Elysia is joined by Brandon from ShortStick blog and podcast for a look at the five nominees for each of the three short-film Oscar categories: Animated Shorts (00:08:29), Documentary Shorts (00:29:07), and Live-Action Shorts (00:54:48). They lay out what each short film is, what makes it stand out, and where you can see them (when possible), as they discuss how short films works differently from feature films and the more difficult path to nomination, and also call out other top shorts from this awards season that they think Lorehounds listeners will also love. Find Brandon at: Shortstick Films blog & podcast (on Spotify) ShortStick's Top 75 Short Films of 2025 Nominated Shorts: Animated Shorts Butterfly – trailer, info, full film*Forevergreen – trailer, info, full film*The Girl Who Cried Pearls – trailer, info, full film* (in French), full film* (English dub)Retirement Plan – trailer, infoThe Three Sisters – trailer, info Other shorts mentioned: Snow Bear (full film*), Playing God, The Night Boots, Hurikán, The Shyness of Trees (full film*), Autokar (to rent*), Two Ships, Ovary-Acting (previous film: Night of the Living Dread; full film) Note: All nominated (and shortlisted) animated films are available on Animation Showcase, available to (free) members of DeathRaceTracking.com Documentary Shorts All the Empty Rooms – trailer, info (Netflix)Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – trailer, info (HBO Max)Children No More: Were and Are Gone – trailer, infoThe Devil Is Busy – trailer, info (HBO Max) Perfectly a Strangeness – trailer, info Other shorts mentioned: Bad Hostage, All the Walls Came Down (LA Times Docs), Classroom 4 (PBS, US only), We Were the Scenery (on FestivalScope until Feb 22), Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites, Shanti Rides Shotgun (Vimeo) Confession Live-Action Shorts Butcher's Stain – trailer, infoA Friend of Dorothy – trailer, info (Disney+)Jane Austen's Period Drama – trailer, info, available on Kanopy* or in SwedenThe Singers – trailer, info (Netflix, from Feb 13)Two People Exchanging Saliva – trailer, info, full film* Other shorts mentioned: Beyond Silence, Dad’s Not Home, Extremist (full film*), The Pearl Comb (Disney+), Pantyhose, Blondi, Wonderwall, One Day This Kid (Criterion), A Bear Remembers, Nervous Energy, The Second Time Around *Watch quickly! May be taken offline without warning. The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world (last year's link) Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com Oscars 2026 coverage Nominations + Best Picture preview Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts (this episode) Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair International Features Documentary Features Animated Features Score & Original Song Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees Sinners One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 Frankenstein Weapons Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco) Additional awards coverage BAFTA longlisted shorts Independent Spirit Awards preview BAFTAs preview Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes Contact Us Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to lorehounds@thelorehounds.com. Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
