ShortsTV continues to make all three of the Oscar-nominated short film programs (animated, live-action, documentary) available to audiences around the world. To find out where you can watch this year’s Oscar-Nominated Short Films, visit their Theatrical Release and On Demand pages.
Animation
Regardless of how expected the rest of the Oscar races are, the shorts programs have always been the most difficult category in which to predict a winner. They make forecasting interesting.
With the exception of Kitbull, this year’s selections all have to do with familial relationships but even that short is essentially about the connection that forms a family. They have all been carefully constructed to make you tear up — with either joy or sadness — in some way.
As I do every year, I’ve reviewed and ranked them from my preferred champion to my least favorite. The results will be announced at the Academy Awards on February 9th.
Hair Love
USA/7 MINS/2019
Directors: Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., Bruce W. Smith
A young black girl is desperately trying to style her hair for a special occasion. She consults an online tutorial video for help but is unsuccessful. She then asks her father for help. This warm depiction highlights a loving bond between father and daughter. But where is the mother? That’s the poignant ending to this heartfelt account.
Kitbull
USA/9 MINS/2019
Director: Rosana Sullivan
Appealing feature about a cat and a pit bull and the unlikely attachment that develops between them. This was produced by Pixar Animation Studios under their SparkShorts umbrella which gives employees the autonomy to create their own independent films. The characters are quite simply drawn, almost abstract, but the movement is spot on. The way the kitten moves is surprisingly realistic. The story adds depressing elements but it’s quite engaging.
Sister
CHINA-USA/8 MINS/2018
Director: Siqi Song
A man reflects back on his childhood memories of growing up with his little sister in China in the 1990s. She is a constant annoyance to him. This stop motion entry (there’s 3 this year) appears to be a rather simplistic tale at first. A haunting reveal ends things on a very serious note. It has a point and it effectively makes it. This stayed with me.
Mémorable
FRANCE/12 MINS/2019
Director: Bruno Collet
A painterly representation of one man’s descent into dementia. The stop motion is an artistic manipulation of post-impressionism. The characters look like living portraits by Van Gogh, Picasso, and other masters. It holds an undeniably hypnotic quality that verges on calculated preciousness. Alzheimer’s disease was the theme of last year’s Late Afternoon. Do I sense the beginning of a trend?
Daughter
CZECHIA/15 MINS/2019
Director: Daria Kashcheeva
This wordless recollection details the strained relationship between a young woman and her father. The abundance of silence doesn’t help this obtuse chronicle. The animation is stop-motion but then a handheld camera is used to heighten the movement so hey that’s different. However, the pointless grudge this woman held her entire life could have been easily solved with a simple conversation. Try talking to your father. Narratively frustrating.
01-24-20