Oscar Blitz 2025 – Animated Short

You know what I do when I’m feeling down? I watch cartoons. It’s always helped, even if it’s just to distract me from whatever crap I’m dealing with. Today’s catastrophe was getting turned down for a job that was intended to be the backup to a previous job I lost out on last month, so believe me, I needed the boost. My current comfort food is watching animated renderings of clips from the Game Grumps. Arin Hansen and Dan Avidan are hilarious enough on their own, but it’s enhanced even further by watching highly talented fans turn their audio antics playing video games into some really impressive skits.

Did I intend for this to be a form of therapy? Obviously not. It worked when I was a kid, because pretty much all kids love cartoons. Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, SpongeBob, they all play their parts to brighten a child’s day. But as an adult, they’re somehow even more reassuring, because I know that it’s hardworking professional grown-ups making these things. People who are in touch with their inner child, and who have vast quantities of artistic skill and twisted sense of humor put these together, acting like their audience in order to reach them. And of course, there are plenty of animated shows targeted at older viewers as well, communicating our pains and pleasures through the most absurd means available. I don’t know, somehow it lets me know that there’s always hope as long as there’s imagination. Boundaries can be broken and the impossible becomes possible through this artform, so maybe a guy who’s down on his luck can find a gig even when the last few opportunities fell completely through.

That’s been kind of my general vibe for a while now, and I admit that’s how I viewed the Animated Short field this year. It’s not that I don’t like being intellectually challenged with dark material. It’s just that the last several months have been really rough, both professionally and personally, so I went in kind of wanting something more upbeat. I knew this would be a good set, as I had already seen two of the nominees during the Hollyshorts Festival, and two others screened there as well, with one winning the Animated competition and the other being a finalist. This isn’t a contest where you can act like a major studio or streamer and try to gladhand the voters. Even if you disagree with the picks, you know these juries are putting their best foot forward to highlight something special. I knew we’d get some great stuff, but I confess my mood did sway my opinions somewhat. It’s not that something heavier couldn’t win out for me, it’s just that I found myself looking for something else. Thankfully I found it. This is why I love this category so much. It never fails me.

This year’s nominees for Animated Short are…

Beautiful Men – Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande

This is probably the least essential of the candidates, mostly because it just doesn’t say all that much. At its core, it’s a tale about insecurities and family bonds, but honestly, this Dutch project just feels like a non-entity. It’s not bad, but it’s far from great.

Three brothers – Steven, Koen, and Bart – travel to Istanbul together to get hair transplants, as all three are in some state of baldness. However, there’s a problem, as Steven messed up the booking, only reserving one actual surgery appointment instead of three. He’s very nervous about revealing his blunder to the others, especially because Bart is prone to anger and has additional fears about his aging (he asks Steven to check what he thinks is a lump on his testicle in the one genuinely funny scene), and Koen is completely bald, and thus more in need for the procedure than him.

There’s a bit of farcical comedy in the trio’s interactions, particularly Steven and Koen taking a walk on a foggy day and Bart stumbling nude out of the sauna, unable to tell the difference in the various mists surrounding him. I also really do like the stop-motion character models. But that’s just not enough to get this over the proverbial hump for me. It did receive an award at the Annecy Festival last year, so it does have a fighter’s chance at winning, but it didn’t do all that much for me.

In the Shadow of the Cypress – Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi

The feeling of helplessness is one of the worst we go through, where no matter what we try, it just seems like we’re no good to anyone. Trust me, I’ve felt it many a time (and when it comes to my work, I’m sort of feeling it right now). When faced with such sadness, we’ll do just about anything to be useful, to feel like we’re doing something positive for the world. That’s the sentiment behind In the Shadow of the Cypress, which I saw at Hollyshorts back in August, and it’s just as affecting now as it was six months ago.

In a remote seaside hut in what we’re meant to assume is Iran (so presumably along the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman) lives an old fisherman and his adult daughter. The man suffers from PTSD, with violent fits of anger and flashbacks to the near-death experience that cost him his wife. As the film begins, he lashes out at his daughter, breaking many objects in the house and hitting her. Fed up with taking care of him, she packs a bag and decides to leave. On the morning of her departure, however, she’s stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of a whale beached on the shore in front of their house.

The pair try to tug the whale back into the sea using a small motorboat, but the attempt is unsuccessful. Despondent, the daughter does everything she can to try to keep the whale alive and moist, while the father rows out to his old dilapidated wooden ship, anchored further out, the site of his past trauma. Both sides are trying to cope and accomplish something in their own way. The daughter wants to save the whale because it’s innocent and because she hasn’t been able to truly help her father over the years. The old man paints the ship and tries to maintain what’s left of it, as it’s all that remains of his wife’s memory. All the while, the two grow farther apart. Something has to give, and as seagulls gather in anticipation of picking apart a giant whale carcass, it might end up being their familial bond and their very humanity.

There are two things that really sell this story. The first is that there’s no dialogue. Like the greatest animated shorts of all time, this one knows that not a word needs to be said if you can get across the themes through the visuals. The second are those very visuals. Done in a 2D minimalist style with blocky designs and bright colors, the animation perfectly illustrates the simple yet rigid nature of the central conflict, all while showing just how remote and barren their little piece of the world is. It’s really beautiful.

Magic Candies – Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio

Sometimes the simplest premise can open up a universe of wonder. That’s what Magic Candies does. Produced and distributed by Toei Animation, this stop-motion delight is somehow the first project from the storied studio (these are the people who gave us Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, and the 80s Transformers series, just to name a few) to be nominated in this category.

A young boy named Dong-Dong (I assume that’s a nickname) leads something of a solitary life. He has no friends, and spends most of his days lounging around his apartment and walking his dog Gusuri. His only real joy is playing with marbles, which he does by himself, uninterested in the activities of the other kids. One day, while out buying more marbles, he mistakenly picks up a bag of round hard candies instead. The shopkeeper tells him they’re magic, but Dong-Dong is clearly skeptical.

Once at home, he pops one in his mouth, noticing a familiar plaid pattern on it. As soon as he does, he hears an odd voice from the next room. He goes to investigate and finds his couch talking. The pattern on the candy matches that of the sofa itself. Able to be heard for the first time, the couch asks Dong-Dong to fish out the TV remote from in between the side cushion and the arm, as it’s causing him pain, and makes a funny plea for the boy to tell his dad to stop farting while sitting on it. Amazed, Dong-Dong agrees, and when the candy has dissolved in his mouth, the furniture goes silent once more.

Each of the candies in turn offers Dong-Dong the chance to hear what cannot be said. He talks to Gusuri, learning the dog is getting old and is often too tired to play, but he does miss the days when he and Dong-Dong used to run everywhere. A gumball allows him to communicate with the ghost of his late grandmother through the bubbles he blows. His strict father scolds him often, but one candy allows him to hear from his dad’s “heart,” and know that he loves the boy more than anything in the world.

This is just so goddamn sweet, and it was just the salve I needed. A candy that lets you talk to things that can’t? It’s such a basic concept, and yet the execution is so perfect. It’s a brilliant mix of humor and emotional insight, contrasting what looks to be intentionally mundane character designs. Dong-Dong himself is not impressive, but I think that’s the point. He’s just, normal, and yet there are wonderfully imaginative things going on all around him, whether it’s telekinetic gum bubbles or falling leaves bidding each other farewell as if they’re old friends leaving a party. This film is an invitation to experience the magic of the world around you, which Toei as a studio has been doing for more than 60 years.

Wander to Wonder – Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper

A co-production between four countries, this is the only English-language entry in this year’s set. It’s also the most cerebral and artistic, which is probably why it won Hollyshorts as well as the BAFTA. It’s a surreal tale of life after loss, how we cling to nostalgia, and the essential survival mechanism of being able to move on.

Most of the film is done in stop-motion, apart from a few spliced scenes with a live actor. It begins with the audience watching a VHS tape of the titular program, a Mister Rogers or Teletubbies style children’s show, where the live action Uncle Gilly interacts with his three miniature friends – Mary, Fumbleton, and Billybud – who all like to play and dance to entertain young viewers at home.

This is instantly juxtaposed with the reality of the situation, which is that Uncle Gilly has died in this small studio space, and the three tiny people are trapped inside what is essentially a shed where the show was produced. Mary watches the old tapes and tries to recapture the magic by performing in front of a video camera. Fumbleton recites Shakespeare in the nude. Billybud just juggles. All three are starving, as food is very scarce. As we see, the three only have a single pickle to split between them.

It’s pretty dark stuff, but there is a point to it all. These are three characters who, in their own way, are giving in to despair. We have no idea how long it’s been since Uncle Gilly died, only that flies are buzzing. We don’t know how they lived their lives off camera before his passing, only that it was most assuredly better than this. We don’t know what comfort any of their activities can bring, but it’s at least something to do while they try to find a way out, as well as survive attacks from animals that would see them as insect-like prey.

The entire project is bathed in tragic irony, which is itself cathartic, because the characters are forced to cope just so they can live. The options are to find a way to make do, or expire themselves. As dire as things are, their will to keep on is what helps them maintain their sanity, as well as their friendship. That is strangely inspiring, because you always know there’s a way out, should you choose it, but it’s permanent. As long as the problem is temporary, a solution will present itself.

Yuck! – Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet

This short is just an utter delight, a silly slice of innocent youth that serves as a panacea for all the troubles on your mind at a given moment. The most traditional bit of 2D cel-shaded animation in the bunch, Yuck! is a very simple, very relatable romp that will definitely put a smile on your face.

At a campground, presumably somewhere in France (as it’s a French film), a bunch of families with kids enjoy various activities like swimming and hiking. A group of youngsters runs around, spying on couples and making fun of them for kissing, which they think is gross, because, you know, they’re kids. They all recoil whenever they see anyone demonstrating affection, laugh amongst themselves, and promise that they’ll never stoop so low.

In a fantastic artistic touch, the one accessory to the normal animation is the lips of the characters, which glow a bright neon pink whenever someone is in the mood. As the kids mock and tease, one of the boys, Léo, notices his own lips starting to shine whenever he looks at one of the girls, Lucie. He does his best to hide it, but Lucie eventually notices. Léo is ashamed, until Lucie shows him that her lips glow for him as well. Just as they’re about to try it out, the others catch them, with the group mercilessly taunting Léo (two of the number are his younger brother and older sister), calling him a pervert, until he lashes out at Lucie and sends her away.

During the night, however, the two make amends and we get our happy ending, and it’s not only sweet but very funny, as Léo sees the pink light in many unexpected places, letting him know that no matter what anyone says, everyone just wants to be loved. We all have our “first kiss” stories, and this one feels very real despite the key supernatural element. We remember the emotion, the buildup, the slight embarrassment, and all of that is conveyed expertly here, with a decent touch of bratty humor, because again, kids. In a world where everyone’s motives are suspect and we try to find fault or second-guess every human interaction we have (I mean, for fuck’s sake, I just watched a Norwegian film two weeks ago where a six-year-old is accused of rape), it’s nice to be reminded that there was a time when we were all so innocent.

***

In most years, I’d likely opt for something like Cypress or Wander, because they’re excellent emotional and artistic achievements. But like I said earlier, this is not most years, and after the whammies I’ve hit over the last several months, I just want to be cheered up. There really isn’t that big a difference between the top spot and fourth on my list, and I’d be happy for any of them to win. But this is a case where I’m opting for pleasant imagination rather than deep thought. It’s rare that I lean that way, but that’s just how I feel this time. It’s even to the point where I’ve flipped the positions of the two I saw at Hollyshorts from where they were on first impression. That’s how close they all are, and that’s how much I really needed to just giggle and grin.

My Rankings:
1) Magic Candies
2) Yuck!
3) Wander to Wonder
4) In the Shadow of the Cypress
5) Beautiful Men

Who do you think should win? Vote now in the poll below!

Up next, we’re in the home stretch for this year’s Blitz, with only four categories left to go, and tomorrow, we tackle the final field that required a larger than average time commitment. It’s Documentary Feature!

Join the conversation in the comments below! What sort of cartoons do you enjoy most? What would say to your dog if it could talk back? How was your first kiss? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me on Twitter (fuck “X”) as well as Bluesky, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more content, and check out the entire BTRP Media Network at btrpmedia.com!