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 |
- 2026 Tribeca Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with World Premieres of ‘Hadestown: The Musical,’ ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ Doc - April 16, 2026
- ‘Beef’ Season 2 Review: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton Sink Their Teeth Into Lee Sung Jin’s Meaty Morality Tale [A-] - April 16, 2026
- George Clooney to be Honored at 51st Chaplin Award Gala by Stephen Colbert, Sam Rockwell and More - April 15, 2026

2026 Tonys: Laurie Metcalf (‘Little Bear Ridge Road,’ ‘Death of a Salesman’) May Join Elite Group of Double-Nominated Performers
2026 Tribeca Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with World Premieres of ‘Hadestown: The Musical,’ ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ Doc
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 149 – ‘Killer of Sheep’ (Charles Burnett, 1978)
‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Review: Careful the Spell You Cast, Children Will Listen (and Sometimes Kill) [C]