Hello, and welcome to Sketch to Screen, a newsletter looking at the world of animation from yours truly, IndieWire Curation Editor Wilson Chapman. This is a space to celebrate all of animation, from Oscar-winning features to obscure anime and foreign projects that deserve some love. If you’re in the mood for recommendations of great animated shows and thoughtful analysis of where the industry is headed, take some time to subscribe and maybe share with a friend.
Today, with Oscar voting having closed, let’s spend some time looking at the Best Animated Short category, and the 15 short films that may or may not be nominated for the award.The short film categories are always among the least spotlighted in the Oscars, mainly due to the relative lack of accessibility to them among the general public. But they’re also among the most fun races to follow if you can, looking at the little weird baubles and hidden gems that can catch the Academy’s attention. And the animated short category has always been a great spotlight for emerging, unique voices within animation and unique concepts that can’t sustain a feature film but make for a fabulous 10 minutes.
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“Butterfly”
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Directed by Florence Miailhe, this 15-minute films is the exact type of ancient, issues-based narrative that sometiems helps shorts break through in their categories, focusing on the life of French swimmer Alfred Nakache, an Olympic athlete who survived the Holocaust as it reflects on his experiences dealing with antisemitism within the sport. The film’s dreamy structure and lovely watercolor artwork makes it stand out as a particularly tasteful, honest work
“Forevergreen”
This vrey sweet short from directors Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears has a beautiful aesthetic, with the characters and landscapes designed to look like wood carvings and sculptures. it also has an ecological message and story – about a bear cub and a living tree that cares for him – that thankfully never pushes its sentimentality too hard.
“Hurikán”
“Hurikán” has a memorable, instantly cool black and white noir aesthetic, but is one of the thinnest films in terms of story. Directed by Jan Saska, it follows the pig-headed hero as he attempts to save his favorite bar by finding a keg, wooing the bartender in the process. Part of what makes it not quite stand out is it’s neither super funny nor satisfyingly dramatic, landing in a middle ground that doesn’t quite leave an impact.
“I Died in Irpin”
From its simple pencil sketch aesthetic to its narration from director Anastasiia Falileieva, much of “I Died in Irpin” feels suitably raw for its subject matter, focusing on Falileieva’s experience fleeing Russia’s occupation of Ukraine. Under the sometimes darkly comic storytelling of its director, the struggle – something you’ve probably read about many times in newspapers – feels deeply personal, as she struggles with her anxiety and paranoia and her decaying relationship with her boyfriend as much as she does with the occupation.It’s one of the shortest, but most effective, films to make the shortlist.
“Playing God”
One of the very best films on the animation shortlist, “Playing God” by director Matteo Burani is a gorge
“The Quinta’s Ghost”
James A. Castillo’s “The Quinta’s Ghost” takes its gorgeous art style from the works of Francisco Goya, the Spanish artist the short focuses upon. Tackling his later years, when he was holed up in his manor Quinta del Sordo, it plunges us into the artist’s mind, when his art – the so-called Black Paintings – was at its bleakest and most disturbing. It’s a engaging, insightful look into its subject that avoids feeling like a history lesson.
“Snow Bear”
The art style of “Snow Bear” will strike a nostalgic chord for Millennials and Gen Z who grew up in the early 2000s; it comes from veteran Disney animator Aaron Blaise, who also directed 2003’s ”Brother Bear.” Following a polar
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PHASE 1: ADVERSARIAL RESEARCH, FRESHNESS & BREAKING-NEWS CHECK
The text discusses a short film, “The Three Sisters,” directed by Timur Kognov, and its inclusion on a shortlist (presumably for an award, though not specified). The text states the film is from 2025. The provided URLs point to Indiewire, dated January 2026.
* Timur Kognov: A search confirms Timur Kognov is a Georgian film director. IMDb profile.
* “The Three Sisters” (2025): Searching for this film title and director yields limited results as of January 17, 2026. Short of the Week features a film with the same title directed by Timur Kognov, released in September 2024. This appears to be the same film.
* Polydont Films: Polydont Films is a production company. Polydont Films Website
* Everett Collection: The Everett Collection is a historical image archive. Everett Collection Website
* Indiewire: Indiewire is a reputable source for self-reliant film news. Indiewire Website
* Shortlist: The text doesn’t specify which shortlist. Further research would be needed to determine the context (e.g., Academy Awards, a specific film festival).As of today, january 17, 2026, the Oscar nominations have not been announced.
Breaking News Check: As of January 17, 2026, there are no breaking news events directly related to this film or its director that significantly alter the information presented in the source text. The Oscar nominations for the 98th Academy Awards are still pending.
PHASE 2: ENTITY-BASED GEO (GENERATIVE ENGINE OPTIMIZATION)
Primary Entity: “The Three Sisters” (2025) – a short film.
Related Entities:
* Timur Kognov: Georgian Film Director
* Polydont Films: Production Company
* Everett Collection: Image Archive
* Indiewire: Film News Publication
* Georgia (Country): Georgian Government Portal (Context: Director’s nationality and film’s origin)
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