The Oscar Short-Film Race Takes Shape, With Films Spanning Animation, Documentary and Live Action

Variety has turned its attention to the Oscar short-film race, and the films it highlights range from hand-drawn horror to a documentary about a family's grief. The field is a mix of newcomers and established names, all working within 40 minutes or less.

Short films are the Academy's briefest entries, and they compete in three categories: live action, animation and documentary. Each one is a separate contest with its own shortlist and its own voters, so a film can be strong in one category and never appear in another.

In the documentary category, Variety points to "A Month in Minnesota," directed by Anne Sundberg. The film looks at the aftermath of fatal ICE shootings in Minneapolis.

Also in the documentary field is "Listen," directed by Taliesin Black-Brown. It follows sound recordist Hank Lentfer as he records nature sounds while caring for his mother in the final stages of dementia.

Animation brings a different kind of ambition. "Praying Mantis," directed by Joe Hsieh, blends hand-drawn 2D animation with horror films. Hsieh, who is based in Taiwan, spent about four years bringing the project to the screen.

Another animated entry, "Dear Upstairs Neighbors," follows a frazzled insomniac trying to get some sleep. Its artists built the film from drawings they made, using emerging AI tools that the artists guided at every step. Marcia Mayer is the executive producer. She previously worked at Pixar.

The Academy runs the race in stages, and the calendar is worth knowing. For the 98th Oscars, it announced shortlists in 12 categories on 16 December 2025, and the Academy's press office said 15 films had advanced in Documentary Short Film. Nominations followed on 22 January 2026 in Los Angeles, according to Reuters, which also gave the ceremony date of 15 March.

Before any of that, a short has to qualify. The Academy publishes a list of qualifying festivals, the film events whose awards can make a short eligible for the Oscars. Filmmakers aim for those festivals first, then submit their work before a final deadline set for the live action, animated and documentary short categories.

That is why the race starts long before the nominations. Festival programmers, sales agents and distributors all play a part in deciding which shorts gain wider attention, and many of the films now in conversation were chosen by those gatekeepers years ago. The Oscar race is simply the last stop in a long chain of decisions.

For the filmmakers involved, the next few months will bring screenings, panels and awards-season attention. For audiences, the category is a useful place to start, because a short can be watched in one sitting, often for free online once a run of festivals and screenings has ended.