As people filtered into the theater, there was a buzz in the air about this year’s Oscar nominations. Oriental Theater on Farewell hosted the 2026 Oscar-nominated short film, Documentary, Animation and Live Action from February 20-26. This gave the people the opportunity to see all the nominations in one go, as it was meant to be.
Documentary
PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS
Directed by Alison McAlpine, this film captured what happens to three donkeys in an unknown desert, capturing the night sky and the unman observatory. This film reminds us that, sometimes, words are not needed to express what’s happening in the world around us. The shots of the night sky, and the unique way McAlpine captured them, brought awe and a sense of wispy like you are seeing it from the eyes of a donkey. This film comes into the Oscars with 16 wins and 11 nominations, and the film shows why it has 16 wins. You can catch this film on Prime Video and form your own opinion. I think this film has a strong chance to win at the Oscars, but compared to the others, it’s on the “too simple” side, which is not bad, but compared to the others in this category, I wonder if it will have enough to win.
The Devil is Busy
The day in the life of a director of operations at an Atlanta clinic. You see how they keep the safety of the building and patients, how they deal with protesters and everything else. This film brings light to an issue that many don’t see or possibly don’t want to see. This film brings 5 wins and 3 noms underneath its belt coming into the Oscar category. You can catch this short on HBOmax. I feel this film, compared to the others in this category, don’t hold the hitting power it would need to win, BUT this film touches on big political issues and how clinics are handling everything surrounding women’s healthcare.
ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BRENT RENAUD
This film shows the life and death of filmmaker Brent Renaud, who was the first journalist to be killed in the Russo-Ukrainian war. His brother, Craig, finished the film saying, “It’s what he would have wanted.” It takes you through who Brent was and why he filmed what he did. He focused on the human part of the story, not the war action that was going on. This film shows the higher price that a journalist might have to pay to just get the story. The short comes with 1 win and 2 noms and can be seen on HBOmax. This film spoke to me, as a photographer/journalist who has covered heated action. It reminds me that the “one more job” could be that last job, but it’s a price to pay to cover the bigger picture of the story. This has top potential to win the award, but I think there’s another short that could beat it out of the top spot.
ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS
Steve Hartman, normally the “happy part of the news report” for CBS News, took on a project that was 7 years in the making. Since the first school shooting, he had to be the one to find a happy twist upon all the evil that has been coming out since then. He and photographer Lou Bopp visited the families whose child was killed in school shootings. The film showed the last three people he covered: Hallie, Jackie, and Grace, and how their families are coping since their loss. The rooms are saved from the days they left. Lights staying on, clothes remain hung for the next day’s wear, toys still in the same spots that the kids left them, just waiting to be played with again. This short film has 7 wins and 4 nominations and can be watched on Netflix. This film has my vote for the win this year. Steve and Lou took their time to get to the heart of this heartbreak and bring to life the souls that were lost.
CHILDREN NO MORE: “WERE AND ARE GONE”
This film follows a group of people protesting the war in Gaza. The twist, they show all the children who have been killed during the time of the filming. The group gathers in the town of Tel Aviv, doing a silent protest weekly. The film shows the process they follow on how they make their posters, and the heat they get from others during these protests. This film only brings in one nomination, this Oscar, and cannot currently be watched in the US. This film takes a current subject matter and brings a new viewpoint to it. Compared to the other hitters in this category, I feel this film won’t be taking a win, but it’s in the top three in my book.
Live Action
The Singers
The Singers is based on a short story by Ivan Turgenev from the 1800’s, where in a lowly pub, you see a group of men sitting around the bar area talking about what troubles them. You see one gentleman trying to ask for money, when the bartender gives him and everyone in the pub a chance to win some money and beer. We start seeing the men battle for the grand prize, and the bartender joins in the battle as well. It showcases different sounds, musical and instrumental talents of the cast. With 27 wins and 14 noms, the live action category comes out swinging. The Singers are in my top 3, but compared to the others in this category, I don’t think they have enough to make the top mark. You can watch this short film on Netflix.
A FRIEND OF DOROTHY
A tale of how uncommon friendships can form in odd ways. Dorothy is an aging woman who lives by yourself. JJ, unfortunately, launched his soccer ball into her backyard. JJ asks to retrieve his ball, and Dorothy asks for assistance to open a can of prunes. This started a friendship between the two as Dorothy saw who JJ could really be, a theater actor, and JJ found his true self outside of what his world wants him to be, a soccer star like his siblings. Throughout the film, you watch the two blossom and see how organic their relationship/care ship is. It reminds us to follow who we, as a person, truly want to be, and that there are people out there to help cheer us on. With 18 wins and 3 noms, it brings a lot to the table, but I don’t think it has what it takes to bring a win this time around. Granted, it’s my second choice of films from this list, but I feel another film has it more. To watch this film, head to the Attitude Magazine YouTube channel.
BUTCHER’S STAIN
This film follows Samir, who is a local butcher in Tel Aviv. Within the shop, his coworkers start accusing him of tearing down the hostages’ posters hanging in the break room. Samir starts looking into who could be accusing him, who is actually tearing down the posters, and keeping his job that he desperately needs. This film brings a form of mystery and plot twist, but is not a heavy hitter like the others. With only 1 nomination under its belt, it would be the surprise win that the Oscars are known for. You can watch this on Kanopy.
TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA
This French film took a unique twist on social norms. In this society, payment is done by slaps to the face. So the more you are bruised, the more wealth you are. Also, in this society, people eat onions and don’t practice oral hygiene. With that, kissing is against the law and is punishable by death, technically placed in a box and thrown into a big hole to die. The film follows Angine, who runs into a playful salesgirl, and turns into a compulsive shopper to see the salesgirl. This interaction brings another salesgirl’s jealousy and a speculation about the consumer/salesgirl relationship into play. This film brings mystery and a twist. When the film starts, it brings a strangeness that brings you in and starts questioning the film. Once you’re in, it picks up the pace and shows you how strange this new society is. It brings in 17 wins and 3 noms, lower than what the other films bring, but I feel this film has that twist element that other Oscar films have. My vote for the winner is this film. You can watch the film on The New Yorker YouTube page.
JANE AUSTEN’S PERIOD DRAMA
Everyone loves a good period drama, and sometimes that is literally. We meet up with our main character, Miss Estrogenia Talbot, as she is about to get her long-awaited proposal from her suitor, Mr. Dickley, when one should be stricken with their period. Her suitor, thinking that she has been greatly wounded, stops mid proposal and rushes her back to the house. From there, we see a series of events, and finally, bringing up the big issue: her period. The movie ends on a happy note, but it leaves you laughing throughout the whole film. This film brings 8 wins and 2 nominations, and is not a heavy hitter like the others. I personally loved this one, but not enough for me to think it would be the winner of the whole thing. You can watch this film on Julia Aks’ YouTube page.
Animation
THE THREE SISTERS
The film follows three sisters who live on an island by themselves. One day, while a grocery drop off, the sisters lost their money and had to rent out one of their houses to pay for things. What unfolded was a series of events of the three sisters fighting for the guy, who is their renter, attention. This film brought in 1 win and 1 nomination. This movie had no speak but the music was timed perfectly with some effects and some noises. I put this film in the middle of my scale, not the winner, but not a loser by any means. Currently, the film is still being played in theaters, so it’s not available to watch online at this time.
FOREVERGREEN
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friend”. This simple quote is the basis behind this next short film. We start with seeing a lonely bear cub, navigating through the woods looking for food. Once the cub did find some berries, the cub almost fell but was saved by the pine tree. The story goes through their life ups and downs, and does end on a happy note. I loved how the artist used the media that they did, looking like recycled material, and if you watch closely, how they foreshadow some unfortunate things that happen. I put this in the second-place spot, but wouldn’t be surprised if it won. It comes in with 3 wins and 3 noms, so it has the potential to take the top spot. You can watch this short on the Forevergreen YouTube channel.
THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS
This tale follows, now, a grandfather talking to his granddaughter about a pearl she found in his office. He tells her a tale about when he was a boy in Canada, he lived next door to a girl and her family. The stepmother wasn’t kind to her, so when she slept at night, she would cry pearls. The grandfather, then a boy, took these pearls to a pawn shop to try to get money. What unfolds is a twisted tale about a girl who cries rare pearls, greed, heartbreak and scamming. This film brings in 2 wins and 4 noms, so still a hitter but not a heavy one. I would place this at the bottom of the list of winners. The stop motion is fantastic, but I feel it’s the story that might hurt it, especially with the other films in this category. At this time, this film is not available to watch in the US.
BUTTERFLY (Papillon)
This film follows a man( French swimmer Alfred Nakache) and his memories as he goes for a swim. The memories that unfold tell the story of his life, of how originally, he was afraid of swimming but grew to love it and become an Olympic swimmer during the rise of Germany’s power in the 1930’s. This film reminds us how some may have made it out of that timeframe alive, but it left a scar on them for life. The beautiful artwork allows this tale to flow naturally and transitions well. With 4 wins and 7 noms, this one brings in a heavy hitter and it shows. I place this one as the winner for the category. Between the artwork, use of sounds and the story itself, it has everything that screams “winner”. You can watch this film on ARTE․tv Culture YouTube channel.
RETIREMENT PLAN
This tugs at the heart a bit, especially if you have a loved one who is either close to retirement or is in retirement. A man thinks about all the things he can do once he is finally retired. Travel, try new things, start a hobby and end that hobby, and anything else one may do during that time. This film fell 4th on my list, but it’s the heaviest hitter with 18 wins and 8 noms. It will surprise me if this film wins overall, but the Oscars have done crazy things in the past. You can watch this film on The New Yorker YouTube page.
That’s it! That’s all 15 films up for nominations, and my picks for who will win it all from each category. Take a look at the films and make your judgment call before the Oscars happen on March 15th, 2026. Happy watching!!