List Rules Vote up the best short films to have won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film
What is best oscar-winning short film? This list has every film that has won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film including titles such as “The Music Box,” “Visas and Virtue,” “The Accountant,” and “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life.” The award has officially been called this since 1974, but this list includes all previous live action short film winners, stretching back to 1932 when the first short films were honored.
Movies have the ability to make us feel. They make us want to believe, be inspired, and live vicariously through the stories we see on screen. The best of these movies each year are bestowed with an Academy Award nomination, and those that are truly the best take home the Oscar. Short films are often the most thought provoking as they tell a story so succinctly, and can spend what time they have focusing on one main theme.
These best Oscar-winning short films provide the kind of emotional connection that filmmakers hope people seek in entertainment. They are moving, saddening, or comical. They provide the type of entertainment that is groundbreaking in their amazing yet short Vote up the best Academy Award-winning short films below.
1
102 10
CurfewFátima Ptacek, Shawn Christensen, Kim Allen Curfew is a 2012 short drama film written and directed by Shawn Christensen.
2
21 8
The Music BoxStan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Sam Lufkin The Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy short film comedy released in 1932. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, which depicts ...more
3
11 5
ToylandMatthias Paul, Torsten Michaelis, Julia Jäger Toyland is a German 2007 short film directed and co-written by Jochen Alexander Freydank. It won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
4
13 8
God of LoveLuke Matheny, Elizabeth Olin, David Ross God of Love is a 2010 comedy short film written and directed by Luke Matheny. "Lounge-singing darts champion Raymond Goodfellow learns a surprising lesson about unrequited love when he ...more
5
9 4
The AccountantWalton Goggins, Ray McKinnon The Accountant is a 2001 American short comedy film directed by Ray McKinnon. It won an Academy Award at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002 for McKinnon and his wife Lisa Blount for Best Short ...more
6
10 5
Six ShooterBrendan Gleeson, Rúaidhrí Conroy Six Shooter is an Irish 2004 live action short film starring Brendan Gleeson and Rúaidhrí Conroy. The film earned several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Live Action
7
7 3
An Occurrence at Owl Creek BridgePierre Danny, Stéphane Fey, Roger Jacquet As a Confederate spy is about to be hanged, the rope breaks and he falls to the water below. He dodges bullets and heads off for home. He finally reaches it, but as his wife hugs him he ...more
8
6 3
VioletDidi Conn, Tom McGowan, Rodney Saulsberry Violet is a 1981 short film directed by Shelley Levinson. It won an Academy Award in 1982 for Best Short Subject.
9
6 4
Van GoghClaude Dauphin Van Gogh is a 1948 short French film directed by Alain Resnais. It won an Academy Award in 1950 for Best Short Subject. It is a remake of a film made the previous year.
10
9 8
How to SleepRobert Benchley How to Sleep is a short film by Robert Benchley. Filmed and released by MGM in 1935, it features Benchley as a narrator as well as film subject, discussing four parts of sleep - causes, methods, ...more
11
8 7
Robert Kennedy Remembered Robert Kennedy Remembered is a 1968 American short documentary film produced by Charles Guggenheim. It won an Academy Award in 1969 for Best Short Subject.
12
7 6
KrakatoaGraham McNamee Krakatoa is a 1933 American short documentary film produced by Joe Rock. It won the Academy Award in 1934 for Best Short Subject. Educational Pictures was the film distributor of the film. This ...more
13
7 6
Wings Over Everest Wings Over Everest is a 1934 British short documentary film directed by Geoffrey Barkas and Ivor Montagu. It won an Academy Award in 1936 for Best Short Subject. It described the 1933 ...more
14
6 5
Beyond the Line of Duty Beyond the Line of Duty is a 1942 American short drama film directed by Lewis Seiler. It won an Academy Award at the 15th Academy Awards in 1943 for Best Short Subject.
15
6 5
Speaking of Animals and Their FamiliesGayne Whitman Speaking of Animals and Their Families is a 1942 American short comedy film directed by Robert Carlisle and Jerry Fairbanks. It won an Academy Award in 1943 for Best Short Subject.
16
6 5
Wrestling Swordfish Wrestling Swordfish is a 1931 American short adventure film produced by Mack Sennett. It won an Academy Award in 1932 for Best Short Subject.
17
6 5
Declaration of IndependenceJohn Litel, Rosella Towne Declaration of Independence is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Crane Wilbur. It won an Academy Award at the 11th Academy Awards in 1939 for Best Short Subject.
18
5 4
The Public PaysRichard Alexander, Barbara Bedford The Public Pays is a 1936 short crime film directed by Errol Taggart. It won an Academy Award in 1937 for Best Short Subject.
19
5 4
The Private Life of the Gannets The Private Life of the Gannets is a 1934 British short documentary film, directed by Julian Huxley, about a colony of Northern Gannet on the small rocky island of Grassholm, off the coast of ...more
20
5 4
Black RiderAndrea Katzenberger, Stefan Merki, Paul Outlaw Schwarzfahrer is a 1993 German 12-minute short film directed by Pepe Danquart. It won an Academy Award in 1994 for Best Short Subject. The topic of the film is the daily racism a black man ...more
21
4 3
Sons of LibertyClaude Rains, Gale Sondergaard Sons of Liberty is a 1939 American short drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, which tells the story of Haym Solomon. It won an Academy Award in 1940 for Best Short Subject.
22
4 4
Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful LifeRichard E. Grant, Ken Stott, Phyllis Logan Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life is a short comic film for BBC Scotland. Written and directed by Peter Capaldi, it stars Richard E. Grant as Franz Kafka and co-stars Ken Stott. The title ...more
23
4 4
Of Pups and PuzzlesEddy Chandler Of Pups and Puzzles is a 1941 American short documentary film directed by George Sidney. It won an Academy Award in 1942 for Best Short Subject.
24
3 3
Election NightUlrich Thomsen, Nicolas Bro Election Night is a 1998 Danish short comedy film directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. It won an Academy Award in 1999 for Best Short Subject.
25
3 3
The Face of Lincoln Presents Professor Merrell Gage of USC, describing the life and career of Abraham Lincoln as he sculpts a lifelike bust of the 16th president, making physical changes in the subject's hair, ...more
26
3 3
Facing Your Danger Facing Your Danger is a 1946 American short film directed by Edwin E. Olsen. It won an Academy Award at the 19th Academy Awards in 1947 for Best Short Subject.
27
9 10
A Boy and His DogHarry Davenport A Boy and His Dog is a 1946 American short drama film directed by LeRoy Prinz. It won an Academy Award at the 19th Academy Awards in 1947 for Best Short Subject. The decades-deceased short-story ...more
28
4 5
Heavenly MusicEric Blore Heavenly Music is a 1943 American short fantasy film directed by Josef Berne. It won an Academy Award at the 16th Academy Awards in 1944 for Best Short Subject.
29
4 5
That Mothers Might LiveShepperd Strudwick That Mothers Might Live is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann. It won an Academy Award in 1939 for Best Short Subject. The short is a brief account of Hungarian ...more
30
3 4
Quicker'n a Wink Quicker'n a Wink is a 1940 American short documentary film about stroboscopic photography, directed by George Sidney. It won an Academy Award in 1941 for Best Short Subject.
31
3 4
A Time Out of WarCorey Allen, Barry Atwater A Time Out of War is a 1954 American short war film directed by Denis Sanders. It won an Academy Award in 1955 for Best Short Subject, first prize at the Venice Film Festival Live Action Short ...more
32
3 4
Busy Little BearsJoe Laurie, Jr. Busy Little Bears is a 1939 American short family film directed by John A. Haeseler. It won an Academy Award at the 12th Academy Awards in 1940 for Best Short Subject.
33
3 4
City of WaxGayne Whitman City of Wax is a 1934 American short documentary film produced by Horace and Stacy Woodard about the life of a bee. It won the Academy Award at the 7th Academy Awards in 1935 for Best Short
34
3 4
In Beaver Valley In Beaver Valley is a 1950 American short documentary film directed by James Algar. The film was produced by Walt Disney as part of the True-Life Adventures series of nature documentaries.
35
3 4
Who's Who in Animal LandKen Carpenter Who's Who in Animal Land is a 1944 short comedy film directed by Leslie M. Roush. It won an Academy Award in 1945 for Best Short Subject.
36
3 4
Give Me LibertyJohn Litel Give Me Liberty is a 1936 American short drama film, filmed in Technicolor, produced by Vitaphone, released by Warner Brothers and directed by B. Reeves Eason. The film won an Academy Award at ...more
37
3 4
Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor is a 1953 American short musical film produced by Johnny Green. It won an Academy Award in 1954 for Best Short Subject. The film consists of the MGM ...more
38
3 4
Teenage FatherSuzanne Crough Teenage Father is a 1978 American short film directed by Taylor Hackford. It won an Academy Award in 1979 for Best Short Subject.
39
3 4
Nature's Half Acre Nature's Half Acre is a 1951 American short documentary film directed by James Algar. It won an Academy Award in 1952 for Best Short Subject. The film was produced by Walt Disney as part of the ...more
40
3 4
Climbing the Matterhorn Climbing the Matterhorn is a 1947 American short documentary film directed by Irving Allen. It won an Academy Award at the 20th Academy Awards in 1948 for Best Short Subject.
41
3 4
World of Kids World of Kids is a 1951 American short documentary film directed by Robert Youngson. It won an Academy Award in 1952 for Best Short Subject.
42
2 3
So This Is Harris!Phil Harris, Walter Catlett So This Is Harris! is a 1933 American short comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich. It won an Academy Award in 1934 for Best Short Subject.
43
2 3
Work ExperienceKathy Burke, Lenny Henry, John Normington Work Experience is a 1989 British short comedy film directed by James Hendrie. It won an Academy Award in 1990 for Best Short Subject.
44
2 3
Grand Canyon Grand Canyon is a 1958 American short documentary film directed by James Algar and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was shown as a supplement during Sleeping Beauty's initial run, and it ...more
45
2 3
The Wetback Hound The Wetback Hound is a 1957 American short family film produced by Larry Lansburgh. It won an Academy Award in 1958 for Best Short Subject.
46
2 3
One-Eyed Men Are KingsPaul Préboist, Lyne Chardonnet, Marie Marc One-Eyed Men Are Kings is a 1974 short film directed by Michel Leroy and Edmond Séchan. It won an Academy Award in 1975 for Best Short Subject.
47
2 3
I'll Find a Way I'll Find a Way is a 1977 Canadian short documentary film directed by Beverly Shaffer about nine-year-old Nadia DeFranco, who has spina bifida. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, the ...more
48
2 3
This Mechanical Age This Mechanical Age is a 1954 American short documentary film about the early days of aviation, produced by Robert Youngson. It won an Academy Award in 1955 for Best Short Subject.
49
2 3
TrevorEllen DeGeneres, Randy Stone, Brett Barsky Trevor is a 1994 American short film written by James Lecesne, produced by Randy Stone and Peggy Rajski and directed by Peggy Rajski. It is the story of a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected ...more
