Nov 21, 2019

Here are this year's Oscar nominees for best animated short films

We already have a pretty good sense of which shorts will be in contention in the upcoming Oscar race for Best Animated Short Film.

To get a better sense of this year's crop of contenders, we surveyed major festival directors and animation critics from around the world who have seen many of this year's contenders. These are people who make their living watching and studying animated short films, and who view hundreds (or even thousands) of animated shorts a year. Their job is to champion quality animation.

We asked each expert to choose their favorite short from the final list of Oscar nominees, and then to choose four more shorts, in no particular order. In addition, we asked them to write a few lines of commentary about their best films. As a result, 23 works were selected. Here are the three that received the most votes:

1. Acid Rain - Tomek Popakl (Poland, 12 votes) 2. Physics of Sadness - Theodore Ushev (Canada, 10 votes) 3. Daughter - Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic, 7 votes)

The following responses from each person surveyed:

1st place? Acid Rain - Tomek Popakul (Poland)

"Acid Rain" is a bold and ambitious film that represents the next generation. It is a very real story, based on real experiences, by real people. It is a refreshingly honest depiction of a subculture, both aesthetically and narratively. As a filmmaker, I was truly inspired by this film and am glad that this is the direction that animated short films are taking.

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Top Picks Egg - Martina Scarpelli (France/Denmark)

I was impressed by the complex subject of anorexia and its original perspective on the oppression of those who suffer from it. It is a deeply honest and personal film that avoids clichés, reaching for a more unique truth and successfully communicating it through metaphor, design, and the bittersweet precision of animation. The film takes us into fascinating contradictions through the protagonist's struggles and leads us on an exploration of obsession and desire. The film is not only dangerous in its dark and sensitive themes. Its monochrome colors, format, and unique design deconstruct common discourses and take us on a journey that only animation can take us on.

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Push The Physics of Sorrow, Theodore Ushev (Canada)

The Physics of Sorrow is perhaps Theodore Ushev's most personal work. We can see in this work fragments and memories of his previous works. A fascinating work that leaves us speechless, this majestic odyssey in encaustic painting takes place as the 20th century turns to the 21st century and the East meets the West. It is a modern masterpiece.

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Top Pick Acid Rain, Tomek Popakul (Poland)

An entirely new animation language is invented. It uses quirky motion capture and other techniques and methods that are only possible in the age of digital technology to induce a sense of being lost and dizzy. The film conveys sadness and anonymity, but also the excitement of transhumanism (or mutation). I really like films with an aesthetic, and this film is perfect from that perspective.

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. This selection shows how animation can build a stronger bridge between reality and the inner world than any feature film. Through powerful artistic direction, it is able to deal with sensitive subjects such as violence, rootlessness, loneliness, Alzheimer's, and other mental disorders.

Best: My Goat Girl, Tomoki Misato (Japan)

This horror fairy tale is a brilliant stop-motion film that tackles intense subject matter in a way only animation can. The artistic character animation has real depth and expressive power. It touches on delusion, obsession, and violence as well as humor, acceptance, kindness, and healing.

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Top Pick Egg - Martina Scarpelli (France/Denmark)

A powerful and emotional film that follows the devastating effects of eating disorders on a person. The film skillfully uses the score, narration, and on-screen space to draw the viewer into the suffering, portraying it through a surrealistic lens, but with stark clarity and soul-crushing reality. This kind of film jolts the viewer out of his or her comfort zone and forces him or her to consider perspectives he or she may not have considered before. It is a compelling drama.

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Best Film: "Fool's Time Job" by Gilles Cuvillier (France)

It was very difficult (impossible) to pick one film this year. This film is much more political than his previous works, questioning human nature and the society we live in. Its aesthetics, beautiful monochrome and great design. And his "mise-en-scène" took great liberties with this film. If Ushev, Lost and Hodgson were already great directors before this year's film, Gilles Cuvelier proved to be one with this film. And for the same reason I could have picked "Acid Rain" as well...

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Top picks The Physics of Sorrow - Theodore Ushev (Canada)

With artificial intelligence already a part of our lives, some of my favorite recent animated shorts have left human footprints. Memories and personal events are at the heart of their scripts, and they have a strong graphic style with handmade elements. They all evoke ideas and emotions and provide a basic space - the space between the film and the audience. The script and direction of "The Physics of Sadness" are superb. The rhythm of the words, the music, and the images created with the austerity of the encaustic technique drive you into the realm of childhood and the torrent of life, with glimpses of pure poetry.

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Pick One Daughter - Daria Kashcheeva (Czech Republic)

A very relatable story about unspeakable, unconditional love. Immersive craft and personal stories told with a vibrant energy make this a difficult short to shake.

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One Push Egg, Martina Scarpelli (Denmark/France)

Engineered and meticulously designed, Egg is a striking portrait of a woman's struggle with body dysmorphia. The highly geometric black-and-white visuals are entirely consistent with human representation.

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One Push I'm Going Out for Cigarettes - Osman Cerfon (France)

This is a sensitive and honest story, told with wit and humor in Cerfon's signature graphic novel style. It is told with wit and humor in Serfon's signature graphic novel style. It is personal, moving, and bittersweet.

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Top Picks Acid Rain, directed by Tomek Popakul (Poland)

Disturbing and innovative, Acid Rain is a story on the border between reality and LSD trips, a story about learning not to make the same mistakes twice. It is a story about learning not to make the same mistakes twice. The film takes us on a fantastic cinematic journey that is perfectly paced. With so many equally interesting and wonderful films out there, this film is my best choice of the year.

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Top Picks The Physics of Sorrow, Theodore Ushev (Canada)

The Physics of Sorrow is a comprehensive work of art by Theodore Ushev, and for those already familiar with his work, at some point it will remind you of his entire filmography. For those who are already familiar with his work, it may remind you of his entire filmography at some point. At the same time, however, Ushev has renewed his technique, extended his themes, and proved that he can still deal deeply with his practice. For those unfamiliar with his previous works, "The Physics of Sadness" will be seen as a powerful portrait of the past half-century. In short, it is a work that is both universal and deeply unique.

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