2023 Oscar Nominations for Best Animated Short Film

My favorite: My Year of Dicks

Oscar prediction: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

My Year of Dicks (2022) Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon - 8/10

Genuinely funny, touching, adventurous and skilled - both in story and in animated execution. This film has everything and is a great short, ideally telling a story with excellent realization of quality and narrative.

Ice Merchants (2022) João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano - 7/10

Fascinating in its art style and interesting story. It’s stark and thrilling, with a lick of sly sweet humor. But it builds up to a haunting ache of loss; plainly seen but unspoken. It was a beautiful achievement.

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It (2022) Lachlan Pendragon - 5/6/10

Charming to the hilt in this stop motion Truman Show. I loved the bending and blending of realities and craft for a fascinating and unique spectacle. It lacks depth and further nuance, but certainly enjoyable.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022) Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud - 5/10

A schmaltzy moralistic parable. I appreciate the themes of self confidence, battling depression and loneliness, connecting with others, and love conquering fear, but it is a whimsically lovely after school special for small children. Lovely and touching but drenched in sappy ichor and star/studio backed power. It will win, undeservedly.

The Flying Sailor (2022) Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby - 5/10

Fascinating and well done, but a bit light for its flight.