The creative teams behind seven Oscar-nominated shorts participated in TheWrap’s Screening Series on Monday, where filmmakers shared insights into their work leading up to the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2. Two showcases highlighted live-action/documentary shorts and animated shorts at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California, both featuring Q&A sessions moderated by TheWrap’s Executive Editor of Awards, Steve Pond.
The first showcase honored three nominated films in the live-action and documentary shorts categories.
“I’m Not a Robot” (live-action short) follows a music producer who questions her humanity after repeatedly failing CAPTCHA tests. Director Victoria Warmerdam expressed, “It started as a funny thought, but then my imagination took a darker turn and I really started to wonder.” She was captivated by the ‘Truman Show’ elements, fearing someone would reveal that her world isn’t what it seems.
Trent, a producer on the project, admired Warmerdam’s unique perspective and her “absurd way of thinking” that inspired the project’s development.
“The Last Ranger” (documentary short), part of the anthology series “When The World Stopped,” focuses on Thandi, a South African rhino who survives a brutal attack and the efforts of those fighting for her survival. Producer Darwin Shaw noted that it took eight months to prepare the script with writer David Lee, who suggested his sister, Cindy Lee, as director.
Lee emphasized, “It really is all about hope and community — getting them excited and involved to create something positive.”
Another documentary short, “Incident,” utilizes bodycam and surveillance footage to depict the 2018 fatal shooting of barber Harith “Snoop” Augustus by Chicago police officer Dillan Halley, and the ensuing aftermath. Director Bill Morrison aimed to tell the story using only footage released by the police and local businesses.
“Those were the parameters,” he explained regarding his 30-minute film, stating, “All of [the footage] had been made available to the public, and I wouldn’t add a narrator, a talking head, or music — the story can be told through the footage alone, prompting reflection on why the police were acquitted.”
The second showcase highlighted four nominated films in the animated shorts category.
Based on a beloved Korean children’s book, the CG-animated “Magic Candies” follows a young boy who gains the ability to communicate with animals and objects after eating magical sweets.
“It’s a very beautiful, impressive story for me,” said producer Takashi Washio regarding the Japanese short directed by Daisuke Nishio. “We needed to respect the emotions of the main character, Dong-Dong, while acknowledging the cultural differences between Korea and Japan.”
The stop-motion animated “Wander to Wonder” tells the story of tiny performers from a children’s show coping with the death of their creator. Director/producer Nina Gantz related to the film’s themes, sharing, “While writing the final script, I was caring for someone in palliative care. His death highlighted how everyone grieves differently.”
The French animated short “Yuck!” follows young Leo, who pretends to be disgusted by kissing but secretly desires to experience it. Director Loïc Espuche recalled how children reacted during a screening of another short he directed, which led him to create this film about the reactions to kissing.
“I thought, ‘Wow, I need to make a movie about kissing and the various reactions it provokes in children,’” he remarked. Producer Juliette Marquet called the premise “universal.”
“In the Shadow of the Cypress,” an Iranian animated short directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, explores a former captain dealing with PTSD living with his daughter in isolation.
Sohani stated, “We wanted to tell a story about a parent and child relationship, developing the scenario deeply over time. The father’s behavior reflects trauma, influenced by our personal experiences.”
Watch the full live-action/documentary shorts conversation here.
Watch the full animated shorts conversation here.
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