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Ranking 2010s Animated Short Oscar Winners

2010s is one of the best decades when it comes to the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film category at the Oscars. Most of the winners are very good and a couple are all-time classics. So without further ado, here is my ranking of all these strong animated films.

8. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

This 2011 flick disappointed me. The story is just too abstract and uninteresting to me and even though the film is quite moving and inspirational, it is never as great as it easily could have been. But still the animation, especially of the flying books, is very strong and the film is pretty solid overall. The fact that this solid film ends up last goes to show how strong the decade is.

7. Piper

Piper is a wonderful film. It features such stunning, photorealistic CGI animation as the backgrounds and particularly the birds look as real as they can possibly look. Fascinating how Pixar managed to create such a realistic film. It is also quite sweet and endearing, but there is nothing too inspired or artistic in this film. It’s just a very endearing flick and that’s it.

6. Mr. Hublot

Mr. Hublot features an endearing relationship between its two characters, terrific world building and superb animation work. It also has an interesting story and is intriguing both in tone and in its world. I just wish that it was faster in pace and better realized in its potential as this world is too rich for such a short runtime.

5. Dear Basketball

Another very short, but also very effective film. Yes, it’s only one poem stretched to an entire short film, but Kobe Bryant’s poem about basketball and overall passion for any hobby can be relatable to anyone and is thus quite impactful. The animation from Glen Keane is wonderful per usual and John Williams’ score is also reliably great.

4. Bear Story

Superb town scenery, a wonderful diorama and magnificent attention to detail propel this very charming Chilean flick which also features a likable protagonist and a very charming story with a giant heart. Yes, ‘World of Tomorrow’ should have won that year, but this was still a very strong pick in a crowded year for short films.

3. The Lost Thing

With a beautiful message that we should help those who are different and not leave them behind, The Lost Thing has such a wonderful story, it is so touching in its ending and its narration is also stupendous. Even though its animation isn’t the strongest, everything else here is phenomenal leading to a terrific film that still should have lost to a masterpiece ‘Day & Night’.

2. Paperman

With stunning animation that artistically mixes hand-drawn and CGI style, wonderful characters and a highly moving and beautifully romantic story, Paperman is a winner on all fronts and it signaled a return to form for Disney’s short film department. It is such a major future classic in my opinion and one of the most deserved Oscar short winners. It’s the best after…

1. Feast

Yes, Feast is my number one! I am admittedly a giant dog lover and thus this film really fitted me, but I do feel that everyone can love this film as what is not to simply love here? The animation is beautiful and quite polished, the score is moving and the ending is so heartwarming. The entire film is a very emotional, beautiful look at how our best canine friends are important to us and how they help our lives constantly. It is truthful in its portrayal of dogs with a very detailed approach to it. It’s easily one of the finest animated shorts of all time.