The 98th Oscar Nominated Shorts: Highs, Lows, and One About Donkeys

Reviews of the 2026 Oscars short film nominees in the Animated, Live Action and Documentary categories.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The 98th Oscar-Nominated Shorts, presented by Taika Waititi, is a diverse collection of 15 short films across the Animated, Live Action and Documentary categories. Film critic Pete Hammond reviews the highs and lows of the nominees, from a quirky Russian comedy about three sisters to a powerful documentary about the cost of journalism in war zones.

Why it matters

The Oscar-nominated shorts are an important part of the Academy Awards, often serving as a deal-breaker for Oscar ballot predictions. This review provides insight into the range and quality of the nominated films, helping readers understand the artistic merit and social impact of these short-form works.

The details

The Animated Short Film category includes a sharp collection of nominees, led by acclaimed Russian director Konstantin Bronzit's comedic "The Three Sisters," the poignant "Forevergreen," the fable-like "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," the clever "Retirement Plan," and the devastating "Butterfly" based on a true story. In Documentary Shorts, the lineup includes the mesmerizing "Perfectly a Strangeness" about donkeys in the Atacama desert, the powerful "The Devil Is Busy" about an Atlanta clinic's security guard, the heartbreaking "Armed Only With a Camera" about a journalist killed in Ukraine, and the moving tributes to victims of school shootings and the Gaza conflict. The Live Action Shorts range from the uplifting "The Singers" to the thoughtful "A Friend of Dorothy," the tense "Butcher's Stain," the surreal "Two People Exchanging Saliva," and the comedic "Jane Austen's Period Drama."

  • The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 2, 2026.

The players

Konstantin Bronzit

A acclaimed Russian director who has previously been nominated for Oscars in the Animated Short Film category for his works "Ubornaya Istoriya" in 2009 and "We Can't Live Without Cosmos" in 2016.

Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears

The writer-directors of the Animated Short Film "Forevergreen," which features exceptional production design from Spears.

Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

The past Oscar nominees who provided the superb puppetry for the Animated Short Film "The Girl Who Cried Pearls."

Traci

The head of security at a women's healthcare clinic in Atlanta who is the focus of the Documentary Short Film "The Devil Is Busy."

Brent Renaud

The documentary filmmaker who was killed while reporting on the war in Ukraine, the subject of the Documentary Short Film "Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud."

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, Grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Academy will announce the winners of the 98th Oscars on March 2, 2026.

The takeaway

The 2026 Oscar-nominated shorts showcase the incredible range and artistry of filmmaking in short-form storytelling, from whimsical animated tales to hard-hitting documentaries that tackle important social and political issues. These films demonstrate the power of the medium to entertain, enlighten and inspire audiences.