Oscar Predictions: Short Films

This is the first year I’m going to be predicting the three short film categories (documentary, animated, and live action). Usually I go to see the animated and live action nominees after they have already been chosen, but this year, I’ve had the opportunity to watch four of the animated finalists and trailers for almost all of the rest of the finalists in the three categories. There are only eight to ten finalists in each category, translating to three to five eventual nominees per race. I’ve ranked each of the finalists in order of most likely to least likely to be nominated, most of which is purely guesswork. I’ll provide further commentary once nominees are selected. If you’ve seen any of the films, please offer your own additional analysis in the comments. Pictured is the one surefire nominee, “Day for Night,” which played before “Toy Story 3” in theatres this summer.

Best Documentary Short Film
1. Living for 32
2. Killing in the Name
3. Poster Girl
4. One Thousand Pictures: RFK’s Last Journey
5. The Warriors of Qiugang
6. Sun Come Up
7. Strangers No More
8. Born Sweet

Best Animated Short Film
1. Day & Night
2. Urs
3. Let’s Pollute
4. The Silence beneath the Bark
5. The Lost Thing
6. Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)
7. The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger
8. Coyote Falls
9. The Gruffalo
10. Sensology

Best Live Action Short Film
1. The Confession
2. Ana’s Playground
3. Wish 143
4. God of Love
5. The Crush
6. The Six Dollar Fifty Man
7. Sma Barn, Stora Ord (Little Children, Big Words)
8. Na Wewe
9. Seeds of the Fall
10. Shoe