Nowhere can film buffs see the most creative and unique films than in the Best Animated Short category. Utilizing several animation styles and forms, it shows the medium at its most abstract and alive. Thanks to Magnolia Pictures and Shorts TV, audiences are able to see new shorts every year for a limited time. Both the nominees and runner-ups that are “highly-commended”. Seeing all of them, here’s a quick look at all the 2020 Oscar Animated Shorts.

Hair Love

It’s the story of a father who has to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and Lion Forge Animation, this was a passion project for director Matthew A. Cherry. Cherry developed the project as a way to celebrate and normalize black hair and celebrates black fathers and families. Thanks to Kickstarter, animation vets like Bruce W. Smith, Frank E. Abney II, and Peter Ramsey, and other creatives like Jordan Peele, Gabrielle Union, Yara Shahidi, that dream became a reality.

The 2D animation really pops, with great designs and strong expressions. All the while, there’s a beautiful story that combines fun comedy with strong pathos. The ending in particular really shines, as a beautiful celebration of family, self-love, and hair all at the same time.

Succeeding as an emotional, heartfelt celebration of black love, it’s a wonderful celebration of both black hair and animation.

Dcera (Daughter)

This stop-motion piece details the complicated relationship between a father and a daughter, both through childhood flashbacks and the present day. The one element that makes Dcera so unique is its camerawork. Specifically, it is the first stop-motion film to use handheld camera movements. It’s a good effect, but being a first use, it can be kind of distracting and hard to follow.

Aside from that, this was a little hard to connect with. The story is muddled and hard to follow, while the actual tension just doesn’t feel as powerful as the short wants it to be. The one notable aspect are the designs. Director Daria Kascheeva uses papier-mâché models for the characters. Along with blank expressions, it’s very unique. I would love to see more stop-motion pieces use the models here as a basis. But apart from some innovative techniques, there’s not a whole lot to this one.

Sister

A Chinese man looks back on his own childhood with his annoying little sister. Like Dcera, this is a stop-motion piece. But this one uses felt puppets to tell the story. They have a simple but pleasing design, and director Siqi Song has a lot of fun directing the sibling rivalry.

But what really sells it is the ending. It could have been introduced better, but it lands as an emotional gut punch and as a political statement. It elevates what would have been a cute enough story into a beautiful personal piece for Song.

Mémorable

An aging artist is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, as the world around him changes and transforms before his very eyes, shaped into the art he loves to make. This short easily has the most stunning animation. Director Bruno Collet takes stop-motion puppets, and paints them in the style of Vincent Van Gogh. This allows so many unique character designs, and gorgeous colors. And as the film progresses, it becomes more and more abstract. It’s such a mind-bending watch that shows the power of animation and the creativity Collet has under his belt.

The story matches the strengths of the animation. It shows the horrors of Alzheimer’s and how it impacts the patient and the world around them. There’s a lot of disorienting editing that really makes viewers feel as if they’re losing their mind in the process. As somebody whose greatest fear is losing their mind, it’s a short that gets better and better every time I think about it.

Kitbull

Probably my favorite of the bunch. This Pixar short, a part of the Sparkshorts series, focuses on the friendship between a harsh, independent stray kitten and a calm, abused pit bull. Director Joanna Sullivan nails the movements and mannerisms of both animals. The way they interact with each other and the world around them is realistic to their species and personalities. It also helps that the 2D animation has a lovely design to it, almost feeling like a storybook.

But of course, the best part is the black cat and pit bull’s chemistry. The way the two become friends is fleshed-out, well-written, and just adorable. It’s a joyous tearjerker, and it ends on a perfect note. Easily the best of the bunch.

The following shorts were not nominated. However, they were released in theaters with the other 2020 Oscar animated shorts, under “Highly Commended”.

Henrietta Bulkowski

A hunchback woman who can only see the ground tries to fulfill her dream of becoming a pilot and seeing the world. Like Hair Love, this was a Kickstarter project by Lift Animation. Also co-produced by Starburns Industries of Anomalisa fame, this is easily the weakest of the shorts shown. The production design is great, with a lot of creative landscapes. But the story is plagued with awful narration and on-the-nose dialogue. The ending in particular comes out of nowhere and feels somewhat ableist. The short has its good intentions, but it’s too sappy and confusing.

The Bird and the Whale

A baby whale loses his family, and tries to survive at sea with a caged bird that survived a shipwreck. The best part about this movie is its unique animation format. It uses paint-on-glass, using literal watercolors to tell its story.

The downside, however, is the story. The narrative is lightweight and generic, and the way it concludes feels muddled and confusing. However, I do think it’s worth a watch just for its aesthetics. Loving Vincent aside, there are very few painted animated features, and I hope more animated productions use literal brushstrokes to tell their story.

Hors Piste

Two rescue workers try to save a man stuck on a freezing mountain. But due to a comedic series of events, things don’t quite go as planned. This French short is a complete and total farce. It’s nothing but non-stop laughs, and every joke lands. Just seeing how these workers solve each problem along the way is comedy gold. The showing I was at had people dying at just about every moment.

I’m a bit surprised this didn’t get a nomination, but hopefully this gets the attention it deserves.

Maestro

This is by far the shortest of the bunch, not even reaching two minutes. It’s a simple short of a group of forest animals singing opera. It’s not much in the way of substance, but that’s not what it’s intended for. This is a CG tech demo from French studio Bloom Pictures, and it’s absolutely stunning. The animals are expressive and animated, but still look realistic, as if they’re really there. It’s definitely not exceptional, but it’s a cute little way to end things, and shows the potential Bloom Pictures has.

To Sum Up…

Even the weakest offerings had something to offer here. And with great animation and emotional stories, the 2020 Oscar Animated Shorts have plenty to enjoy for anyone who loves creativity.

Read my thoughts on the Oscar nominations here