Best Animated Short Film: Ranking Every Oscar Nominee
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
The first of the short film categories is the most fun: the animated selection! Well, I would typically say that, but this year’s selection is far darker than any I can recall, with only one film being suitable for all ages and not containing some mature commentary and subject matter. I guess we’re in an era where points must be made and artists just aren’t at their happiest. Furthermore, not a single Disney and/or Pixar film made the cut this year, which is honestly quite rare. Which of the shorts will win it all this year? It’s honestly a little tough to say. Here are your nominees.
Biggest Snub: Far From the Tree
Not to be that guy, but if ever a Disney short were snubbed, it was this year. Far From the Tree is quite the meaningful film that looks at the difficulties of parenting and the dangers of the real world, with best intentions being honoured years down the line. It’s a beautiful short as well that takes into account how much an environment can carry the heavy lifting of storytelling. I don’t like playing devil’s advocate typically, but Far From the Tree should have been here (I’m wondering if it was an eligibility issue? If not, then it has definitely been snubbed).
5. Affairs of the Art
Affairs of the Art feels as absurd as a Don Hertzfeldt short without knowing how to find the beauty in the unusual like the latter can. It is animated really well and is bonkers enough to remain interesting, but we really don’t get too far with Beryl’s analysis of the obsessions of humanity. If anything, Affairs of the Art ends so suddenly that it almost feels like a slap to the face: where exactly were we going with this, outside of observing that everyone carries passions that sometimes consume them? This short is strong as art but really flimsy as any conveyer of depth and meaning.
Rating: 3/5
4. Boxballet
For years, I have said that Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler and Black Swan have many parallels when it comes to detailing the pugnacious sacrifices of some forms of entertainment, and here is the short Boxballet to back me up. A boxer and a ballerina meet and couldn’t seem further apart, and yet they identify with one another on a core level. As they both give themselves up for what they love (and what the people love), mascara spills and blood cascades, and yet they recognize that they both matter. It’s an unorthodox little short, but one with a bit of a punch and a relevé to close us out.
Rating: 3.5/5
3. Robin Robin
Sometimes a short film can just be an escape for a little bit, and the mightily adorable Robin Robin felt like that. As a robin is trying to figure out her place in the world (between mice, of whom she was raised by, and birds, an animal she identifies with), we get a series of little adventures, all beautifully animated via felt creatures. You won’t really learn anything, but you may be a little moved by this half hour of cuteness, perseverance, and wholesomeness (a must amidst four other much darker nominees).
Rating: 3.5/5
2. Bestia
For the first while, Bestia had me at arms length with its disturbing content, and I think that’s exactly where it wanted me to be. Animated with porcelain figures to resemble the fragility of living underneath a dictatorship, Bestia feels a bit “off” until it reveals its true colours: pure fragmented fatality. As the short collapses in on itself and goes the distance with its disdain of living amidst fear, Bestia becomes one of the more powerful visions of 2021: a warped, unforgettable short that is brilliantly animated and so intrinsically detailed.
Rating: 4.5/5
1. The Windshield Wiper
I cannot begin to champion abstract short films like this that can carry entire lifetimes in a matter of minutes. Alberto Mielgo’s latest achievement is The Windshield Wiper, and it is firstly an absolute sight to behold; how does one even explain his animation style, with its pseudo-photorealism and cell shading and sketch lined flourishes? Then there are the series of vignettes about the discrepancies of love that range from minimalist (a satellite bouncing text messages only for someone to be left on “read”) to devastating (an unfortunate self-sacrifice). Part poetic and part literal, The Windshield Wiper is so monumental in such a short amount of time, and I cannot reflect on how it shook me to my core the first time I saw it properly. This one’s a must-see for art-heads like myself.
Rating: 4.5/5
What I want to win: I’m going to stick with The Windshield Wiper, which honestly blew me away. It’s one of my favourite films of any sort of 2021.
What I think will win: Short categories are tough to predict. I think Robin Robin stands a big chance, given its narrative structure, warmth, and wide access to be seen. I hate to be that guy by pointing out that Academy members are often guilty of not having seen every nominee, but it’s true. I feel like Robin Robin is the easiest to resonate with everyone in many ways (especially because it’s the least political).
Tune in tomorrow for our next Academy Award category! We’re reviewing every single nominee on every weekday.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.