Oscars 2022 Best Animated Short Film: At Least 84 Films Qualify (Exclusive)

The race for this year’s Oscar for best animated short is on. The qualifying period is over, and we can reveal that at least 84 films have qualified.

We are publishing the preliminary list below, in alphabetical order. It has been confirmed by sources within the Academy. Note that the list is subject to change, and this article may be updated accordingly.

For now, though, the list of 84 films represents a slight drop in number from last year, when around 96 shorts qualified — an all-time record, as far as we’re aware. It’s worth noting that this year’s qualification period was two months shorter than last year’s, which was extended in response to the pandemic.

To recap: a short can become eligible for an Oscar in one of three ways. It has to be publicly exhibited in one of a number of major U.S. cities under certain conditions, or take home an award at a designated “qualifying” festival, or win at the Student Academy Awards. The filmmakers must then submit it to the Academy.

The shortlist of competing films will be announced on December 21; for the first time, 15 films will be included, rather than the usual ten. They will be whittled down to five nominees, which will be announced on February 8, 2022. The Oscars ceremony will follow on March 27.

Below are the films on the longlist. Where available, we’ve included a trailer, or even the complete film. Anyone working in the industry, including students, can apply to register for free to The Animation Showcase, a streaming platform that offers a unique opportunity to watch some of the qualified shorts (click here for more information).

1. Affairs of the Art
   Joanna Quinn
   Play
2. Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice
   Zacharias Kunuk
   Play
3. Any Instant Whatever
   Michelle Brand
   Play
4. Are You Okay?
   Ryan Cannon
   Play
5. Aurora
   Jo Meuris
6. Bad Mood
   Loris Giuseppe Nese
7. Bad Seeds
   Claude Cloutier
   Play
8. Barking Orders
   Alexander Tullo
   Play
9. Bestia
   Hugo Covarrubias
   Play
10. A Bite of Bone
    Honami Yano
    Play
11. Blue & Malone: Impossible Cases
    Abraham López Guerrero
    Play
12. Blush
    Joe Mateo
    Play
13. The Boob Fairy
    Léahn Vivier-Chapas
    Play
14. Boxballet
    Anton Dyakov
    Play
15. The Boy & the Mountain
    Santiago Aguilera, Gabriel Monreal
    Play
16. The Broken Candle
    Felix Kiner
17. The Cat
    Mary Apick
    Play
18. The Chimney Swift
    Frédéric Schuld
    Play
19. Crowded
    Nathania Rubin
    Play
20. Demi’s Panic
    Bill Plympton
    Play
21. Easter Eggs
    Nicolas Keppens
    Play
22. Ecorce
    Samuel Patthey, Silvain Monney
    Play
23. The Expected
    Carolina Sandvik
    Play
24. Far from the Tree
    Natalie Nourigat
25. Farce
    Robin Jensen
    Play
26. Flowing Home
    Sandra Desmazières
    Play
27. Footsteps on the Wind
    Maya Sanbar
    Play
28. The Fourfold
    Alisi Telengut
    Play
29. Freebird
    Joe Bluhm, Michael McDonald
    Play
30. Friend of a Friend
    Zachary Zezima
    Play
31. Good and Better
    Gil Alkabetz
32. Gravedad
    Matisse Gonzalez Jordan
    Play
33. The Hangman at Home
    Michelle and Uri Kranot
    Play
34. Her Song
    Éabha Bortolozzo, Jack Kirwan
    Play
35. Hide
    Daniel Gray
    Play
36. Homebird
    Ewa Smyk
37. Hot Flash
    Thea Hollatz
38. I’m a Pebble
    Mélanie Berteraut Platon, Yasmine Bresson, Léo Coulombier, Nicolas Grondin, Maxime Le Chapelain, Louise Massé
    Play
39. In the Shadow of the Pines
    Anne Koizumi
    Play
40. Innocent Friendship
    Amee Oza, Devarshi Oza
41. It’s All the Salt’s Fault
    María Cristina Pérez
    Play
42. La Bestia
    Marlijn van Nuenen, Ram Tamez, Alfredo Gerard Kuttikatt
    Play
43. Life’s a Bitch
    Varya Yakovleva
44. Los Huesos
    Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León
    Play
45. Louis’ Shoes
    Marion Philippe, Kayu Leung, Théo Jamin, Jean Geraud Blanc
    Play
46. Matilda ir atsarginė galva
    Ignas Meilunas
    Play
47. Memento Mori
    Paul O’Flanagan
48. Migrants
    Hugo Caby, Zoé Devise, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak, Lucas Lermytte
    Play
49. Mila
    Cinzia Angelini
    Play
50. Monster Pets: A Hotel Transylvania Short
    Jennifer Kluska, Derek Drymon
    Play
51. Mum Is Pouring Rain
    Hugo de Faucompret
    Play
52. The Musician
    Reza Riahi
    Play
53. Namoo
    Erick Oh
    Play
54. The Natural Death of a Mouse
    Katharina Huber
    Play
55. Night Bus
    Joe Hsieh
    Play
56. Nona
    Louis Gonzales
    Play
57. Normal
    Julie Caty
    Play
58. Nuevo Rico
    Kristian Mercado
    Play
59. O Black Hole!
    Renee Zhan
    Play
60. On/Off
    Nicolas P. Villarreal
    Play
61. Only a Child
    Simone Giampaolo
    Play
62. Our Perpetual Now
    Jorge Aguilar Rojo
    Play
63. The Owl and the Pussycat
    Mole Hill
64. Pearl Diver
    Margrethe Danielsen
    Play
65. Robin Robin
    Dan Ojari, Mikey Please
    Play
66. Routine: The Prohibition
    Samuel Ortí Martí
    Play
67. The Runaway Bunny
    Amy Schatz
    Play
68. September 12th
    Richard O’Connor
    Play
69. Slumber with Snakes
    Teagan Barrone
    Play
70. The Source of the Mountains
    Adrien Communier, Camille Di Dio, Benjamin François, Pierre Gorichon, Briag Mallat, Marianne Moisy
    Play
71. Souvenir Souvenir
    Bastien Dubois
    Play
72. Step into the River
    Weijia Ma
    Play
73. Tulip
    Andrea Love, Phoebe Wahl
    Play
74. Twenty Something
    Aphton Corbin
    Play
75. Un coeur d’or
    Simon Filliot
76. Un diable dans la poche
    Antoine Bonnet, Mathilde Loubes
    Play
77. Unforgotten
    Sujin Kim
    Play
78. Us Again
    Zach Parrish
    Play
79. The Vandal
    Eddie Alcazar
    Play
80. The Village Bride
    Hitoshi Haga
81. “Welcome Home”
    Dana Crypto
    Play
82. The Windshield Wiper
    Alberto Mielgo
    Play
83. Would Have
    Dave Siegel
84. The Zolle Suite
    Kristian Pedersen
    Play

Benoit Berthe Siward contributed research to this article.

Images at top, left to right: “Bad Seeds,” “Twenty Something,” “Nuevo Rico,” “Any Instant Whatever”