A true tribute to the animation genre and to one of the most influential and historic film awards in the world.
Since 2024, Kaboom has been an ACADEMY AWARD®-qualifying festival. Our winners in the categories Best Short Film and Best Dutch Short automatically qualify for the Animated Short Film Competition — and for an OSCAR®!
And the winner is… you! With Oscar Shorts, you’ll get to see a celebrated selection of short animated films considered for this year’s famous golden statuette. A true tribute to the animation genre and to one of the most influential and historic film awards in the world.
An orphaned bear cub finds a home with a fatherly evergreen tree, until his hunger for trash leads him into danger. Nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film, Forevergreen weaves art and technology together to create a wooden world and characters in a story full of heart and humor. Directed by animation veterans Nathan Engelhardt (Zootopia, Big Hero 6) and Jeremy Spears (Winnie the Pooh, The Princess and the Frog).
Through the obsessive search for perfection by a sculptor, a clay sculpture comes to life in a workshop, surrounded by past failed versions of itself. Playing God unveils an unforgettable world of sculptures keenly aware of their own flaws. Self-taught director Matteo Burani has won several awards for this dark film (Animayo, Tribeca, Corto Dorico), which is shortlisted for the 2026 Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film.
When a lonely polar bear can’t find a friend… he makes one. Set in a rapidly changing world, Snow Bear tells the story of a polar bear in an unforgiving environment on his quest for companionship. This independently produced 2D hand-drawn film was created by former Disney animator Aaron Blaise over three years and is shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards.
Hélène comes to visit her aging mother in the French countryside. But her mother isn’t quite herself—she seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden. Directed by students from Gobelins, Paris, The Shyness of Trees won a Student Academy Award and is shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards (2026) for Best Animated Short Film.
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Three sisters living on an isolated island must rent out one of their houses. This animated short by Russian animator Konstantin Bronzit features simple, geometric animation and tells a quirky, comedic story about the sisters and their tenants. The film has been nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards (2026).
For those who feel time-poor and overwhelmed by choice, this is a must-see. In the throes of his overstimulated, energy-poor midlife, Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has ‘the time.’ Irish director John Kelly manages to capture the essence of life in just a few minutes in this poetic short film, which is nominated for Best Animated Short at the 98th Academy Awards (2026).
Kaboom Animation Festival is the one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest in all things animated. Ranging from cutting-edge experimental arthouse to colorful stories for families and kids, Kaboom will cater to the animation needs of all. Yes, even yours, my amazing weirdo friend!
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