‘2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation’ Review: Diverse Mix Reflects the Medium’s Incredible Range

variety.com:

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Two decades ago, in 2006, the team at Shorts International transformed one of the key Oscar races, securing the rights to release all five finalists in the Academy Awards’ animated short category on the big screen and pretty much all devices, from laptops to cell phones.

Ergo, the “2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation” package now in theaters represents the company’s 20th edition. In that time, Carter Pilcher and his crew have enabled the theatrical release of a whopping 99 animated finalists (securing the rights to all but Shane Acker’s “9” in their first year).

This year’s program is fairly unique in that there are no glossy, Hollywood-made contenders in the mix, which makes for a broad-ranging survey of what independent artists are doing with the medium at the moment.

The closest thing to a studio-backed submission is director Daisuke Nishio’s “Magic Candies,” made for Toei Animation (the company behind the popular “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball” franchises), though there’s no mistaking the personal touch.