Aug 4, 2021

Six animated short films are early contenders for the 2022 Academy Awards

We won't know which shorts will qualify for the awards until later in the fall, but there will certainly be a mix of studio films (which tend to qualify for awards through public exhibition rather than at festivals) and independent films. As always, a relatively small number of studio films will receive a lot of publicity, while the majority of independent films will struggle to generate buzz.

To redress this balance somewhat, we will begin our coverage of the indie nominees early this year and post this list of six nominees. All of them have won awards eligible for the Academy Awards, and all of them are sure to submit and win (major awards are listed below). And in our estimation, they are all excellent. Whether the Academy agrees remains to be seen...

(Side note: The short list preceding the list of nominees has historically been limited to 10 films. Starting with the next Academy Awards, the number will increase to 15.)

Director Nicolas Capens Country of the work Belgium / France / Netherlands Awards Annecy (Jury Prize), Anima (Best Belgian Short Film)

A suicide incident leads two teenage boys to search for a fledgling bird in an attempt to trade it for cigarettes and mountain bikes. From this bizarre premise, Keppens weaves a highly original tale of adolescent drifting and anxiety, boldly presented within a claustrophobic, square frame. The young Belgian director previously co-directed the festival favorite Wildebeest, and Easter Eggs shares the offbeat humor of that film, almost Adult Swim, but with melancholy mixed in.

Director Joanna Quinn Country of the work United Kingdom/Canada Awards Clermont-Ferrand (Best Animation, International Competition), Annecy (Special Jury Prize - Direction), Aspen Short Fest (Best Comedy)

A working-class heroine known for several short films by Quinn and partner Les Mills, Beryl returns in the pair's funniest film to date. The film captures her in late middle age as she reflects on her frustrated artistic ambitions. Few people today can animate with the humor and sense of humor that Quinn does. But "A Matter of Art" also stands as a provocative meditation on our obsession with art, taxidermy, and the Dutch language, and the meaning it has for our lives.

For an interview with Quinn, click here.

Directors Samuel Patey, Sylvain Monnier Country Switzerland Prize Annecy (Crystal Prize for Best Short)

Following his delicately observed "Travels in Tel Aviv," Patey co-directed this animated documentary with illustrator Monie The two spent a year sketching in a retirement home in their native Switzerland. In vignettes that range from semi-abstract line drawings to collages, Peel shows the residents drinking wine, playing bingo, walking, sitting, and sleeping. The film is sensitive but never overly sentimental, and the suffering of these institutions during the pandemic only adds to its pathos.

Director Bastien Dubois Country France Awards Annie Award (Best Short), Sundance Award (Jury Prize for Best Short: Animation), Clermont-Ferrand Award (Best Animation in National Competition)

Like Pathey, Dubois is renowned for his documentary animation, and his travelogue "Madagascar and Travel Diary, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. In his latest film, Du Bois takes up the subject of the Algerian war, which is often kept under wraps in France and rarely discussed in other countries. By structuring the story around his grandfather, a war veteran who flatly refused to talk about the war, Du Bois makes "Souvenir Souvenir" a study in denial itself. The film's ingenious combination of techniques captures the difference between the war as it appears to those who have never known it and the reality for those who have experienced it.

Click here for an interview with director Du Bois.

Director: Joe Shay Country of the work Taiwan Awards Animafest Zagreb (Grand Prix for short films)

It is rare for a short film as tragic as this to win awards at a major film festival. The Night Bus, which gradually unfolds on a late-night bus ride, begins as an Agatha Christie-style horror and ends as a kind of slasher horror, interwoven with Buñuel-esque satire of the absurd. Hsieh came to prominence with his 2014 short film "The Present," a disturbing study of loyalty and faith, and most recently served as animation director on Yong Hwan's Oscar-winning film "No. 7 Cherry Lane." He has said that working with Yong Hwang taught him the importance of subtle acting, and it shows in "Night Bus."

Director Cristian Mercado Country of Origin Colombia / Mexico / Puerto Rico / USA / Vietnam Awards SXSW (Best Animated Short)

A disturbing piece of Latin futurism about a sister and brother who sign a Faustian contract to become reggaeton superstars. There are big twists and big songs, but the tempo is subdued and the mood is dreamy and woozy. Mercado is Puerto Rican, and the film is set in a future Puerto Rico that is both like the Tokyo of "Akira" and the Puerto Rico of today. The project was led by a consortium of Latino and other artists of color based in Colombia, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam.