Little Films Make Big Impact at Oscars
This year's Academy Awards showcase a wide range of short films, exploring weighty topics such as PTSD, ethnic cleansing, and the immigration system alongside lighter themes like music, kissing, and the passion of young performers.
Documentary Shorts
* Incident: Police surveillance footage offers a raw account of the fatal police shooting of a Black man in Chicago.
* Instruments of a Beating Heart: First graders in Tokyo prepare to perform "Ode to Joy" for incoming students.
* The Only Girl in the Orchestra: Groundbreaking double bassist Orin O'Brien breaks barriers at the New York Philharmonic.
* I Am Ready, Warden: A man on death row in Texas prepares a message for his victim's son.
* Death by Numbers: The aftermath of the Parkland High School shooting is chronicled through the journey of a survivor.
Animated Shorts
* Beautiful Men: Three bald brothers undergo hair transplants in Istanbul.
* Wander to Wonder: Miniature TV characters face decay and abandonment after their creator's death.
* Yuck!: Children react with disgust as their peers kiss.
* In the Shadow of the Cypress: A captain struggles with PTSD after an ethnic cleansing operation.
* Magic Candies: A boy experiences a transformed perspective after consuming enchanted sweets.
Live-Action Shorts
* Anuja: A young Indian girl's talent is stifled in a garment factory.
* I'm Not a Robot: A woman discovers the shocking truth about her own existence.
* The Last Ranger: A young girl's encounter with poachers takes a deadly turn.
* The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent: A man defies paramilitary forces during an ethnic cleansing operation.
* A Lien: A young couple navigates the complexities of the U.S. immigration system.