Oscar Watch 2024: Polish Guide to This Year’s Qualifying Animated Shorts

Polish Film Institute has compiled a list of the Polish animated shorts that have won a qualifying prize at one of the world’s top film festivals or booked theatrical screening engagements to be considered by the Academy. The official Oscar shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 21.

The Bridge
Poland
Director: Izumi Yoshida
Produced By: Wojciech Leszczynski, Anna Mroczek, Justyna Rucinska, EC1 Lódz – Miasto Kultury, EJT Labo, Likaon, WJTeam
Synopsis: The film’s inspired by events of the year 1920 that brought Poland and Japan closer. The story is told from a 10-year-old boy’s perspective, showing the history of orphans who lost their families and had to rush into manhood to fight for their lives.
Qualifying Win: Short Shorts Film Festival (Best Short – Animation)

Crab
Poland
Director: Piotr Chmielewski
Produced By: Wojciech Leszczynski
Synopsis: Animals are our silent companions; they have witnessed the greatest achievements and most horrible failures of humankind. They live their lives parallel to ours. Usually our victory means death for them, but there are moments where the situation changes…
Qualifying Win: Edmonton International Film Festival (Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short)

Headprickles 
Poland
Director: Katarzyna Miechowicz
Produced By: Agata Golańska, Polish National Film School In Łódź
Synopsis: The film consists of over a dozen animated epigrams connected by the motif of being trapped in a loop of absurdity. In a colorful labyrinth of observations, the protagonists try to make sense of nonsense — or stay mindlessly within it.
Qualifying Win: Guanajuato International Film Festival (Best Short Animation)

Misaligned
Latvia, Poland
Director: Marta Magnuska
Produced By: Piotr Szczepanowicz, Grzegorz Wacławek, Animoon
Synopsis: Scenes of a marriage rendered in minimalist, vibrating, black-and-white animation: A woman and a man in a room. A fly rotates around the lightbulb and the couple around themselves.
Qualifying Win: DOK Leipzig (Golden Dove – International Competition Short Animated Film)

Zima
Poland
Directors: Tomek Popakul, Kasumi Ozeki
Produced By: Marcin Podolec, Wiktoria Podolec (Yellow Tapir Films)
Synopsis: Anka loves cats. And Jesus. In a winter silence, the lagoon freezes and the unspoken resurfaces like crack on ice.
Qualifying Win: Krakow Film Festival (Golden Dragon for Best Short Film)