adminOscar season is one of the few times that short films get the spotlight. From established filmmakers to exciting up-and-coming talent, the short film categories at the Oscars are always an exciting mix. And, surprisingly, there’s not a single weak link in the 2025 batch, with the least impressive films in each category still having very strong elements.
We at FandomWire have gotten the chance to see all 15 short films nominated for this year’s Oscars across three categories: Live Action, Animated, and Documentary. Below, we will rank each category in terms of our personal preference, as well as tell you what we think will and could win the award.
The Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films
5. The Last Ranger
Cindy Lee’s The Last Ranger follows a young girl and a nature preserve ranger who are ambushed by poachers. The film is very over-produced with glossy cinematography and an occasionally overbearing score, and Lee’s decision to make the second half of the film into an action film mutes the crushing emotional impact that the true story-inspired narrative could have had. Even so, the film’s conservationist message is hard to deny.
4. Anuja
Adam J. Graves’s Anuja tells the story of a nine-year-old girl who is faced with a difficult decision when she is given the opportunity to leave behind her life working in the factories to attend school. It’s incredibly clear that Graves is passionate about the social issue that is at the center of the film, as evidenced by his collaboration with several social justice institutes for the production of the film. Although it does feel a bit too brief and underdeveloped, the film’s heart being in the right place goes a long way.
3. I’m Not a Robot
The German short I’m Not a Robot stands out on this list because it is the only comedy in the live-action nominees, and also the only one that does not deal with a social issue. It follows a woman who begins to question her own sanity and humanity after she repeatedly and inexplicably fails several Captcha tests. It’s a darkly funny film that knows exactly how to explore its concept and does so in a lean, mean 22 minutes.
2. A Lien
David and Sam Cutler-Kreutz’s A Lien is the type of short film that is carried on the strength of its message. The film follows a young couple whose family is threatened during the immigration process. It’s certainly a bit sensationalized and manipulative, but this approach is easy to forgive when it’s as effectively executed as it is in A Lien, with its solid performances and tense filmmaking. The film’s incredibly urgent message — made even more timely by recent executive action — will also certainly resonate with viewers.
1. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Although it is a historical film, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent feels shockingly and depressingly timely, with stark parallels to events we still see in our world today. The film dramatizes the true story of an incident in 1993 in which 24 Muslim passengers were pulled off of a train in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be executed. Nebojsa Slijepcevic’s film asks some fascinating questions about the complicity of bystanders, making it a powerful call to action for today’s social issues.
FandomWire’s Oscar Predictions
Will Win: A Lien
Potential Upset: Anuja
The Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
5. Beautiful Men
Nicolas Keppens’s Beautiful Men follows three balding brothers whose insecurities come to light while they stay in a hotel room waiting for their hair transplant procedures in Turkey. It’s the most adult of this year’s animated nominees, but it doesn’t explore its themes in a satisfying way. That being said, the film has a very strong animation style and three very strong voice performances at its core, which allow it to overcome its somewhat off-putting narrative.
4. Magic Candies
The 21-minute Japanese animated short Magic Candies is produced by Studio Toei, which has produced some of the most iconic anime franchises of all time, including Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. With this caliber of studio behind it, it should come as no surprise that Magic Candies is one of the most visually beautiful films out of this year’s nominees. However, the film’s story — following a boy who gains the ability to communicate with the inanimate objects, animals, and trees around him after eating a bag of candies — feels quite underdeveloped. The film needed about 10 more minutes to fully explore its concept.
3. In the Shadow of the Cypress
In the Shadow of the Cypress is this year’s animated short with no linguistic content that is completely dependent on visual storytelling. The film follows a former sea captain and his daughter as they attempt to free a beached whale. It’s clear that the story is allegorical, serving as a fable for mental health and the cycle of struggle that it causes, but the lack of dialogue does reduce some of the emotional impact that this story could have had. Still, the visual style is more than impressive enough to carry the film.
2. Yuck!
The French animated short Yuck! has everything it takes to make for an absolutely lovable 13 minutes: a fun concept, a vibrant visual style, and super adorable characters. Yuck! is set in a world where people’s lips begin to glow when they’re about to kiss. Our protagonist is a young boy at summer camp experiencing first love. There’s not a ton of substance here, but it’s hard to hate a film as wholesome and cheery as this.
1. Wander to Wonder
Even though there might not be an “A-list” animated short this year from a studio like Pixar, Wander to Wonder takes that spot with a small but recognizable voice cast that includes Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger) and Amanda Lawrence (Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
The film follows a trio of miniatures who formerly starred in a children’s television program as they try to survive in a derelict studio after the death of the show’s creator. In many ways, it feels like a darker, more existential version of Toy Story. At 14 minutes, it does feel like the story is not quite complete (although the filmmaker has claimed that it is not a proof-of-concept), but it is very engaging and asks some interesting questions.
FandomWire’s Oscar Predictions
Will Win: Wander to Wonder
Potential Upset: In the Shadow of the Cypress
The Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films
5. The Only Girl in the Orchestra
The Only Girl in the Orchestra is the feel-good biographical documentary of this year’s nominees, telling the story of Orin O’Brien, the first woman to join the New York Philharmonic orchestra, having joined as a double bassist while Leonard Bernstein led the ensemble. Molly O’Brien’s film certainly isn’t bad, with competent execution and a compelling story at its core. However, especially compared to some of the documentaries we ranked higher on this list, it doesn’t feel like it really has much to say, which is disappointing considering its potential as a work of feminist filmmaking.
4. Instruments of a Beating Heart
Instruments of a Beating Heart is about an incredibly specific story: a group of first graders who are preparing to perform a rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” at a school recital. It’s a pretty cute film… until it’s not, as at a certain point, it starts to feel almost like Whiplash but with first graders. It’s hard to tell what director Ema Ryan Yamazaki wants the audience to get out of this short, but it’s easy to get invested in the protagonist’s story.
3. Incident
Bill Morrison’s Incident examines a police shooting that happened in 2018, exclusively through the lenses of the cameras that recorded them in the moment. Morrison’s use of surveillance camera and body cam footage makes the viewer feel the visceral nature of the experience. Admittedly, the presentation style does make it difficult to keep the viewer’s attention for the entirety of the 30-minute runtime, there is no denying how harrowing and urgent the film is.
2. Death by Numbers
Kim A. Snyder’s documentary short Death by Numbers tells the story of Sam Fuentes, one of the survivors of the Parkland shooting, as she prepares to confront her shooter in court. This is not Snyder’s first time exploring this topic, as she has made the feature-length documentaries Us Kids and Newtown as well as another short film in 2018 about school shootings. However, with Death by Numbers, Snyder takes a more poetic approach, owing to her subject’s perspective on life and the world. It’s a very emotional experience that is likely to connect with viewers and voters alike.
1. I am Ready, Warden
I am Ready, Warden is not only the best nominee in this category this year, but in the past several years. It is one of the most powerful, devastating, and necessary documentary short films this writer has ever seen. The film tells the story of John Henry Ramirez, a convicted murderer on Death Row in Texas, as he makes his final appeal to the courts to commute his sentence. What is most impressive about this documentary is how it manages to overcome the details of this case (which, admittedly, are quite unempathetic) to deliver a compelling argument about the flaws of the justice system as a whole.
FandomWire’s Oscar Predictions
Will Win: Incident
Potential Upset: I am Ready, Warden
How to Watch the Oscar Nominated Short Films
Several of the Oscar Nominated Short films are available on streaming.
On the Live Action front, A Lien is streaming for free on Vimeo, I’m Not a Robot is available via The New Yorker, and Anuja is on Netflix. For Documentaries, I am Ready, Warden is on Paramount+, Incident is on The New Yorker’s website, Instruments of a Beating Heart is on The New York Times’s website, and The Only Girl in the Orchestra is on Netflix. In the Animated category, only Wander to Wonder is available online, and you must pay to buy or rent it on Vimeo.
However, the good folks at Shorts TV, as they have for several years, are releasing the Oscar Nominated Short Films in theaters for a limited time. This is a rare opportunity to see and support the work of these filmmakers on the big screen and is also the only chance you might have to see some of these films before the big night on March 2! Find your local arthouse or multiplex that is playing the Oscar Nominated Short Films, and go out to see them.
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