It’s the Movie’s big night, and it was a big night for Shorts! Doc Shorts received a rare mention during Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, and the telecast came to a halt due to the volume of cheering in the auditorium. The three short film categories were almost dropped from the telecast a few years ago, but were suppliers of great TV moments this time out—something that had happened only six times in Oscar history happened again, a winning film’s star subject made an emotive plea on stage, and all the winning filmmakers acquitted themselves well with heartfelt messages of hope and affirmations of art’s role in making a better world. Congrats to all the nominees, but here are the winners, along with short commentary from S/W co-founder, Jason Sondhi. ***Academy Award for Best Animated Short FilmWinner: The Girl Who Cried Pearls by Chris Lavis & Maciek SzczerbowskiSmart money had coalesced around Butterfly, and we chose Retirement Plan in our official prediction post. All this shows how the machinations of award season can obscure more than they clarify, because if you asked us last June what would win, this would have been our pick. It’s a fine choice too—we really like the film—and it’s well deserved that Lavis and Szczerbowski earn their statuettes 19 years after failing to win for Madame Tutli-Putli. The legacy of that short has grown through the years with its continued success online, to the point that it is now unquestionably a modern classic. Congrats to the National Film Board for this win, and here’s hoping The Girl Who Cried Pearls can follow a similar trajectory. ***Academy Award for Best Documentary Short FilmWinner: All the Empty Rooms by Joshua SeftelAnother win for Netflix, and another redemption story, with Seftel earning a statuette in his second try. All the Empty Rooms was our predicted winner and in our minds a worthy one—it’s a tasteful and truly moving film experience, containing a vital message against the normalization of school shootings in America. Accompanied on stage by the mother of Jackie, one of the murdered children whose rooms were photographed in the film, Seftel ceded the mic, and her heartfelt plea ended up being one of the most powerful moments of the evening. ***Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short FilmWinner (Tie!): The Singers by Sam Davis & Two People Exchanging Saliva by Natalie Musteata & Alexandre SinghHoly moly, history made! Only the 7th tie in Oscar history, and the first since 2012. Pundits were split between the two films, and we were too. Davis has graced the pages of S/W many times, and we featured Musteata and Singh’s film in November. It was hard to choose, and ultimately, the Academy didn’t have to, with both film teams having their moment on the stage. The split win also recognizes the two most effective acquirers of Oscar shorts right now—Netflix and The New Yorker. ***View previous Oscar-nominated films, winners, and further coverage from the awards on our dedicated CHANNEL.