How ‘Daughter’ Director Daria Kashcheeva Brought Documentary Aesthetic To Oscar-Nominated Stop-Motion Short

“Pictures are for entertainment — messages should be delivered by Western Union.” The line has been variously attributed to half a dozen old-school Hollywood producers, from Samuel Goldwyn to Frank Capra, but the sentiment captures how classic studio types endeavored to separate political statements from popular cinema.

No 2020 Oscar category can boast a higher level of quality — or diversity, for that matter — than the animated shorts, and though the five nominees are among the least-seen (especially this year, when ShortsTV’s theatrical program released just nine days before Oscar night), film buffs would do well to track them down all the same.

EMMA TILLINGER KOSKOFFProducer, The Irishman, Joker. President of production, Sikelia ProductionsMy Day: Nov.

By Tom Grater

Director Daria Kashcheev’s Oscar-nominated animated short “Daughter” examines the relationship between a daughter and her father. It’s a story that forced Kascheev to look at her own relationship with her parents while she was writing the story.

Some years, the short films nominated for Academy Awards make a well-rounded, coherent program; other years, they feel like a random grab-bag.

Given the ever-shrinking barrier of what constitutes a feature-length film in arthouses, two of the films competing for this year's Documentary Short Oscar only barely qualify for the category. Shown back to back in a theatrical setting, they represent the least inviting of the four touring Oscar Shorts programs this year, however worthy their subjects.

By Matthew Carey

These five Oscar-nominated documentary short films have made it to the summit of the nonfiction craft. Topics are international in scope: immigration, refugees, the personal cost of political activism, government malfeasance and girls in war-torn Kabul skateboarding for kicks.

By Matt Grobar

Among Kobe Bryant’s many achievements in his 41-year life is his 2018 Academy Award win for Best Animated Short, which he shared with animator Glen Keane for their 2017 short film, Dear Basketball.

The creator of Netflix comedy Dear White People has said he is not surprised by a lack of diversity in recent Oscar nominations.

By Matthew Carey

By Matt Grobar

By Matt Grobar

So, this year’s Oscar nominations have finally been revealed, and it’s safe to say that this year there have been controversies. Following BAFTA coming under fire for its apparent lack of representation in the main categories, the Academy Awards have also sparked outrage for the lack of any female directing nominees in the Best Director category, despite some strong output throughout the year.

By Matthew Carey

Delphine Girard’s 16-minute Belgian thriller “A Sister” gave this year’s MyFrenchFilmFestival (MFFF) shorts competition a shot in the arm earlier this week, when the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.