2018 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation (2018)

2018 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary

The year’s most spectacular Documentary short films.

Kill

When an army commando finds out his true love is engaged against her will, he boards a New Dehli-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, the commando takes them on himself in a death-defying kill-spree to save those around him — turning what should have been a typical commute into an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride.

My Scientology Movie

Following a long fascination with the religion and with much experience in dealing with eccentric, unpalatable and unexpected human behavior, the beguilingly unassuming Theroux won't take no for an answer when his request to enter the Church's headquarters is turned down. Inspired by the Church's use of filming techniques, and aided by ex-members of the organization, Theroux uses actors to replay some incidents people claim they experienced as members in an attempt to better understand the way it operates. In a bizarre twist, it becomes clear that the Church is also making a film about Louis Theroux.

The Lair of the White Worm

On a farm owned by Eve Trent and her sister Mary, young archaeologist Angus Flint discovers a large and inexplicable skull, which he soon deduces belonged to the D'Ampton Worm, a mythical beast supposedly slain generations ago by the ancestor of the current Lord D'Ampton. The predatory Lady Sylvia Marsh soon takes an interest in both Flint and the virginal Eve, hinting that the vicious D'Ampton Worm may still live.

Knox Goes Away

A contract killer, after being diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia, is presented with the opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son. But to do so, he must race against the police closing in on him as well as the ticking clock of his own rapidly deteriorating mind.

Old Man Junior

Morbius Jr, now an OId Man, is nearing the end of life, when he finds the last hope for all Morbkind. However, as he fights to protect the future of Morbheads, he finds himself facing off against an unlikely of enemy... HIMSELF.

Crescent City

When a ruthless serial killer terrorizes a small Southern town, everyone becomes a suspect -- including local authorities. As the body count rises and the dark mystery deepens, the chief detective becomes haunted by the horrors of his past.

Marnie

Marnie is a thief, a liar, and a cheat. When her new boss, Mark Rutland, catches on to her routine kleptomania, she finds herself being blackmailed.

The Swan

Two large, ignorant bullies ruthlessly pursue a small, brilliant boy in this young adult Roald Dahl short story.

Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress

After a wonderful time in Hungary Sissi falls extremely ill and must retreat to a Mediterranean climate to rest. The young empress’ mother takes her from Austria to recover in Madeira.

Spider-Man

When an extortionist threatens to force a multi-suicide unless a huge ransom is paid, only Peter Parker can stop him with his new powers as Spider-Man.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage.

RoboCop

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years, but have been forbidden for law enforcement in America. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp sees their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine.

The Age of Innocence

In 19th century New York high society, a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.

Never Let Go

As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond.

Starred Up

19-year-old Eric, arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father. As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist, who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.

Alienoid: Return to the Future

Ean has a critical mission to return to the future to save everyone. However, she becomes trapped in the distant past while trying to prevent the escape of alien prisoners who are locked up in the bodies of humans. Meanwhile, Muruk, who helps Ean escape various predicaments, is unnerved when he begins sensing the presence of a strange being in his body. Traveling through the centuries, they are trying to prevent the explosion of the haava.

Would I Lie to You? 2

Eddie, Dov, and Yvan are back, still working in Paris' Sentier textile district, This time they're confronting the high-stakes world of large distribution after striking a deal with Eurodiscount, a European hypermarket chain.

Jim's Story

Aymeric runs into Florence, a former coworker, one evening in Saint-Claude in the Haut-Jura. She is six months pregnant and single. When she gives birth to Jim, Aymeric is there. They spend happy years together until Christophe, Jim's biological father, shows up.

By the Grace of God

Alexandre, a man in his 40s living in Lyon with his wife and children, discovers that the priest who abused him decades ago continues to work with children. He joins forces with others victims of the priest, to bring justice and “lift the burden of silence” about what they endured.

Along Came Love

1947. On a beach, Madeleine, a waitress in a hotel restaurant, mother of a little boy, meets François, a rich and cultivated student. The force of attraction that pushes them towards each other is commensurate with the secrecy that each carries. If we know what Madeleine wants to leave behind by following this young man, we discover over time, what François is desperately trying to flee by mixing Madeleine's fate with his.

The Conformist

A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.

Inferno

After waking up in a hospital with amnesia, professor Robert Langdon and a doctor must race against time to foil a deadly global plot.

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends

Shishio sets sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the government. In order to stop him, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

For Peter Parker, life is busy. Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen Stacy, high school graduation cannot come quickly enough. Peter has not forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away, but that is a promise he cannot keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro, emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

Blood Diner

Two cannibalistic brothers kill various young women to make their flesh part of a new special dish at their rundown restaurant while seeking blood sacrifices to awaken a dormant Egyptian goddess.

The Last Picture Show

High school seniors and best friends, Sonny and Duane, live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating a local beauty, while Sonny is having an affair with the coach's wife. As graduation nears and both boys contemplate their futures, Duane eyes the army and Sonny takes over a local business. Each struggles to figure out if he can escape this dead-end town and build a better life somewhere else.

New Beginnings

Alain and Diane have been together for 30 years. In his mind, Alain is still 30 years old. But the equation 30 years of routine feelings, empty nest (and incidentally a job where being 50 is like an incurable disease) creates a much less euphoric effect for Diane. She oscillates between depression and free fall - and the first one who says "hormonal" she smokes. Alain loves Diane like crazy and love is proof. He's going to do something crazy for her, something to make her feel vital again, to make her heart beat and youthfulness pulsate. The crazy thing? Leave her. The risk with electroshock ? Unknown: either it wakes up or it burns. They will take it, with their eyes closed.

Spider-Man Strikes Back

At the New York State University, one of Peter Parker's tutors has accidentally given three students all the materials they need to create an atomic bomb. While Peter Parker tries to find out what's happened, the police suspect him of the crime, and Peter has to deal with an attractive journalist determined to get an interview with Spider-Man. Then dastardly millionaire Mr. White shows up, and will stop at nothing to get his hands on the atomic bomb. Spider-Man must defeat this scheming villain and stop him blowing up the World Trade Centre.

Monkey Man

Kid is an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.

Freelance

An ex-special forces operative takes a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, they are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive.

Speak No Evil

When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.

Mr. Turner

Eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper bears an unrequited love for him.

Sibyl

Sibyl, a jaded psychotherapist, returns to her first passion: writing. But her newest patient Margot, a troubled up-and-coming actress, proves to be a source of inspiration that is far too tempting. Fascinated almost to the point of obsession, Sibyl becomes more and more involved in Margot’s tumultuous life, reviving volatile memories that bring her face to face with her past.

Bonnie and Clyde

In the 1930s, bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.

LOL

The relationships of three men are examined through their use of technology.

Space Jam

With their freedom on the line, the Looney Tunes seek the help of NBA superstar Michael Jordon to win a basketball game against a team of moronic aliens.

My Green Crocodile

A green crocodile who loves flowers and leaves falls in love with a pretty cow.

Lisa Limone and Maroc Orange: A Rapid Love Story

Main hero is a singing boat refugee – orange boy Maroc. He dreams about freedom. Lemon girl Lisa collects singing seashells and dreams about love. Lisa’s father is a businessman, owner of a ketchup factory and tomato plantation. He loves money. And so the opera begins: Poor Maroc escapes from his homeland and defying stormy waters take a boat across the sea to the “promised land”. Upon arrival he is forced into being a slave worker in a tomato plantation instead of freedom, democracy, wealth and parties he had hoped for. Despite the initial let down our orange boy is destined to gain happiness – selfish Lisa falls in love with him and sets him free. We see an orange revolution – houses are blown up and tomatoes are made from ketchup, all in the name of democracy! Movie that is full of rebellion and love has happy ending – we will see sour-sweet culmination of lemon girl’s and orange boy’s love.

Cinderella

Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!

For Sock's Sake

Stop-motion animated short produced as a film student graduation project at the Gobelins Animation School of Paris by Carlo Vogele, class of 2008, leading to a career as a character animator at Pixar. It was selected as the winner of the Best Graduation Film award the following year at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

Experimental Animation

Len Lye scraped together enough funding and borrowed equipment to produce a two-minute short featuring his self-made monkey, singing and dancing to 'Peanut Vendor', a 1931 jazz hit for Red Nichols. The two foot high monkey had bolted, moveable joints and some 50 interchangeable mouths to convey the singing. To get the movements right, Lye filmed his new wife, Jane, a prize-winning rumba dancer.

Pinocchio

The film was directed by Giuliano Cenci with assistance from his brother Renzo. During production, Carlo Collodis grandchildren Mario and Antonio Lorenzini were consulted. The subtle movements made by fidgeting children whilst speaking or under scrutiny were incorporated into Pinocchios movements, particularly when he lies to the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair over the fate of his gold coins. For the design of the Fairy, Italian portrayals of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art were used as starting points.

James and the Giant Peach

When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strange lands.

E.V.A.

An astronaut floats lost in the vastness of space awaiting help

The Cat's Mill

A white cat owns a mill, but loses the mill to a black cat and the devil. Latvian animation.

A Town Called Panic: Back to School Panic!

Indian and Cowboy are about to set off on a magnificent cruise on a luxury liner, but they have made a big mistake. They completely forgot that today is the first day of school! Goodbye tropical islands, our friends are back at their desks in school listening as the teacher drones on and on.

Mad in Xpain

In a post-apocalyptic Spain different tribes survive, struggling to take control of the only existing sustenance: a red wine of negligible quality. (A sequel to Made in Spain, 2016.)

Chainsaw Bunny

Two bunny girls get in trouble..... From the creator of CHAINSAW MAID and PUSSYCAT, another gory horror clay animation comes!! Never ending splatter carnival has begun!!

Sleeping Beauty

A beautiful princess born in a faraway kingdom is destined by a terrible curse to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep that can only be awakened by true love's first kiss. Determined to protect her, her parents ask three fairies to raise her in hiding. But the evil Maleficent is just as determined to seal the princess's fate.

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Set several years after the first film, Ariel and Prince Eric are happily married with a daughter, Melody. In order to protect Melody from the Sea Witch, Morgana, they have not told her about her mermaid heritage. Melody is curious and ventures into the sea, where she meets new friends. But will she become a pawn in Morgana's quest to take control of the ocean from King Triton?

Farewell, My Dear Cramer: First Touch

14-year-old Nozomi Onda has only one thing on her mind: playing beautiful soccer. There's just one problem: no matter how much she longs to participate in official matches, she'd have physically superior boys as opponents. But when a boy from her past confronts her on the street, she decides she can't wait any longer.

A Wooden Toy Dreamed of Paper Boats

An ancient fleet of paper boats is enslaved by the music of a record player; when it breaks down, the boats see an opportunity to rebel.

Soft Plants

Naked, on the back of a sheep, soft office worker Willie rides trough the forest. His body is still in the office, but his mind wanders between dangerous flowers, li-los and an imaginary friendship for a soft sheep.

Greener

A small cabin. A beautiful view. Two souls live seemingly happy lives, their every need met by machines of their own making. But as the days drag on and their routines grow weary, one's souls freedom becomes anothers prison.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.

Free! the Final Stroke The First Volume

Haruka Nanase's new stage to take on the world is Sydney – a place he once visited, a place of dreams. One day, while taking a short break before his departure, Haruka coincidentally runs into a swimmer that competed at the All Japan National Championships, andi s burning for a challenge. With the feelings of his friends whom he swam together brimming in his heart, Haruka steps forward into a brand new world. What awaits him is the world champion, Albert Volandel. The swimmers mentally prepare themselves for the competition in Syndey. What will they fell and what will they swim for as they compete for a place at the top of the world? Their intense battle with the water begins here!

Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy

An "electronic puppet" version of the Humperdinck opera, adapted for children and using spoken dialogue as well as Humperdinck's music.

Prehistoric Beast

In a dense forest, a monoceratops-type plant-eating dinosaur is stalked by a carnivorous Tyrannosaurus rex.

Chicken Run

The creators of Wallace & Gromit bring you an exciting and original story about a group of chickens determined to fly the coop–even if they can’t fly! It’s hardly poultry in motion when Rocky attempts to teach Ginger and her feathered friends to fly…but, with teamwork, determination and a little bit o’ cluck, the fearless flock plots one last attempt in a spectacular bid for freedom.

Corpse Bride

In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.

The Predator Holiday Special

In this stop-motion animated holiday short, the Predator tangles with his most formidable foes yet – Santa and his reindeer.

Noise of the World

A composer is afflicted by a strange illness: he can hear every noise in the world. Through his music, he will find a way to keep the noise under control.

Jasper and the Haunted House

Jasper and the Haunted House is another George Pal Puppetoon about a black boy and his troubles. This time, the scarecrow switches a sign that leads Jasper to a haunted house instead of a deacon's place where he brings a pie.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.

The Wrong Trousers

Wallace rents out Gromit's former bedroom to a penguin, who takes up an interest in the techno pants created by Wallace. However, Gromit later learns that the penguin is a wanted criminal. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

A Close Shave

Wallace's whirlwind romance with the proprietor of the local wool shop puts his head in a spin, and Gromit is framed for sheep-rustling in a fiendish criminal plot.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: A Goofy Fairy Tale

It's bedtime at the Clubhouse and everyone's ready for their favorite bedtime stories! Unfortunately, Goofy's magic trick makes all the stories disappear from the Clubhouse books!

A Grand Day Out

Wallace and Gromit have run out of cheese, and this provides an excellent excuse for the duo to take their holiday to the moon, where, as everyone knows, there is ample cheese. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Cheese-loving eccentric Wallace and his cunning canine pal, Gromit, investigate a mystery in Nick Park's animated adventure, in which the lovable inventor and his intrepid pup run a business ridding the town of garden pests. Using only humane methods that turn their home into a halfway house for evicted vermin, the pair stumble upon a mystery involving a voracious vegetarian monster that threatens to ruin the annual veggie-growing contest.

From the Ashes: A LEGO Star Wars Story

Following the discovery of a serious threat to the Clone Army of the Republic, a unit of civilian volunteers is dispatched to quell the Separatist scheme. Meanwhile, a young man with a special gift struggles to find a place of belonging in the galaxy. "From the Ashes" is a fan-made, feature-length LEGO stop-motion Star Wars film.

Red Riding Hoodwinked

Red Riding Hood is on her way from the city to the country, to visit Granny. She's bringing Tweety Bird to Granny as a gift - which attracts Sylvester's attention. Along the way she also meets the Big Bad Wolf. Sylvester wants to eat Tweety. Big Bad wants to eat Red.