Animated Short Film
Nominees:
| “Black Slide” |
| “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” |
| “The Debutante” |
| “The Flying Sailor” |
| “The Garbage Man” |
| “Ice Merchants” |
| “It’s Nice in Here” |
| “More Than I Want to Remember” |
| “My Year of Dicks” |
| “New Moon” |
| “An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It” |
| “Passenger” |
| “Save Ralph” |
| “Sierra” |
| “Steakhouse” |
Per the Academy’s press release:
15 films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 95th Academy Awards. 81 films qualified in the category. Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
Each shortlist is determined by members of that corresponding branch, except for International Feature Film. (Members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.)
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“Black Slide”
The Hive Studio
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
BBC / Apple TV+
“New Moon”
Edith Productions
“Passenger”
Zaramello
“Save Ralph”
Blue-Tongue Films / Humane Society International / Vespa Pictures
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
These picks are shots in the dark, as I haven’t seen any of the films. I’m mainly going off the people involved and the quality of the content that I have seen. Colman Domingo is involved in “New Moon,” which has the best animation style used among the shortlisted shorts. “Save Ralph” has a well-known cast, including Taika Waititi and Zac Efron, that will draw support. It’s also in conjunction with the Humane Society, so it also has a nice message. J.J. Abrams’s production company, Bad Robot, is involved in “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse,” which is put out by Apple TV+ and BBC. That makes it a high-profile short film with a solid, elegant animation style to match. “Black Slide” and “Passenger” caught my attention with their subject matter and visual style. I could easily see them nominated. Some honorable mentions that could get in for the same reasons include “Ice Merchants,” “It’s Nice in Here,” and “More Than I Want to Remember.”
Black Slide
Country: Israel
Directed by Uri Lotan
Produced by Amit Gicelter and Andrew Lord
Runtime: 10 minutes
The Hive Studio
Synopsis: Eviah, a young and timid kid on the brink of puberty, and his best friend sneak onto the Black Slide, the most terrifying ride at the water park. He soon gains insight to prepare him for events he is about to confront at home.
QUALIFYING WINS
Chilemonos – Best International Animation Short
Heartland Film: Indy Shorts – Best Animated Short
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Country: United States / United Kingdom
Directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy
Produced by J.J. Abrams, Matthew Freud, and Cara Speller
Runtime: 32 minutes
BBC / Apple TV+
Synopsis: A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heartwarming, classically animated film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book. The heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy’s search for home.
The Debutante
Country: United Kingdom
Directed by Elizabeth Hobbs
Produced by Abigail Addison
Runtime: 8 minutes
Animate Projects Limited
Synopsis: A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dinner dance being held in her honour.
The Flying Sailor
Country: Canada
Directed by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
Produced by David Christensen
Runtime: 8 minutes
National Film Board of Canada
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, the highly anticipated new film by Oscar-nominated duo Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis is a meditation on a sailor’s unexpected voyage.
The Garbage Man
(O Homem do Lixo)
Country: Portugal
Directed by Laura Gonçalves
Produced by Rodrigo Areia
Runtime: 11 minutes
Bando à Parte / BAP Animation Studio
Synopsis: In this animated documentary based on family interviews conducted by the filmmaker, Gonçalves explores memories of her uncle Manuel Botão, who worked as a garbage man in France for 30 years, having emigrated due to the Portuguese Colonial War. Memories shared over a family lunch on a hot summer day interweave to tell the story of a man who lived a hard life through humor and fantasy.
QUALIFYING WINS
Animafest Zagreb – Grand Prix
Ice Merchants
Country: Portugal / United Kingdom / France
Directed by João Gonzalez
Produced by Bruno Caetano, Michaël Proença, and João Gonzalez
Runtime: 14 minutes
COLA Animation / Wildstream / Royal College of Art
Synopsis: Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their vertiginous cold house, attached to a cliff, to go to the village on the ground, far away where they sell the ice they produce daily.
QUALIFYING WINS
Curtas Vila do Conde – Best Portuguese Short
Guadalajara International Film Festival – Rigo Mora Award for Best Int’l Animated Short
Melbourne International Film Festival – Best Animation
It’s Nice in Here
Country: Netherlands
Directed by Robert-Jonathan Koeyers
Produced by Richard Valk
Runtime: 15 minutes
Valk Productions
Synopsis: A fragmented portrait of a moment seen through the subjective memories of a young Black girl, Imani, and a rookie police officer, David, who both have different recollections of the same fateful moment that will alter their lives forever.
More than I Want to Remember
Country: United States
Directed by Amy Bench
Produced by Amy Bench and Carolyn Merriman
Runtime: 14 minutes
Synopsis: One night at her home in southeastern Congo, 14-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. From there, she sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people.
QUALIFYING WINS
Tribeca Film Festival – Best Animated Short
DeadCenter Film Festival – Best Short Animation
My Year of Dicks
Country: United States
Directed by Sara Gunnarsdóttir
Produced by Jeanette Jeanenne
Runtime: 24 minutes
Cat’s Pajamas / Wonder Killer
Synopsis: Imaginative 15-year-old Pam is stubbornly determined to lose her virginity, despite the slim pickings for partners on the outskirts of Houston in the early ’90s. Thankfully she’s not alone on her search for “the one,” thanks to her best friends. Based on Pamela Ribon’s memoir.
New Moon
Country: France
Directed by Jérémie Balais, Jeff Le Bars, and Raúl Domingo
Produced by Colman Domingo and Raul Domingo
Runtime: 11 minutes
Edith Productions
Synopsis: An imaginative surrealist journey of young Jay Jay and his mother Edie as their inner city dreams are illuminated by a summer night’s new moon over a backyard in West Philadelphia, accompanied by the magic of Aretha Franklin on the radio.
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Country: Australia
Directed by Lachlan Pendragon
Produced by Donna Hamilton
Runtime: 11 minutes
Griffith Film School
Synopsis: A mysterious talking ostrich helps an office worker in need uncover the flaws in his stop motion universe.
QUALIFYING WINS
Student Academy Award for Animation (Gold)
Melbourne International Film Festival – Best Australian Short Film
Passenger
(Pasajero)
Country: Argentina
Directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella
Produced by Sol Rulloni
Runtime: 10 minutes
Zaramello
Synopsis: A journey through the conflictive relationship between a man, his social environment and codes.
QUALIFYING WINS
Chilemonos – Best Latin American Animation Short Film
Save Ralph
Country: United States
Directed by Spencer Susser
Produced by Lisa Arianna and Jeff Vespa
Actors: Taika Waititi, Zac Efron, Ricky Gervais, Pom Klementieff, and Olivia Munn
Runtime: 4 minutes
Blue-Tongue Films / Humane Society International / Vespa Pictures
Synopsis: Ralph, a bunny being interviewed for a documentary, goes through his daily routine as a “tester” in a lab. Featuring a celebrity voice cast, the film was created for the Humane Society’s anti-animal testing campaign.
QUALIFYING WINS
FlickerFest – Yoram Gross Award
Sierra
Country: Estonia
Directed by Sander Joon
Produced by Erik Heinsalu and Aurelia Aasa
Runtime: 15 minutes
BOP! Animation / AAA Creative
Synopsis: A father’s obsession with the rally turns the kid into a car tire. Loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, this black comedy takes us into the surreal car racing world, punctuated by stop-motion animation created by the director’s father in Soviet Estonia circa 1980.
QUALIFYING WINS
Palm Springs ShortFest – Best of the Festival Award
San Francisco International Film Festival – Golden Gate Award: Animated Short
Steakhouse
Country: Slovenia / Germany / France
Directed by Špela Čadež
Produced by Tina Smrekar, Fabian Driehorst, and Emmanuel-Alain Raynal
Runtime: 10 minutes
Finta Studio / Fabian & Fred / Miyu Productions
Synopsis: The steak has been marinating for a few days now. The pan is heated. Franc’s stomach is rumbling. But Liza’s co-workers surprise her with a birthday party. Will she be home on time?
QUALIFYING WINS
Anima Grand Prix (International Short)
Annecy International Animation Film Festival – Jury Award
