The 2020 Academy Awards nominations honored many strong feature-length contenders for all the big awards, and many movie fans have rushed out to see the nominees - but what about those who want to watch the three short film categories? Each year the Oscars recognize these smaller movies in three categories: Best Documentary Short, Best Live-Action Short, and Best Animated Short. These nominees are often rising stars like Taika Waititi, who was nominated in 2005, or filmmakers outside the U.S. without access to big budgets. There are also some feature films that started as shorts.
Memorable short film nominees have included basketball star Kobe Bryant, whose Dear Basketball won in 2018 for Best Documentary Short. One of the best shorts in the last decade was 2013’s Live-Action Short winner, Shawn Christensen’s engrossing and energetic Curfew, which follows a suicidal young man who must babysit his niece during one chaotic night. Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios are almost always nominated for Best Animated Short, winning four of the last seven years. To qualify, the films must either screen for seven days in New York or Los Angeles County theaters or must win a qualifying award at a selected group of film festivals.
The majority of the Oscar nominees are available for free on YouTube or the production companies’ websites, and a couple are on subscription streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. Here’s a full breakdown of where to watch this year’s nominees.
Best Documentary Short
- In the Absence – YouTube Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) – A&E’s website Life Overtakes Me – Netflix St. Louis Superman – Not available Walk Run Cha-Cha – The New York Times’ website
Best Animated Short
- Dcera (Daughter) – Not available Hair Love – YouTube Kitbull – YouTube and Disney+ Memorable – Not available Sister – Vimeo
Best Live-Action Short
- Brotherhood – YouTube (in Arabic only) Nefta Football Club – YouTube The Neighbors’ Window – YouTube Saria – Hungry Man Productions’ website A Sister – YouTube
Additionally, for the past fifteen years, compilations of all the nominees are released in theaters. These feature-length presentations of the shorts will include the ones not currently available and add subtitles to the foreign language entries. These will hit theaters in New York City and other select markets on January 29 with further expansion in the week leading up to February 9th’s ceremony.
This year’s crop includes many great films with some recognizable talent. For example, Hair Love features Issa Rae’s voice talents and Jordan Peele is among the film’s co-executive producers, and Pixar’s Kitbull will be among the favorites to take home the Oscar. Short films are where many of today’s best first gained recognition, so it’s possible that in today’s list of nominees is your future favorite filmmaker.
More: Oscars: How To Watch The 2020 Best Picture Nominees