Oct 20, 2021

Exclusive: Animation Showcase Allows Industry Professionals and Students to Stream Oscar-Nominated Short Films for Free

For the second year in a row, industry insiders have the chance to stream top animated Academy Award nominees for free.

The streaming platform "The Animation Showcase" has assembled some of the year's best buzzed about films, including "Affairs of the Art," "Robin Robin," "The Windshield Wiper" and "Souvenir Souvenir." The film was also the first to be released in the U.S. Also released on the platform were such nominees as "Mama It's Raining," "The Boob Fairy," "Namoo," etc.

As of today, Cartoon Brew readers working in animation and film, including students, can sign up for membership by clicking this link. Once membership is approved, they will have access to short films and supplemental content.

The films available are divided into the following categories:

The 15 finalists will be available for streaming after the December 21 announcement. There may also be additional Oscar-worthy feature films, such as last year's "Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary."

The platform is the brainchild of Benoit Berthe Siward, founder and CEO of Animation Showcase, a strategic agency deeply involved in awards campaigns for animated films. He created the platform last year as an alternative to the usual awards season screenings that had been blocked by Covid. He was so impressed with audience participation that he brought it back this season in a more expanded form, helped by a growing demand from producers and distributors to screen short films.

"This digital tool has allowed the showcase to expand to places we wouldn't have gone before: Oceania and Asia, for example. We were also impressed by the very high viewership of [last year's] productions. Audience attention is very high on this platform. The data shows that in most cases people are watching the productions in full, without skipping or browsing"

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This service is quite an accomplishment: it brings major studios on board while spotlighting important independent films that receive little exposure outside of film festivals. Last year, the Animation Showcase became the first place, apart from the Academy's screening room, to stream all short films nominated for the category.

While the Oscar nominees will be removed when the nominations are announced on February 8, 2022, The Animation Showcase will be live throughout the year with a program of films unaffiliated with the Academy Awards. The platform is also available on media players such as Apple TV and Roku.