Early Short Film Contenders for the 99th Academy Awards

When it comes to the Academy Awards, short films have a very unique window of qualification. Qualifiaction takes place in an October- September window rather than a calendar year. To qualify you must win a qualifying award from a list of specific festivals, win a Student Academy Award or put your short film in theatres for a week. There is still 3 months left for short films to qualify with important fests like Indy Shorts, Hollyshorts and TIFF still on the horizon. Early contenders are already emerging in the categories and these are some of the short films we are keeping an eye on to make noise this Oscars season. Feel free to listen along with the podcast below as Brandon briefly talks about each of the shorts on the list.

11 Animated Short Contenders

Because Today is Saturday, dir. Alice Guimarães

Qualification: Qualified at Talinn Black Nights Film Festival and Animayo

Dog Alone, dir. Marta Reis Andrade

Qualification: Qualified at Cinanima - International Animated Film Festival of Espinho

Dollhouse Elephant, dir. Jenny Jokela

Qualification: Qualified at Animest International Animation Film Festival

El Cuerpo de Cristo, dir. Bea Lema

Qualification: Qualified at Krakow Film Festival

God is Shy, dir. Jocelyn Charles

Qualification: Qualified at Bucheon International Animation Festival, Alcine, Interfilm International Short Film Festival, Leuven International Short Film Festival, The Hong Kong International Film Festival, Go Short International Short Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Fest Anca International Animation Festival.

Available to watch on Mubi

Paper Trail, dir. Don Hertzfeldt

Qualification: Qualified at SXSW, San Fransisco International Film Festival, Deadcenter Film Festival and Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Director previously nominated for World of Tomorrow and Rejected. Previously shortlisted for Me.

Available to watch: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/papertrail2026

Please, dir. Anna Mantzaris

Qualification: As per Miyu Distribution

Saba, dir. Liron Topaz

Qualification: As per Miyu Distribution

Water Girl, dir. Sandra Desmazières

Qualification: Cesar Awards

Director was previously shortlisted for Flowing Home

What We Leave Behind, dir. Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte

Qualification: Kaboom Animation Festival

Directors were previously shortlisted for A Crab in the Pool.

With Tapes and Toasts in the Car, dir. Kiana Naghshineh

Qualification: Qualified at Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film, Seattle International Film Festival, ShortShorts Film Festival and Chilemonos International Animation Festival

10 Documentary Short Contenders

A Derailment, dir. Nathan Truesdell

Qualification: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil, dir. Daniel Straub

Qualification: Santa Barbara International Film Festival

A Wolf in the Suburbs, dir. Amélie Hardy

Qualification: Regard - Saguenay International Film Festival

The Baddest Speechwriter of All, dirs. Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry

Qualification: Sundance Film Festival, AmDocs and Dallas International Film Festival.

Director Ben Proudfoot previously won Best Documentary Short for The Queen of Basketball and The Last Repair Shop.

Listen, dir. Taliesin Black-Brown

Qualification: Tribeca Film Festival

Oh Whale, dir. Winslow Crane-Murdoch

Qualification: New Hampshire Film Festival

One Last Order, dirs. Lauren DeFilippo, Sam Soko

Qualification: Aspen Shortsfest

The Tuners, dir. Paweł Chorzępa

Qualification: ShortShorts Film Festival, Krakow Film Festival and Bali International Film Festival

We’re Fine, dir. Misha Karpenko

Qualification: Austin Film Festival

Water Cooler, dir. Emma V.F.

Qualification: Palm Springs International Shortfest

10 Live Action Short Contenders

32B, dir. Mohamed Taher

Qualification: Tribeca Film Festival

Agapito, dirs. Arvin Belarmino, Kyla Romero

Qualification: Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

The Birthday Gift, dir. Arianna Ortiz

Qualification: Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival

Magan’s Fare, dir. Christopher Knoblock, Dana White

Qualification:

The Man I Wave At, dir. Ben S. Hyland

Qualification: Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival

Mary is Missing, dir. Aisling Byrne

Qualification: Cork International Film Festival

Meeting Your Maker, dir. Gregory J.M. Kasunich

Qualification: Dallas International Film Festival

Nightfaces, dirs. Martin Winter, Stefan Langthaler

Qualification: Sante Fe International Film Festival

Pale Sun, dirs. Adrian Moyse Dullin, Jawahine Zentar

Qualification: Aspen Shortsfest

Director Adrian Moyse Dullin previously shortlisted for The Right Words

Spilled Milk, dir. Jared Leaf

Qualification: American Black Film Festival

Short is produced by Jordan Peele's Monleypaw Productions