FINAL Oscar Predictions: ANIMATED, DOCUMENTARY and LIVE-ACTION SHORT

There’s a wealth of sadness, depravity and dreariness in many of the nominees in the short film categories with a few rays of light that I think voters will try and grab onto.
In Animated Short I don’t see how Bao can lose. But if anything upsets it will likely be One Small Step. Documentary Short is a stellar lineup that includes previous Oscar winners and a film backed by the premier awards strategist in the game, Lisa Taback. The refugee crisis, racism in the UK and a found video of a Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden are also contenders here. I can see almost any of them win. Live-Action Short is exhaustively caustic and I think voters will gravitate to the only one that offers something different.
ANIMATED SHORT
| 1. BAO – Domee Shi |
| 2. ONE SMALL STEP – Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas |
| 3. LATE AFTERNOON – Louise Bagnall |
| 4. WEEKENDS – Trevor Jimenez |
| 5. ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR – Alison Snowden, David Fine |
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
| 1. END GAME – Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman |
| 2. PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE. – Rayka Zehtabchi |
| 3. BLACK SHEEP – Ed Perkins |
| 4. LIFEBOAT – Skye Fitzgerald |
| 5. A NIGHT IN THE GARDEN – Marshall Curry |
LIVE-ACTION SHORT
| 1. MARGUERITE – Marianne Farley |
| 2. FAUVE – Jeremy Comte |
| 3. SKIN – Guy Nattiv |
| 4. MOTHER – Rodrigo Sorogoyen |
| 5. DETAINMENT – Vincent Lambe |
- ‘Jay Kelly,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Task’ and More on AFI’s Top 10 Films and Television of 2025 Lists - December 4, 2025
- ‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards - December 4, 2025
- Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award - December 3, 2025

‘Jay Kelly,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Task’ and More on AFI’s Top 10 Films and Television of 2025 Lists
‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards
Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award
National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10