While debates over the quality of the short films selected by the Academy are sure to continue, the prestige of these awards is undeniable. At Short of the Week, we’ve always followed the process closely, but this year we feel even more involved – with Jason taking on the mamooth task of diving into the qualified films across all categories – Animation, Documentary, and Live-Action – and sharing his insights.Our coverage usually kicks off at the shortlist announcement. Even though we started a bit earlier this year, the real excitement begins at this stage, when the extensive lists – 113 in Animation, 117 in Documentary, and 207 in Live-Action – are narrowed down to just 45 films. As always, some great films didn’t make the cut, but congratulations to those that did.VIEW ALL 45 FILMS IN THE SHORT FILM SHORTLISTSBelow, you’ll find the official list of films in contention for the Short Film Oscars, along with information on which are available to watch and where. We’ll keep this list updated as more films become accessible – as they always do.Best Animated ShortJohn Kelly’s Retirement Plan is one of the S/W team’s favorites in the Best Animated Short Film categoryAutokar by Sylwia Szkiłądź | Film PagePapillon (Butterfly) by Florence Miailhe | Film PageCardboard by J.P. Vine | Watch TrailerÉiru by Giovanna Ferrari | Watch TrailerForevergreen by Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears | Watch TrailerLa jeune fille qui pleurait des perles (The Girl Who Cried Pearls) by Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski | Watch TrailerHurikán by Jan Saska | Watch TrailerI Died in Irpin by Anastasiia Falileieva | Watch TrailerLes Bottes de la nuit (The Night Boots) by Pierre-Luc Granjon | Watch TrailerPlaying God by Matteo Burani | Watch TrailerThe Quinta’s Ghost by James A. Castillo | Watch TrailerRetirement Plan by John Kelly | Watch FilmThe Shyness of Trees by Sofia Chuikovska, Loick du Plessis D’Argentre, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras, Bingqing Shu | Watch FilmSnow Bear by Aaron Blaise | Watch FilmThe Three Sisters by Timur Kognov | Watch TrailerPrevious winner: In the Shadow of the Cypress by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani***Best Documentary ShortChristopher Radcliff’s We Were The Scenery was featured on our site in late November 2025All the Empty Rooms by Joshua Seftel | Film PageAll the Walls Came Down by Ondi Timoner | Watch TrailerArmed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud by Craig Renaud & Brent Renaud | Watch Film (HBO Max only)Bad Hostage by Mimi Wilcox | Film PageCashing Out by Matt Nadel | Watch FilmChasing Time by Sarah Keo & Jeff Orlowski | Watch TrailerChildren No More: “Were and Are Gone” by Hilla Medalia | Watch TrailerClassroom 4 by Eden Wurmfeld | Watch FilmThe Devil Is Busy by Geeta Gandbhir & Christalyn Hampton | Watch FilmHeartbeat by Jay Rosenblatt & Stephanie Rapp | Film PageLast Days on Lake Trinity by Charlotte Cooley | Watch FilmOn Healing Land, Birds Perch by Naja Phạm Lockwood | Film PagePerfectly a Strangeness by Alison McAlpine | Watch TrailerRovina’s Choice by Annie Wong & Thomas Jennings | Watch FilmWe Were the Scenery by Christopher Radcliff | Watch FilmPrevious winner: The Only Girl in the Orchestra by Molly O’Brien***Best Live-Action ShortTwo People Exchanging Saliva was featured on Short of the Week in Nov 2025Ado by Sam Henderson | Film PageAmarela by André Hayato Saito | Watch TrailerBeyond Silence by Marnie Blok | Film PageThe Boy with White Skin by Simon PanayButcher’s Stain by Meyer Levinson-Blount | Watch TrailerButterfly on a Wheel by Trevor Morris | Watch TrailerDad’s Not Home by Jan Saczek | Film PageExtremist by Alexander Molochnikov | Film PageA Friend of Dorothy by Lee Knight | Film PageJane Austen’s Period Drama by Steve Pinder & Julia Aks | Film PagePantyhose by Fabian Munsterhjelm | Film PageThe Pearl Comb by Ali Cook | Watch TrailerRock, Paper, Scissors by Franz Böhm | Watch TrailerThe Singers by Sam Davis | Watch TrailerTwo People Exchanging Saliva by Alexandre Singh & Natalie Musteata | Watch FilmPrevious winner: I’m Not a Robot by Victoria Warmerdam***View Previous Oscar-nominated films, winners and further coverage from the awards on our dedicated channel.