2026 Oscars Short Film Contenders: ‘Versa’ Director Malcon Pierce

Welcome to Cartoon Brew’s series of spotlights focusing on the animated shorts that have qualified for the 2026 Oscars. The films in this series have qualified through one of multiple routes: by winning an Oscar-qualifying award at a film festival, by exhibiting theatrically, or by winning a Student Academy Award.

Today’s short is Versa, directed by Walt Disney Animation Studios artistic director Malcon Pierce. The short debuted with a one-week, Oscar-qualifying run at El Capitan last spring before making its festival debut at Annecy in June, where Pierce presented it in person.

The dialogue-free music-driven short film transforms personal tragedy into a cosmic ballet of grief and recovery. Inspired by Pierce and his wife’s experience of losing their infant son, the film follows a young celestial couple as they navigate the full spectrum of life’s emotions, expressed through movement and dance rather than dialogue. Its aesthetic is ethereal and luminous, featuring glowing figures against dreamlike backdrops. The result is intimate and immense, a touching meditation on loss that radiates hope and connection without words.

Cartoon Brew: What was it about this story or concept that connected with you and compelled you to direct the film? 

Malcon Pierce: I’ve always been drawn to the poetry of stars and motion, but I never had the right story to give it meaning. Then, through my wife and my experience with grief, I discovered the story I’d been missing, our story — one that tied everything together: the emotion, the imagery, and the reason to make Versa.

What did you learn through the experience of making this film, either production-wise, filmmaking-wise, creatively, or about the subject matter?

Versa taught me the power of vulnerability in art. Letting the team in on something so personal made the film feel like a shared heartbeat — everyone brought their heart to it. We came together on a level that felt deeper and more human than anything I’ve experienced before.

Can you describe how you developed your visual approach to the film? Why did you settle on this style/technique?

I was curious how much we could say through choreography rather than literal symbols. With two characters, no dialogue, and a simple world, it became a study in restraint — using music, movement, and composition to carry all the emotion.

In the past, you’ve talked about the time after your family’s loss and trying to use your work on ‘Moana’ to distract you into thinking things were fine when they very much weren’t. Has this film – working on it, finishing it, screening it for people – helped in that regard?

Yes, absolutely. Versa helped me confront what I’d been running from and turn it into something that connects. Sharing the film has been incredibly healing — not just for me, but for the conversations it’s opened. Hearing others share their own experiences with loss has been one of the most meaningful parts of the journey; it’s created a space for people to come together through shared emotion.