A Friend of Dorothy – Oscar Nominated Short Film Starring Miriam Margolyes

It’s strange the directions in which life can unexpectedly take you.  This charming short film, starring Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry and relative newcomer Alistair Nwachukwu (who looks like his star will shine brightly in the future) is about just that.  Teenager JJ kicks his football into Dorothy’s garden, and knocks on her door to retrieve it.  That’s a lucky break for Dorothy because she has found it impossible to open her daily tin of prunes – and a strong young man is just what she needs to help out.  Maybe she has found the friend she needs...

An almost immediate spark of mutual trust and friendship is ignited – two comparatively lost souls find company in their unexpected shared interest.  To say anything else might mean spoiling the film – it is, after all, very short.  But it is beautiful – and the performance from the two leads are just, well, the only word for it is lovely.  Of course there is the very capable support from Stephen Fry, being very Stephen Fryish and also Oscar Lloyd as Dorothy’s priggish grandson.

The film has quite rightly been nominated for an Oscar (Best Live Action Short Film) which leaves me in something of a dilemma.  Jane Austen’s Period Drama has also been nominated this year and I really don’t know which one should win, both being outstanding.  I'm torn. Can an acdemy award be shared? Please let it be so...

A Friend of Dorothy was written, directed and executive produced by Lee Knight and produced by James Dean, Scottie Fotré, and Max Marlow.  A big thank you to them all for giving us this very precious twenty minutes.

Here is another short video - an interview with the writer and director, Lee Knight and Miriam Margolyes on BBC Breakfast which gives a little more insight into the production of the film and how Lee worked with Miriam.  Best of luck at the Oscars to both of you!

 

Jane Austen's Period Drama (2026 Oscar Nominated)

This short film is bloody wonderful.  Erm. I suppose I could have described it a little less appropriately – let’s just say that it brought out my inner Ron Weasley for a second.  As far as Jane Austen adaptations go, this may not be quite what you were expecting – but it does at least have all the right ingredients.  In fact, the Jane Austen references are everywhere.  And so they should be.

To begin with, there are three sisters, much along the lines of Sense and Sensibility.  They are around the same age as Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret Dashwood but here instead we have Miss Estrogenia “Essy” Talbot (Julia Aks), Miss Labinia Talbot (Samantha Smart) and Miss Vagianna Talbot (Nicole Alyse Nelson).  And yes, if you hadn’t guessed this is a comedy, then you just have. I hope.  You have also probably guessed what constitutes the period drama too. Let other keyboards dwell on guilt and misery, though; this is just for fun.

The Janeite world-building is thorough, although it might make a few uber-purists run for the smelling salts (or dash to the gin cabinet). We have the father who retreats to his study whenever things get a little uncomfortable (shades of Mr Bennett in Pride and Prejudice), and the even more uncomfortable fact that all his daughters are as yet unmarried. Of course, in those days it was a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of no great fortune, must be in want of a husband.  And it looks like Essy is about to be the first of the Talbot girls to get hitched.  She has managed to attract the attention of the handsome, brooding, slighly dim Mr James Dickley, played by Ta’imua (great chemistry between the two leads, by the way).  However, the drama of the title comes into play very quickly. Could this be the end of the Talbot-Dickley union, before it has even fully started?

You can watch and find out, the film is below. What involvement Emma Thompson had in the project I cannot tell you, but she is listed as Executive Menstrual Advisor.  Shame there was no Thompson style weeping in the film… but it is a comedy after all. What I can tell you, though, is that it was written by Julia Acks (Essy in the film) and Steve Pinder. The talented duo also directed the film.  What I enjoyed about it most of all is the script, which is very sharp, knowing, contemporary and extremely funny – a gift to any actor who can keep a straight face long enough.  I imagine there were one or few bloopers made while filming.

Not only is it all of the above, it is stylistically so in keeping with the way period dramas are made in terms of the way the whole thing looks – perfect, really.  Plus the casting of the sisters is spot on – you can create an Austenesque backstory for each of them the moment they utter their first words.  Having watched this, I was hardly surprised to see that this has been Oscar nominated for Best Live Action Short Film.  Fingers crossed that this beats the opposition into bloody (ah, did it again) submission and comes out on top.

The Shyness of Trees - Nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best Animated Short

Parents age, get old and die.  That’s the way of things but often it comes way too soon, even when they have reached a good age.  The adult children left behind are sometimes far less willing to accept (or even welcome) the inevitability of death than the parent. 

Such is the case with Hélène, a 40 year old who arrives to visit her mother and is shocked by what she discovers.  It seems that her mother has let herself and her home “go” and she has formed a strange bond with the large tree that overlooks her property – not to mention the bugs that live in and around it. Yet over the space of the next few hours, she will reconcile not only to her mother’s imminent death but to her acceptance of this glorious circle of life.

The Shyness of Trees was created by Sofia Chuikovska, Loick du Plessis D’Argentre, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras, and Bingqing Shu.  It was done during their time at Gobelins (a prestigious Paris-based school internationally renowned for its excellence in animation, visual effects, and digital arts education.).  It has been nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best Animated Short and richly deserves this – although I am sure that some of the neo-animators involved must now be wondering how they go on to surpass this!

Watch The Shyness of Trees below:

 

Even Pigeons go to Heaven

An old man, Moulin, has cut off the world and lives a miserly existence on his own.  One day he climbs a pile of books so he can reach a bottle of spirits and the stack collapses.  Fortunately a priest arrives to stop his fall but notices that the old man has brought something else to the ground as well as the bottle - a red sock containing all his savings.

The priest promises Moulin salvation if he signs over the money.  He has a device which will ensure his entry in to heacen but the old man wants to see more proof....

This extremely cool animated short directed by Samuel Tourneux was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.

Birdboy

A terrible industrial accident changes little Dinki’s life forever.  Now Dinki’s fate may ride on the wings of her eccentric friend, Birdboy, a misfit who hides in the dead forest lost in his own fantasies.

This is very grown up, allegorical animation and was written and directed by Pedro Rivero and Alberto Vázquez. Birdboy is strange, more than a little morose but quite compulsive - I am sure you will feel the need to see what happens to Dinki and Birdboy. It is a film basically about decisions.  Can you identify with a character who dreams about learning how to fly rather than actually doing it? Perhaps, and so can many film festival goers who have given this film numerous awards.  In fact after winning the Foyle Film Festival in Ireland last year it made the Academy Award short list.

Birdboy is based on a comic entitled Psiconautas written by Alberto Vázquez and published by Bilbao publishing house Astiberri.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore - Academy Award Winner

I have to say, I was not expecting this, but The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore made me shed a little tear, such is its gentle loveliness.  A natural but somewhat introverted bookworm, Morris is swept away by a tornado to a land where books can fly and he can help heal people through the curative power of storytelling.

Little wonder then that out of five animated short films that were considered for the 2012 Academy Award for Short Film (animated), this won! Congratulations to all involved.

This gorgeous Oscar winning piece of animation was created by award winning author and illustrator William Joyce together with Co-director Brandon Oldenburg via Moonbot Studios.

This Way Up

Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble. This Oscar Nominated short is directed by Smith & Foulkes and written by Foulkes, Smith, and Christopher O’Reilly, and produced at Nexus by Charlotte Bavasso and Christopher O’Reilly, the film follows two dour unfortunates as they battle a series of misadventures while trying to deliver a coffin to the graveyard.

Tuba Atlantic

How on earth does a short film about a dying old man and his enormous (musical) instrument get to be Oscar nominated.  By being Tuba Atlantic, that’s how.  Directed by Hallvar Witzø, it tells the story of 70 year old Oskar.  By that age we all know that the end is nigh-ish.

However for Oskar it’s in six days, according to his doctor.  The old Norwegian only has this time to make things up with his brother who he last heard from three decades previously.  To make matters more complicated he is visited by a well-meaning angel of death, Inger.  And then there’s the seagulls…

Lavatory Lovestory

It is said that some men lead lives of quiet desperation - and the same could be said of some women too.  I must say that the title of this Oscar nominated animated short film did put me off a little but I should not have worried that I was going to see something that I would have preferred not to.

It tells the story of a single, middle aged lady who works as a lavatory attendant.  To all intents and purposes it looks as if there is little else in her life but her mundane job and she longs for company.  Making matters worse, of course, is that she is surrounded by unavailable men for the duration of her working day.  Then, one day, she finds flowers in the jar that is used to collect the payment for using the facility.  Is her life about to change?

I never thought that the words toilet and charming would go together, but this really is.  Simply drawn in black and white (except for, well - you will see) this animated short film has pathos and humanity in buckets (and it has buckets too, believe me!).

It was created by the Melnitsa Animation Studio, which is based in St Petersburg in Russia.  You may know them for the animated feature film Little Longnose which was released in 2004. It was directed by Konstantin Bronzit and produced by Alexander Boyarsky and Sergey Selyakov.

Enjoy!

Even Pigeons go to Heaven

An old man, Moulin, has cut off the world and lives a miserly existence on his own.  One day he climbs a pile of books so he can reach a bottle of spirits and the stack collapses.  Fortunately a priest arrives to stop his fall but notices that the old man has brought something else to the ground as well as the bottle - a red sock containing all his savings.

The priest promises Moulin salvation if he signs over the money.  He has a device which will ensure his entry in to heacen but the old man wants to see more proof....

This extremely cool animated short directed by Samuel Tourneux was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time there was a sweet old lady, who used to tell her grand daughter charming, sweet fairy tales with happy endings every evening.  Then, there was Granny O'Grimm, an embittered old Irish woman who would tell her own version of fairy tales. Dark, wickedly funny and beautifully made, this six minute animation was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2009 - as well as winning a number of prestigious prizes in its own right. If you like the idea of a lovely bedside story becoming a hilarious rant against the unfairness of old age in general, then you will love this.

The film was directed by Nicky Phelan, produced by Darragh O'Connell and written/voiced by Kathleen O'Rourke (left). Brown Bag Films is an animation studio based in Dublin (Ireland!). They also have a cool blog here.

It was Established in 1994 by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell.  Brown Bag Films produce 3D character animation, including short films, features and TV series for international markets. The studio is multi-award-winning.

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time there was a sweet old lady, who used to tell her grand daughter charming, sweet fairy tales with happy endings every evening.  Then, there was Granny O'Grimm, an embittered old Irish woman who would tell her own version of fairy tales.

Dark, wickedly funny and beautifully made, this six minute animation was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2009 - as well as winning a number of prestigious prizes in its own right. If you like the idea of a lovely bedside story becoming a hilarious rant against the unfairness of old age in general, then you will love this.

The film was directed by Nicky Phelan, produced by Darragh O'Connell and written/voiced by Kathleen O'Rourke (left). Brown Bag Films is an animation studio based in Dublin (Ireland!). They also have a cool blog here.

It was Established in 1994 by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell.  Brown Bag Films produce 3D character animation, including short films, features and TV series for international markets. The studio is multi-award-winning.

Maestro

This is very clever - but you have to wait right till the end to realise just how clever.  Maestro was made back in 2005 which seems like another age ago when it comes to CGI.  The computer-animated short was written, directed and produced by Géza M. Tóth in Budapest, Hungary.

It shows the preparation of the eponymous maestro for his next show.  As you can imagine, great preparation must go in to the performance of a master and we are showed every step of the way.  It will be no surprise, after you have watched it, to discover that it was nominated (in 2007) for the Best Animated Short Film at the Academy Awards.  Although it lost out to the superlative The Danish Poet it remains a remarkable piece of work (and many say that it was robbed of the award!).

The music is the work of composer Attila Pacsay whose score matches the animation perfectly and is something that can make or break a film of this nature.  Wait till you see the end of the movie until you read on.

Brilliant, eh?

Lavatory Lovestory

It is said that some men lead lives of quiet desperation - and the same could be said of some women too.  I must say that the title of this Oscar nominated animated short film did put me off a little but I should not have worried that I was going to see something that I would have preferred not to.

It tells the story of a single, middle aged lady who works as a lavatory attendant.  To all intents and purposes it looks as if there is little else in her life but her mundane job and she longs for company.  Making matters worse, of course, is that she is surrounded by unavailable men for the duration of her working day.  Then, one day, she finds flowers in the jar that is used to collect the payment for using the facility.  Is her life about to change?

I never thought that the words toilet and charming would go together, but this really is.  Simply drawn in black and white (except for, well - you will see) this animated short film has pathos and humanity in buckets (and it has buckets too, believe me!).

It was created by the Melnitsa Animation Studio, which is based in St Petersburg in Russia.  You may know them for the animated feature film Little Longnose which was released in 2004. It was directed by Konstantin Bronzit and produced by Alexander Boyarsky and Sergey Selyakov.

Enjoy!