For the 20th year, Ragtag Cinema proudly presents the Animated Oscar-Nominated Short Films. Featuring a diverse slate of international nominees from both new and established filmmakers, we invite you to support small scale filmmaking and get a leg up on your Oscar predictions. The 96th Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 10th.
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OUR UNIFORM [Iran, 7 mins, 2023] - Dir. Yegane Moghaddam
An Iranian girl unravels her memories of school on the folds and fabrics of her old uniform. In Farsi with English subtitles.
LETTER TO A PIG [France/Israel, 17 mins, 2022] - Dir. Tal Kantor
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
PACHYDERME [France, 11 mins, 2021] - Dir. Stéphanie Clément
Louise spends every summer vacation with her grandparents in the splendor of the countryside. However, this year it will snow in summer and a monster will die. Pachyderme uses dreamlike imagery to explore childhood trauma, memory repression, and the struggle to verbalize what is difficult. In French with English subtitles.
NINETY-FIVE SENSES [United States, 13 mins, 2023] - Dirs. Jerusha Hess & Jared Hess
From the husband-and-wife American filmmaking team behind the films Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Nacho Libre (2006), and Gentleman Broncos (2009), comes an ode to the body's five senses delivered by a man with little time left to enjoy them. In English.
WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO [United States, 11 mins, 2023] - Dir. Dave Mullins
Set in an alternate World War I reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a spirited game of chess with the aid of a skillful carrier pigeon. Unable to see their opponent, both soldiers play intensely as the game and the war builds to the final climactic moment. Whoever wins, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war. In English.
WILD SUMMON [United Kingdom, 14 mins, 2023] - Dirs. Karni Arieli and Saul Freed
Narrated by Marianne Faithfull, Wild Summon playfully recreates the extraordinary life cycle of the wild salmon in human form. This film is not a 2024 Oscar nominee but a 2024 Oscar shortlist contender for the Best Animated Short Film category. In English.
I'M HIP! [United States, 4 mins, 2023] - Dir. John Musker
A narcissistic cat performs a jazzy song and dance proclaiming his "hipness" to the world, however, no one else seems to agree with his self-proclamation. This film is not a 2024 Oscar nominee but a 2024 Oscar shortlist contender for the Best Animated Short Film category. In English.
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Please note: This program is not for children under the age of 13 and verges towards an "R" rating. The films in this program reference the Holocaust, child sexual abuse, and include violent battle scenes.
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