2024 Oscars Best Documentary Short cheat sheet: All 15 semi-finalists from ‘The ABCs of Book Banning’ to ‘Wings of Dust’
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When it comes to predicting the Oscars, there are no categories that can be more difficult than the three short film categories. That goes double for trying to predict the nominees in those categories. But don’t worry Derbyites. With the recent release of the Academy’s shortlists, we’ve got descriptions of each of the pieces that made the runoff for Best Documentary Short, we got you covered on this! Below we have descriptions of each of the 15 short films that made this year’s list. We even included information and links on where you can currently view them.
Among the topics that are tackled in this year’s crop are book bans in Florida, a barber who runs a community bank, how abortion was legalized in New York in the 1970s, a group of people who fix musical instruments, and the healthcare crisis that’s affecting rural America.
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“The ABCs of Book Banning” – Examines the impacts that recent book bans have had on school districts and how such bans are inspiring hope for the future from the young people fighting them. The film is the directorial debut of Sheila Nevins, who won 32 Emmys for helping to produce docs for HBO. Trish Adlesic, who was nominated in Documentary Feature in 2010 for “Gasland,” and Nazenet Habtezghi are also listed as directors. This can currently be viewed on Paramount+.
“The Barber of Little Rock” – As he sees the widening gap of wealth and racial equality in Little Rock, Arkansas, barber Arlo Washington, starts a nonprofit community bank that mainly caters to underserved residents of his community. Directed by John Hoffman (who won four Emmys for his work on “Children in War”, “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” and “The Alzheimer’s Project”) and Christine Turner.
“Bear” – A debate starts between an amateur filmmaker and the student who is set to edit his material which is supposed to be about bears. Directed by Morgane Gaëlle Frund.
“Between Earth & Sky” – After surviving a near-fatal fall from a tree, a rainforest ecologist has to turn her research about disturbances, recovery and regrowth on to herself. Directed by Andrew Nadkarni. The short can be viewed on the website for PBS here.
“Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games” – Explores the hand games that have been played primarily by Black girls throughout generations. Directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson. The short can be streamed on ESPN+.
“Camp Courage” – After being evacuated due to the war in Ukraine, a young girl attends a summer camp with her grandmother in the Alps, which pushes the limits of her bravery. Directed by Max Lowe. The short can currently be streamed on Netflix.
“Deciding Vote” – A look at how New York Assemb. George Michaels cast a tie-breaking vote that legalized abortion in the state but would doom the rest of his political career. Directed by Robert J. Lyons and Jeremy Workman. It can currently be viewed on the New Yorker’s YouTube channel here.
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“How We Get Free” – Follows the work of Elisabeth Epps, the founder of the Colorado Freedom Fund, as she works to get rid of cash bail in the state. One of the films’ directors, Geeta Gandbhir, has won two Emmys for picture editing work on docs: “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts” (2007) and “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama” (2010). Also directed by Samantha M. Knowles. This can currently be streamed on Max.
“If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis” – Explores the lives of people living in the American South who don’t have any, or limited, access to healthcare. The film’s director, Ramin Bahrani, was nominated for Adapted Screenplay in 2020 for “The White Tiger.” The short will be premiering on PBS in January.
“Island in Between” – The Taiwanese islands of Kinmen serve as a tourist destination for the remains of the 1949 Chinese Civil War it houses as well as the frontline for the nation as tensions escalate with China. Directed by S. Leo Chiang. The short can currently be viewed on The New York Times YouTube channel here.
“The Last Repair Shop” – Tells the story of four people whose instrument repair shop guarantees that no young student is robbed of the ability to play music. Directors Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot were both nominated in this category in 2020 for “A Concerto is a Conversation” and Proudfoot won the category in 2021 for “The Queen of Basketball.” The short can be viewed here on the YouTube page of The Los Angeles Times.
“Last Song from Kabul” – A group of young, orphaned girls see their music school in Kabul shuttered after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and attempt to escape to Portugal with the hopes of playing music again. One of the film’s directors, Kevin Macdonald, won the Documentary Feature category in 1999 for “One Day in September.” The film was also directed by Ruhi Hamid.
“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” – A tribute by director Sean Wang to his two grandmothers that like to chase their blues away through dancing and stretching. The film will be available to stream in 2024 on Disney+.
“Oasis” – Explores the relationship between twins, Raphaël and Rémi, and its deterioration when one of the twins becomes more affected by his disability. Directed by Justine Martin. The short is currently available to watch here through The New York Times.
“Wings of Dust” – A look at Quechuan journalist looking to hold accountable the mineral mining interests that have been devastating the well-being and natural resources of the K’ana Nation in South America. The short won the Gold Medal for documentaries at this year’s Student Academy Awards for Giorgio Ghiotto.
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