2025 Oscar® Nominated Short Films

It's the 20th anniversary release of ShortsTV proudly bringing the Oscar® Nominated Short Films to audiences across the globe. In partnership with Magnolia Pictures, two categories are offered at the Modern: Animated and Live-Action. This is your annual chance to predict the winners (and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! A perennial hit with audiences around the country and the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. The Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 2.

Click here to purchase tickets online. 

SCHEDULE

2025 Oscar® Nominated Shorts Week 1, February 21-23

Friday 4 pm (Animated), 6 pm (Live-Action), and 8 pm (Animated)
Saturday 5 pm (Animated Short Films with Dr. Christine Veras)
Sunday noon (Animated), 2 pm (Live-Action), and 4 pm (Animated)

2025 Oscar® Nominated Shorts Week 2, February 28-March 2

Friday 4 pm (Live-Action) and 8 pm (Animated)
Saturday 5 pm (Live-Action)
Sunday noon (Live-Action), 2 pm (Animated Short Films with Dr. Christine Veras), and 4 pm (Live-Action)

On the Saturday, February 22 at 5 pm and Sunday, March 2 at 2 pm screenings, Dr. Christine Veras will introduce the animation short film program and be available for a post-film discussion. Dr. Veras is Assistant Professor at UT Dallas's Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology where she teaches and researches the history of animation and experimental animation.

ABOUT THE SHORT FILMS

Animated Shorts
90 minutes
Featuring an introduction by Dr. Christine Veras, Assistant Professor of the history of animation and experimental animation at UT Dallas, on the Saturday, February 22 at 5 pm and Sunday, March 2 at 2 pm screenings

Beautiful Men
Directed by Nicolas Keppens, Belgium/France/Netherlands
Three balding brothers travel to Istanbul to get a hair transplant. Stuck with each other in a hotel far from home, their insecurities grow faster than their hair. 
This film includes nudity, and may not be appropriate for audiences under 14 years old.
18 minutes; Flemish, Dutch and Turkish with English subtitles

In the Shadow of the Cypress
Directed by Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani, Iran
Living in a house by the sea with his daughter, a former captain who has post-traumatic stress disorder leads a tough and secluded life.
20 minutes; no dialogue

Magic Candies
Directed by Daisuke Nishio, Japan
The other kids at the park never ask Dong-Dong to play, but he’s fine just playing marbles on his own. One day he goes out in search of new marbles, but ends up buying a bag of colorful, marble-shaped candies instead. When he pops one of them into his mouth for the first time, he’s astonished to hear his old sofa start talking to him! Who else will he be able to talk to, and what else will he learn, through these magic candies?
21 minutes; Japanese with English subtitles

Wander to Wonder
Directed by Nina Gantz, Netherlands/ Belgium/France/UK
Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are three tiny humans who star in a kids’ TV series called “Wander to Wonder.” After the creator dies, the trio are left alone in the studio. Struggling to find enough to eat, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans. 
This film includes nudity, and may not be appropriate for audiences under 14 years old.
13 minutes

Yuck!
Directed by Loïc Espuche, France
Yuck! Adults kiss each other on the mouth, and children find it disgusting! What’s more, you can see it from afar: when people are about to kiss, their lips become all pink and shiny. Little Léo makes jokes about it, but he has a secret he won’t tell his friends: his own mouth has actually begun glistening, and he desperately wants to give kissing a try.

13 minutes; French with English subtitles

Live-Action Shorts
104 minutes

A Lien
Directed by David Cutler-Kreutz, Sam Cutler-Kreutz, USA
A young couple face up to, and deal with, a dangerous immigration process.
15 minutes

Anuja
Directed by Adam J. Graves, India
Anuja tells the story of a gifted nine-year-old girl who, alongside her sister, Palak, faces a life-changing opportunity that tests their bond and mirrors the struggles of girls worldwide.
22 minutes, Hindi with English subtitles

I am not a Robot
Directed by Victoria Warmerdam, Belgium/Netherlands
After repeatedly failing CAPTCHA tests, music producer Lara spirals into obsession, haunted by the disturbing question of whether she might actually be a robot. 
22 minutes; Dutch with English subtitles

The Last Ranger
Directed by Cindy Lee, South Africa
When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers. In the ensuing battle to save the rhinos, Litha discovers a terrible secret.
28 minutes; Xhosa with English subtitles

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Directed by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, Croatia
It is 1993, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A passenger train is stopped by paramilitary forces in an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, only one man out of 500 passengers dares to stand up to them.
13 minutes; Croatian with English subtitles

Magnolia at the Modern is an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films. Tickets are $10 and $7 for all Modern members. The first Sunday showtime is half price. Learn more about the special benefits of joining Reel People, a membership add-on for film enthusiasts.

Click here to purchase tickets online. 

We have a new option for assistive listening, the ListenWIFI phone app that plays the film’s audio through your Bluetooth hearing aids or any phone headphones.