98th Oscars® Announce Shortlist for Best Animated Short Film, 15 Contenders Advance

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards® in 12 categories, including Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound, and Visual Effects.

In the Animated Short Film category, 15 films have advanced to the next round of voting from a pool of 113 eligible titles this year. Voting for the shortlist was conducted by members of the Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation and Short Films Branches, who were required to meet a minimum viewing threshold to be eligible to participate. In the upcoming nominations round, Academy members from all branches may opt in to vote, provided they screen all 15 shortlisted films.

This year’s shortlist continues the category’s tradition of being led by critically acclaimed independent art-house shorts and distinctive new works from the festival circuit. The selections reflect the international scope and diverse thematic concerns of contemporary animation:

Social Reality and War Memory: This includes Autokar (dir. Sylwia Szkiłądź), a winner at Poland’s Animator Festival focusing on immigration; and I Died in Irpin (dir. Anastasiia Falileieva), a chronicle of a relationship breaking down against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Stylized Narrative and Technical Exploration: The list features the Czech noir Hurikán (dir. Jan Saska); the Canadian stop-motion parable The Girl Who Cried Pearls (dir. Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski); and Italian director Matteo Burani’s stop-motion entry tinged with existential horror, Playing God.

Artistic Heritage and Poetic Expression: Representing this trend are Butterfly (dir. Florence Miailhe), a painterly film by the French animation master dealing with the Holocaust; and The Night Boots (dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon), an exquisite children’s film created using pinscreen animation, which won the top short film award at France’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

Surprises and Identity Mysteries: The Irish studio Cartoon Saloon is represented by the children’s adventure short Éiru (dir. Giovanna Ferrari). The biggest surprise, however, comes from The Three Sisters, an animated film about three sisters living on an isolated island. Initially attributed to director Timur Cognov in the Academy’s press release, the film was later confirmed to be the work of twice-Oscar-nominated Russian director Konstantin Bronzit (known for We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, Lavatory Love Story) via his personal social media, highlighting the Academy’s occasional practice of omitting key creatives from its announcements.

The complete list of 15 shortlisted films is as follows:

Autokar, dir. Sylwia Szkiłądź / Belgium, France

Butterfly, dir. Florence Miailhe / France

Cardboard, dir. J.P. Vine / UK

Éiru, dir. Giovanna Ferrari / Ireland

Forevergreen, dir. Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears / US

The Girl Who Cried Pearls, dir. Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski / Canada

Hurikán, dir. Jan Saska / Czechia, France, Slovakia, Bosnia & Herzegovina

I Died in Irpin, dir. Anastasiia Falileieva / Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine

The Night Boots, dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon / France

Playing God, dir. Matteo Burani / Italy, France

The Quinta’s Ghost, dir. James A. Castillo / Spain

Retirement Plan, dir. John Kelly / Ireland

The Shyness of Trees, dir. Sofiia Chuikovska et al. / France

Snow Bear, dir. Aaron Blaise / US

The Three Sisters, dir. Konstantin Bronzit

Industry Focus and Notable Omissions
While many anticipated titles secured their spots, several acclaimed shorts failed to make the shortlist this year, including On Weary Wings Go, Winter in March, and titles from major studios like DreamWorks, Disney, and Paramount. It is worth noting that distributor Miyu Distribution performed notably well, with three films on the list under its banner.

Next Steps and Viewing Availability
The full nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Hollywood.
Currently, some of the shortlisted films, such as Butterfly and Retirement Plan, are available to view on YouTube. Furthermore, all 15 shortlisted works can be streamed via “The Animation Showcase” platform, which offers free access to industry professionals.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s premier film organization and is home to a global membership of more than 11,000 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films. The Academy does this by recognizing and celebrating the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®, the Governors Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards. The Academy’s affiliated charitable organization, the Academy Foundation, serves a public benefit through its robust educational, preservation and cultural activities. This includes the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the world’s largest global film museum, the Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, and talent development programs for emerging artists. Year-round, the Academy creates opportunities for all communities to engage with the film world.