2024 Oscars Best Live Action Short cheat sheet: All 15 semi-finalists from ‘The After’ to ‘Yellow’
We all know that if there’s one thing harder than predicting the winners of the three short film categories at the Oscars, it’s predicting which films will get nominated in those categories. Well Derbyites, we’re here to help make predicting those nominees a little easier. Below we have listed all 15 shortlisted titles for Best Live Action Short along with descriptions of each one. We’ve also included information and links on where you can view the finalists.
Among the plots of this year’s crop are a rideshare driver dealing with grief, a chance meeting between a trans woman and a cis man, a woman traveling out of state to obtain an abortion, and a fighter pilot in need of a miracle to make it home for Christmas.
“The After” – In the midst of his grief, a rideshare driver picks up a passenger who ends up helping him to come to terms with his past. Starring David Oyelowo and directed by Misan Harriman. The short can currently be streamed on Netflix.
“The Anne Frank Gift Shop” – A ritzy designing firm submits their plan to redesign the gift shop at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, it leads to a debate about the Holocaust and collective trauma. It stars Kate Burton, Ari Graynor and Chris Perfetti and is directed by Mickey Rapkin.
“An Avocado Pit” – A trans woman and a cis man meet one night in Lisbon who use dance to strip away their differences. Directed by Ary Zara.
“Bienvenidos a Los Angeles” – When a Nigerian single-mother living in L.A. offers to help a stranger reunite with her son, she realizes that the generous act could threaten her own path to citizenship. Directed by Lisa Cole.
“Dead Cat” – A couple struggles with having to admit to their young daughter that her beloved cat, Nugget, is dead. Directed by Danick Audet and Annie-Claude Caron.
“Good Boy” – As Danny attempts to get his life back on track, he finds that his mother as well as figures from his past keep threatening to impede his progress. Stars Ben Whishaw and directed by Tom Stuart.
“Invincible” – Follows the final two days in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier as the teenager desperately searches for freedom. Directed by Vincent René-Lortie. The short can currently be viewed on Omeleto’s YouTube channel here.
“Invisible Border” – Trauma is inflicted when two police officers must evict an Albanian family that don’t have the proper residency documents. Directed by Mark Gerstorfer.
“Knight of Fortune” – Two old men who have been struck by grief randomly meet and have an unexpectedly significant encounter. Directed by Lasse Lyskjær Noer and produced by Kim Magnusson who’s won this category twice: “Election Night” (1998) and “Helium” (2013). The film can currently be viewed on The New Yorker’s YouTube channel here.
“The One Note Man” – A musical man finds his carefully laid-out life completely thrown into chaos. Directed by George Siougas.
“Red, White and Blue” – A single parent is forced to a life-altering decision to travel out of state to obtain an abortion. Starring Brittany Snow and directed by Nazrin Choudhury. The short can currently be viewed on Omeleto’s YouTube channel here.
“The Shepherd” – During World War II, a fighter pilot traveling home for Christmas gets lost over the water and needs a miracle to make it home safely. Starring Ben Radcliffe and John Travolta and directed by Iain Softley. You can stream the short on Disney+.
“Strange Way of Life” – Things seem fine when Silva visits Sheriff Jake after 25 years apart but Jake soon reveals that the trip isn’t for the reasons Silva initially thought. Starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, the film is directed by Pedro Almodóvar, who won Original Screenplay in 2002 for “Talk to Her.”
“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” – From the short story collection by Roald Dahl, the short follows several stories including one about the title character who can predict the future due to a book he stole. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley and Dev Patel and directed by seven-time Oscar nominee Wes Anderson. It can currently be streamed on Netflix.
“Yellow” – In Kabul, a young woman walks into a store to buy her first full-body veil and also face the uncertainty of her future life in Afghanistan. Directed by Elham Ehsas.
PREDICT the 2024 Oscar nominees through January 23
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