When you think about the animated short films nominated for the 97th annual Academy Awards, how many can you name? If you’re an average movie watcher, probably not many. If you think back to past Oscar ceremonies, you might be able to name a couple more, but chances are you’re only thinking about the winners. The sad reality is this category and the films that go with it have a history of being underappreciated, even when they win.
The category was first introduced to the Oscars in 1932 at the fifth Academy Awards — Walt Disney’s short film “Flowers and Trees” won. The Academy changed the category’s name from “Short Subjects, Cartoons” to its current title, “Animated Short Film,” in 1974. As the film industry developed, the name change helped accommodate a wider range of artistic styles as the “cartoon” label became more associated with children’s entertainment.
The early years of this category were largely dominated by Walt Disney Studios. The studio has racked up more than 30 nominations in the category and has won the award 17 times. However, after its win with “It’s Tough to Be a Bird” in 1970, the studio did not win another award for Animated Short Film until “Paperman” in 2013. Primarily, the award has had a history of nominating and being won by smaller, independent companies and artists.
These short films distinguish themselves from the animated feature film category in a couple of ways. Animated feature films have to be over 40 minutes in order to qualify for a nomination, while short films must be less than that. Like most feature films nominated, animated feature films must also play at a qualifying commercial theater for at least a run of seven days before being nominated. Animated shorts have more leeway in that department and do not need a theatrical release to qualify. There’s no huge cast, typically not as many animators and the budget is a whole lot smaller.
The time, dedication and funding, most importantly, that goes into an animated film is extensive. On average, an animated feature film can take years to fully complete. Considering the money it takes to keep a production running that long, as well as the fact that feature films must have a theatrical release in order to qualify, it’s clear that animated feature films require an immense investment.
Animated shorts often don’t see that same kind of funding, nor do they typically have the same marketing budget to showcase their work. A change in rules for the short film category allowed a shorter run time and lightens the financial burden by not having to play in theaters. Still, the short films must win an award at a qualifying film festival to be nominated. But, like most short films nominated for an Oscar, animated shorts seem to be consistently overshadowed by their feature length counterparts.
One of the biggest challenges with an animated short film is packing the same level of emotion into something that can’t be longer than 40 minutes. We consider a movie that can take a viewer through a whole roller coaster of feelings within a couple hours a good film. I think a film that can do just that in a quarter of the time is a great one.
The most famous example of this is the 2020 film “If Anything Happens I Love You,” which won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2021. In just under 12 minutes, directors Michael Govier and Will McCormack were able to take viewers on a journey through a mother and fathers' grief after losing their young daughter in a school shooting.
With difficult- to- discuss topics like death, the artistic freedom in animation allows filmmakers to better portray these ideas than live-action films where the plot can become too intense or convoluted. And like “If Anything Happens I Love You,” there are also many short films that can convey a powerful story without the use of dialogue, instead relying on the power of emotions and visuals.
The 2014 short film “We Can't Live Without Cosmos” is another great example of this. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2016 and though it left without an award, it tells the story of two best friends who dream of becoming astronauts. While that dream becomes a reality for one of them, it is ultimately what leads to his death and sends the other into a spiral as he tries to reunite with his friend in space. While the film has no dialogue, it’s not completely silent. The use of music and sound effects makes the story more impactful by allowing the viewer to interpret it on their own more.
The animated short film category at the Oscars also sees a large portion of films from all parts of the world. This year sees nominations from Japan with “Magic Candies” to Belgium with “Beautiful Men.” It’s this effort to include films from around the world that makes enjoying these short films such a universal experience. It also provides a wide variety of artistic styles for the viewer to experience.
When looking at all the different types of animation that these short films have to offer, look no further than last year’snominee “Ninety-Five Senses,” directed by Jared Hess. The short film incorporates over five different animation styles in order to tell the story of an old man facing the death penalty in prison. Each style beautifully illustrates the emotions the man is feeling as he replays the moments in his life that got him to where he is now. While it lost to Dave Mullins’ short film “War Is Over!,” Hess's film tells what would be a dark story in a beautiful light.
Despite not always getting the recognition they deserve, these animated short films continue to be great depictions of life and the world around us. Most can be found free on YouTube or are available on select streaming services, so I highly recommend sparing a few minutes of your time to enjoy them.
