Oscar Shortlist For Animated Shorts Emphasizes Foreign Animation
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 10-film shortlist of animated shorts that will advance in the voting process for the 92nd Academy Awards.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title:
- Dcera (Daughter) — Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic)
- Hair Love — Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., Bruce W. Smith (USA)
- He Can’t Live without Cosmos — Konstantin Bronzit (Russia)
- Hors Piste – Leo Brunel, Loris Cavalier, Camille Jalabert, Oscar Malet (France)
- Kitbull — Rosana Sullivan (USA)
- Memorable — Bruno Collet (France)
- Mind My Mind — Floor Adams (Netherlands)
- The Physics of Sorrow — Theodore Ushev (Canada)
- Sister — Siqi Song (USA)
- Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days — Regina Pessoa (Canada, France, Portugal)
Notably, two of the top three films selected by our group of industry experts — The Physics of Sorrow by Theodore Ushev and Daughter by Daria Kashcheeva — appear on the Academy’s shortlist. This is a significant improvement over last year, when all three top films selected by our panel of experts were snubbed. This shift in taste is a good argument in favor of the rapid expansion of the Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation branch, which has added a more diverse pool of members who recognize animation beyond its commercial applications.
Another interesting stat: This year only three of the shortlisted shorts are American, with seven of the spots going to Canadian or European shorts. Two of the three American projects shortlisted are studio projects — Sony Picture Animation’s Hair Love and Disney-Pixar’s Kitbull. The move toward a more international slate is similar to the Annie Awards, which this year nominated an entirely international slate for their short category.
The number of films directed by men and women is equal this year, with five apiece.
The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020, and the Oscars will be presented on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California.
Pictured at top: “Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days” by Regina Pessoa.