2026 Oscar Nominated Short Films
Various directors

For the 21th consecutive year, ShortsTV presents the Oscar Nominated Short Films, opening on Feb. 20^th. With all three categories offered – Animated, Live Action and Documentary – this is your annual chance to predict the winners (and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! A perennial hit with audiences around the country and the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. The Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 15.

Live Action Short Films

Running time: Approximately 114 minutes. Recommended for 16+

Butcher’s Stain
Directed by Meyer Levinson-Blount and Oron Caspi

Samir, an Arab Israeli working in a supermarket in Tel Aviv, is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room. He sets out to prove his innocence to keep this job that he desperately needs. 2025, Israel, DCP, in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, 26 minutes.

A Friend of Dorothy
Directed by Lee Knight and James Dean

A lonely widow’s (Miriam Margolyes) quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden. 2025, U.K., DCP, 21 minutes.

Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Directed by Julia Aks and Steve Pinder

Set in England in 1813, in the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her period. Her suitor, Mr. Dickley, mistakes the blood for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his expensive education has missed as spot. 2024, U.S., DCP, 13 minutes.

The Singers
Directed by Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt

An impromptu sing-off will decide the best singer in the bar tonight. 2025, U.S., DCP, 18 minutes.

Two People Exchanging Saliva (Deux personnes échangeant de la salive)
Directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata

In a society where kissing is punishable by death and people pay for things by receiving slaps to the face, Angeline, an unhappy woman, shops compulsively in a department store where she becomes fascinated by a playful salesgirl. Despite the prohibition of kissing, the two become close, raising the suspicions of a jealous colleague. 2024, France/U.S., DCP, in French with English subtitles, 36 minutes.

Animated Short Films

Approximate running time: 66 minutes. Recommended for 16+

Butterfly (Papillon)
Directed by Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens

As a man swims in the sea, memories come to the surface.  The recollections are from his early childhood to his maturity all of which are linked to water.  2024, France, DCP, in French Arabic and German with English subtitles, 15 minutes.

Forevergreen
Directed by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears

An orphaned bear cub finds a home with a fatherly evergreen tree, until his hunger for trash leads him to danger. 2025, U.S., DCP, 13 minutes.

The Girl Who Cried Pearls|
Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

A haunting fable about a girl overwhelmed by sorrow, the boy who loves her, and how greed leads good hearts to wicked deeds. 2025, Canada, DCP, in English and French with English subtitles, 17 minutes.

Retirement Plan
Directed by John Kelly and Andrew Freedman

In the throes of his overstimulated, energy poor midlife, Ray fantasizes about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time.” 2024, Ireland, DCP, 7 minutes.

The Three Sisters
Directed by Konstantin Bronzit

Three sisters living on an isolated island must rent out one of their houses. 2024, Israel/Cyprus/Russia, DCP, 14 minutes.

Documentary Short Films

Approximate running time: 153 minutes plus 15-minute intermission. Recommended for 16+

All the Empty Rooms
Directed by Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

This film follows correspondent Steve Hartmand and photographer Lou Bopp as they embark on a seven-year-long project to document the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. 2025, U.S., DCP, 34 minutes.

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Directed by Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo

An intimate chronicle about documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, the first American journalist killed while reporting on the Russo-Ukrainian War. 2025, U.S., DCP, in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and Somali with English subtitles, 37 minutes.

Children No More: “Were and are Gone”
Directed by Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins

Israeli peace activists hold silent vigils in Tel Aviv, displaying photos of Gaza’s young victims. Despite facing public backlash, their wordless demonstrations powerfully highlight war’s human cost. 2025, U.S./Israel/U.K., DCP, in Hebrew with English subtitles, 36 minutes.

The Devil is Busy
Directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir

At an Atlanta abortion clinic besieged by protesters, the director of operations takes necessary risks to safeguard staff and patients. 2024, U.S., DCP, 31 minutes.

Perfectly a Strangeness
Directed by Alison McAlpine

In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be. 2024, Canada/Chile, DCP, 15 minutes.