OSCAR SHORTS: DOCUMENTARY
2026
(157 min)
PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS | Alison McAlpine | Canada | 15min
In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an
abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic
exploration of what a story can be.
THE DEVIL IS BUSY | Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir | United States |
31min
The Devil is Busy takes viewers on a daylong journey with Tracii, the
determined head of security at a women’s healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia
as she works to ensure the safety of women seeking abortions in the face of new
restrictions and persistent protests. The film is a clear-eyed portrayal of the
shifting landscape for patients and abortion providers in America today, and
depicts the complex, day-to-day realities facing those working to provide safe
reproductive healthcare to women. The film captures a unique snapshot of
reproductive healthcare in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn
Roe v. Wade, a shift that has led to abortion bans and significant restrictions
in many states.
ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BRENT RENAUD | Dir. Craig
Renaud and Brent Renaud | United States | 38min
On March 13, 2022, filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed by Russian soldiers – the
first American journalist to die while reporting on the war in Ukraine. His
younger brother and collaborator, Craig Renaud, recovered Brent’s body and his
final recordings from Ukraine and brought them back to their childhood home in
Arkansas. As Brent’s journey to his final resting place unfolds, the film
chronicles the years he and his brother spent covering some of the world’s most
dangerous conflicts. As journalism becomes one of the most dangerous
professions in the world, Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of
Brent Renaud is dedicated to Brent and all the devoted journalists who use
their cameras to work for truth and understanding.
ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS | Dir. Joshua Seftel | United States | 33min
All the Empty Rooms follows veteran CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman
and photographer Lou Bopp as they embark on a seven-year-long project to
document the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. Hartman
steps away from his heartwarming human interest stories and unbeknownst to his
network’s bosses, pursues a piece on absence, memory, and the unseen ripples of
America's gun violence epidemic. As these senseless incidents claim more young lives
than any other cause in America, these quiet bedrooms reveal truths more
powerful than statistics ever could.
CHILDREN NO MORE: "WERE AND ARE GONE" | Dir. Hilla Medalia | Israel |
36min
Children No More: “Were and are Gone”
is an observational documentary short about a vigil that began in March 2025, when
a handful of women stood silently in a public square in Tel Aviv, each holding
a photograph of a child killed in Gaza. On every image: the child’s name, age,
date of death, and the words “WAS AND IS NO MORE.” Their stillness is heavy,
pressing against the rhythm of ordinary life. Some passersby look away; others
respond with denial, sorrow, or rage. Yet week after week, new names are added,
new photographs are printed and lifted high. And each week, more people step
forward to join this quiet act of protest.
