The Lorehounds Oscars 2026 – Animated, Documentary, & Live-Action Shorts
Elysia is joined by Brandon from ShortStick blog and podcast for a look at the five nominees for each of the three short-film Oscar categories: Animated Shorts (00:08:29), Documentary Shorts (00:29:07), and Live-Action Shorts (00:54:48).
They lay out what each short film is, what makes it stand out, and where you can see them (when possible), as they discuss how short films works differently from feature films and the more difficult path to nomination, and also call out other top shorts from this awards season that they think Lorehounds listeners will also love.
Find Brandon at: Shortstick Films blog & podcast (on Spotify)
ShortStick's Top 75 Short Films of 2025
Nominated Shorts:
Animated Shorts
- Butterfly – trailer, info, full film*
- Forevergreen – trailer, info, full film*
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls – trailer, info, full film* (in French), full film* (English dub)
- Retirement Plan – trailer, info
- The Three Sisters – trailer, info
Other shorts mentioned: Snow Bear (full film*), Playing God, The Night Boots, Hurikán, The Shyness of Trees (full film*), Autokar (to rent*), Two Ships, Ovary-Acting (previous film: Night of the Living Dread; full film)
Note: All nominated (and shortlisted) animated films are available on Animation Showcase, available to (free) members of DeathRaceTracking.com
Documentary Shorts
- All the Empty Rooms – trailer, info (Netflix)
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – trailer, info (HBO Max)
- Children No More: Were and Are Gone – trailer, info
- The Devil Is Busy – trailer, info (HBO Max)
- Perfectly a Strangeness – trailer, info
Other shorts mentioned: Bad Hostage, All the Walls Came Down (LA Times Docs), Classroom 4 (PBS, US only), We Were the Scenery (on FestivalScope until Feb 22), Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites, Shanti Rides Shotgun (Vimeo) Confession
Live-Action Shorts
- Butcher's Stain – trailer, info
- A Friend of Dorothy – trailer, info (Disney+)
- Jane Austen's Period Drama – trailer, info, full film* (new!)
- The Singers – trailer, info (Netflix, from Feb 13)
- Two People Exchanging Saliva – trailer, info, full film*
Other shorts mentioned: Beyond Silence, Dad’s Not Home, Extremist (full film*), The Pearl Comb (Disney+), Pantyhose, Blondi, Wonderwall, One Day This Kid (Criterion), A Bear Remembers, Nervous Energy, The Second Time Around
*Watch quickly! May be taken offline without warning.
The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world (last year's link)
Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com
Oscars 2026 coverage
Nominations + Best Picture preview
Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts (this episode)
Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair
International Features
Documentary Features
Animated Features
Score & Original Song
Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX
Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay
Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting
Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings
Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees
One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3
Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco)
Additional awards coverage
Independent Spirit Awards preview
BAFTAs preview
Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes
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