War is Over! Oscar Winner for Best Animated Short Film 2024

Inspired by and features the anti-war anthem Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon & Yoko Ono, the film below won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2024.  Set in a World War I scenario (perhaps an alternative reality!) the film shows two soldiers on opposing sides who somehow manage to train a pigeon to carry their chess moves across the battlefield so that they can compete against each other. Of course, the true reality of war inevitably sinks in.

This beautiful and profound animated short was written by Sean Ono Lennon and Dave Mullins.  If you saw the 2024 Oscars then you will no doubt remember Sean Ono Lennon’s emotional shout out to his mother, Yoko, when he accepted the award.  Ono Lennon is also using the animated short to help raise funds for the charity War Child.

One of the YouTube commenters (@philipparks6811) said "This production is a remarkable blend of precision, collaboration, and emotional brilliance, capturing the essence of humanity with a message that is both simple and deeply moving. Congratulations on the well-deserved Oscar for creating what is arguably a timeless masterpiece that beautifully unites the enduring spirit of John and Yoko’s iconic tour de force with the true power of film. Bravo!"  Indeed.  Couldn't have put it better myself.

Watch War is Over! below.