Edinburgh, Scotland, after having been adopted by Polish soldiers during WWII. Directed by Iain Gardner.
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“Beautiful Men” – While staying at a hotel in Istanbul while they all await hair transplants, three bald brothers struggle with their self-confidence. Directed by Nicolas Keppens.
“Bottle George” – A family must grapple with the pain and bleakness of one member’s falls into addiction. Director Daisuke Tsutsumi was an Oscar nominee in 2014 for “The Dam Keeper” in this category.
“A Crab in the Pool” – Siblings Theo and Zoe find themselves alone at their home on a hot summer day and seek to keep their connection intact. Directed by Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte. View the short on Vimeo.
“In the Shadow of the Cypress” – A former sea captain suffering from PTSD faces a tough and isolated life while also raising his daughter. Directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani. Watch the short on Vimeo.
“Magic Candies” – A young boy buys a bag of colorful candies and after eating one he finds he can communicate with different people, animals, and even objects. Directed by Daisuke Nishio.
“Maybe Elephants” – A family consisting of mom, dad, and three teenage daughters find themselves having to make some significant changes after the group relocates to Kenya. Filmmaker Torill Kove won this category at the 2006 Oscars for “The Danish Poet” and she also received nominations for “My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts” in 1999 and “Me and My Moulton” in 2014.
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“Me” – IMDb simply describes the plot as “a musical odyssey about the retreat of humanity into itself.” It’s the latest from celebrated filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt who has been nominated in the category twice before for “Rejected” (2000) and “World of Tomorrow” (2015).
“Origami” – From a few sheets of paper, a whole world begins to be constructed through the intricate Japanese art form. Directed by Kei Kanamori, the short won the silver medal in animation at this year’s Student Academy Awards. Watch below:
“Percebes” – In southern Portugal, we look at the life cycle of a special shellfish called percebes, or goose barnacles, from their initial formation to people’s dinner plates. Directed by Laura Gonçalves and Alexandra Ramires.
“The 21” – More than 70 artists from around the world came together to make this short honoring 21 Coptic men who were brutally executed in Libya by ISIS in 2015. Director Tod Polson is a previous gold medal winner in animation at the Student Academy Awards for “Al Tudi Tuhak” in 2000.
“Wander to Wonder” – In the 1980s, the three stars of a children’s TV show are reunited in the studio after the show’s creator dies. Director Nina Gantz claimed the 2015 BAFTA Award for Best British Short Animation for “Edmond.”
“The Wild-Tempered Clavier” – Inspired by the music of Bach and painted on rolls of toilet paper as a tribute to the old practice of painting directly on to 35mm film, this short shows how an artist is determined to play, no matter what’s going on in the world. Directed by Anna Samo.
“Yuck!” – At summer camp, Léo joins the other kids in laughing at people who kiss on the mouth, but he soon finds that he really wants to try kissing. Directed by Loïc Espuche.
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