Jane Austen's Period Drama flows well in Oscar short film slate

Once upon a time hardly anyone ever saw Oscar-nominated short films. This fairy tale gets a happy ending because distributor Roadside Attractions and others go out of their way to present this impressive array of works. The shorts group into animated, documentary and live-action categories, with 2025 releases offering pleasures ranging from social insights to outright comedy. On the funny side and as a longtime fan of such Masterpiece and theatrical releases as Pride and Prejudice, my biases lead me to root for Jane Austen’s Period Drama in the live action category. Of course most Austen adventures qualify as period dramas rooted in the 1700s and writer-directors Julia Aks and Steve Pinder fall right in line—except their title refers to what happens when the heroine starts menstruating just as her obtuse love proposes marriage. Good humor results amidst top line acting and production values—with closing titles of quote “executive menstrual advisor” given to the woman who won a screenwriting Oscar adapting Sense and Sensibility. No joke, Emma Thompson happily promotes the 12-minute film on the awards circuit. In the animated category, I appreciate all nominees for inventive story-telling that often reduces or precludes dialogue. I especially admire the hand-painted look of Butterfly from Florence Miailhe whose shimmering style showcases a swimmer’s stroke while telling the true story of a Jewish Olympic contender surviving Nazi horrors. When it comes to documentary shorts, intensely powerful subjects like school shootings feature strongly. My biases point me towards a warmer project called Perfectly a Strangeness. It covers a day in the life of an odd trio, Palomo, Puperto and Palaye, three donkeys who adapt to human encroachment at an isolated observatory. No dialogue needed in Alison McAlipine’s project, just effective cinematography in a unique landscape. My favorites may not transfer into winners, but like the whole slate, offer the chance to admire creativity and determination.

As a side note, well ahead of nominations in September, three films from the slate screened as part of the Reno area's Cordillera Film Festival.