2026 Oscar®-Nominated Short Films
March 7 TO 8
Experience the year’s most spectacular short films on the big screen during our Oscar®-nominated Short Films Weekend, featuring this year’s nominees in Live Action, Animated, and Documentary categories.
Event Schedule & Tickets
Members: One Category $8 | Two Categories $12 | All Three $16
General Public: One Category $10 | Two Categories $14 | All Three $20
Best Live-Action Short
Butcher’s Stain
A tense, morally thorny drama about a Palestinian butcher working in an Israeli supermarket who is suddenly accused of a politically charged workplace act—forcing him into a desperate struggle to prove his innocence and keep the job he cannot afford to lose.
A Friend of Dorothy
A bittersweet comedy-drama in which an elderly widow and her teenage neighbor form an unexpected bond, finding companionship and healing in shared loneliness—with humor, heart, and gentle surprise.
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
A sharp, hilarious satire of Pride and Prejudice conventions: in 1813 England, a young woman’s long-awaited romantic proposal is derailed by an inconvenient biological reality, skewering “proper” society expectations with modern bite.
The Singers
In a rough pub full of downtrodden men, an impromptu singing duel becomes something far deeper—an unexpectedly moving tale of vulnerability, pride, and the strange grace of shared music.
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Set in an uncanny dystopia where kissing is punishable by death, this hypnotic, provocative film blends romance, rebellion, and surreal satire into a darkly comic meditation on intimacy and control.
Best Animated Short Film
Butterfly
A gorgeously animated portrait of memory and endurance following a man’s final swim as life flashes back through moments of joy, trauma, and resilience.
Forevergreen
A tender (and sometimes darkly funny) fable about an orphaned bear cub who finds comfort in an evergreen “guardian”—until survival, hunger, and the lure of human waste complicate their bond.
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
A haunting stop-motion-style fairy tale about grief made literal: a sorrowful girl’s tears become pearls, triggering obsession and moral collapse in those around her—with devastating consequences.
Retirement Plan
A quietly brilliant miniature about a man who postpones his dreams until retirement, turning the “someday” list into an existential countdown—funny, sad, and painfully relatable.
The Three Sisters
A wry, beautifully timed animated piece that follows three sisters navigating the comedy and cruelty of everyday family life—minimal, human, and emotionally precise.
Best Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms
A devastating memorial journey across America: a journalist and photographer document the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings—quiet spaces that speak volumes about grief, love, and national trauma.
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
A powerful tribute to conflict journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud, using firsthand footage and personal reflection to honor his work—and the lethal cost of telling the truth.
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
In Tel Aviv, activists hold silent vigils mourning children killed in Gaza, confronting hostility and indifference as they insist on visibility, grief, and moral witness.
The Devil Is Busy
A raw, observational look at one day inside an Atlanta abortion clinic under relentless protest—capturing the emotional toll, resilience, and moral complexity of care under siege.
Perfectly a Strangeness
A mesmerizing, near-wordless documentary experience: three donkeys wander toward and into an abandoned astronomical observatory, turning curiosity into something cosmic, funny, and profound.
