There’s something incredible happening in the documentary short film category at this year’s Oscars, something you’ll want to pay attention to.
In recent years, the group of nominees has been stacked with worthy contenders, save for one short that’s glaringly out of step with the rest of the recognized films. Last year, “The ABCs of Book Banning” presented surface-level facts that did little to move the needle on the important topic of books that are being prohibited in school libraries. In 2023, “Stranger at the Gate” took a well-meaning but misguided approach to a story about a man who intended to terrorize a Muslim community center, only for the local Islamic population to welcome him into their fold.
Given that accessibility isn’t an issue, there’s no excuse not to take in as many of these films as possible before Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony.
But this year, all five of the nominees for documentary short film are not just well-made, incisive and expectedly important, they’re also in conversation with one another. They are extremely timely, heavy films, but still wildly compelling, oscillating from three different kinds of institutional violence to two distinct films about the power of music and the arts. It might not sound like these shorts are all linked, but they are united by the urgent themes they explore. Think of this handful of short films as five fingers stretching out from one palm, all a bit different from each other but connected nonetheless.
The documentary short category is a unique one because it presents the opportunity for audiences to see films that wade through a variety of topics in bite-sized installments, easily digestible for anyone who still hears the word “documentary” and starts nodding off. (If that’s you, expand those horizons! There are docs out there for everyone, and at least one of the films below will confirm that.) It’s also unusual because, for the most part, the nominated films can usually be found on YouTube or seen on a streaming service. Given that accessibility isn’t an issue, there’s no excuse not to take in as many of these films as possible before Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony — if only to school your friends in the Oscar pool when you pick the winning short with more knowledge than they did by just guessing a winner, buzzed off of “Brutalist” Bloody Mary's and “Conclave” Cosmos.
Below, you’ll find our run-down of all five of the shorts nominated for documentary short film, where to watch them and which one of the shorts should take home the gold. This race is the tightest in some years, so let’s not waste any more time.
It has been just over seven years since a gunman opened fire at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and those years have been both a blip in time and an eternity for Sam Fuentes, a survivor of the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in American history. Unlike most of these devastating events, where killers die during or shortly after a massacre, Fuentes’ assailant Nikolas Cruz survived. In Kim A. Snyder’s “Death by Numbers,” Fuentes laments that reality. “I just wish he had died that day so that there was no trial, so that nobody would have to go through this,” she says.
But as Snyder and Fuentes beautifully stress in the short, trauma is never quite that simple. The trial is impossibly difficult, but it also presents Fuentes and the other survivors with a rare opportunity to, should they so choose, look Cruz in the eye and stand firmly in the power of their existence. This part of the process is called a victim impact statement, and Fuentes’ statement is the film’s stirring emotional core. Because Fuentes’ own words are potent enough, “Death by Numbers” doesn’t need any of its extra visual flourishes, which appear in clips from relevant movies and animations of Fuentes’ writings. But although the film is a bit overproduced for a story that needs no extra flair to be gripping, “Death by Numbers” is easily one of the most emotionally impactful documentary shorts in this year’s lineup. It’s not a story about overcoming trauma but a scorching look at what it takes to muster enough energy to move through it.
Where to watch: “Death by Numbers” is in theaters as part of Oscar-nominated short film presentations nationwide. Find local screenings here.
While none of this year's shorts are as paltry as the odd ducks from the last two years of nominees, “I Am Ready, Warden” is the closest any 2025 documentary shorts come to abject exploitation. The film follows John Henry Ramirez, an inmate on death row in Texas, who was convicted after stabbing convenience store worker Pablo Castro 29 times over less than two dollars. After three stays of execution, Ramirez has run out of opportunities to appeal, and despite having shown evidence of reformation, the pleas by those in Ramirez’s corner go unheard.
Initially, the film is a fascinating firsthand exploration of state-sanctioned murder, and how inmates who have been on death row for years, like Ramirez, have the opportunity to recognize the severity of their horrific actions and how they’ve impacted the lives of their victims. Ramirez doesn’t ever pity himself, acknowledging the harm he’s inflicted on the world in thoughtful, often quite moving ways. It’s when director Smitri Mundhra chooses to film Ramirez’s last phone conversation with his teenage son Israel, as well as the response to Ramirez’s death from Castro's adult son Aaaron, that “I Am Ready, Warden” walks into murky territory. These scenes are emotionally manipulative, presenting a hard shift in tone that pivots from the sincerely affecting details about Ramirez’s life after his conviction — which would make a more convincing argument for proponents of the death penalty — to mawkish attempts at viewer persuasion. A good documentary doesn’t need to be objective, but it should tell its story gracefully, and that’s the test “I Am Ready, Warden” doesn’t pass.
Where to watch: Stream “I Am Ready, Warden” on Paramount+
I Am Ready, Warden (MTV Documentary Films)
Two viewer warnings appear before “Incident.” One alerts viewers that there are graphic images to follow; another signals that some of the film is completely silent. But the lack of sound in Bill Morrison’s documentary makes the events of “Incident” all the more chilling, especially when it eventually kicks in with shots ringing out and screams of terror filling the air.
The film uses police body camera footage, dashboard cam recordings and local CCTV to reconstruct the events surrounding a 2018 Chicago area police shooting that resulted in the death of local barber Harith “Snoop” Augustus. Despite never drawing a weapon, an officer shot Augustus multiple times until he was dead in the street, a chillingly familiar image of a Black civilian killed by police force. Morrison’s film is difficult to watch, but it’s critical viewing for every American. “Incident” pieces together the crucial minutes before and after Augustus’ death in a split-screen view, allowing viewers to watch as the offending officers pat each other on the back for “doing the right thing” and concoct stories that are different from the real-time events we see in the film to cover their tracks. It’s harrowing to watch, yet bleak and unsurprising. Morrison’s crude style and experiments with sound make “Incident” a haunting yet pertinent short to seek out, and one of the best films nominated in this year’s category.
Where to watch: “Incident” is available on YouTube.
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You might not think that a film about kids learning to play “Ode to Joy” would elicit as many tears as some of the other nominated shorts in this list. But simplicity gives “Instruments of a Beating Heart” an upper hand, making this modest short deceptively layered and just as poignant as any other film in the documentary short film category. The film is set at the end of the term for an elementary school in Japan, and exiting first graders are preparing a special welcome song for the next class in their grade. Each student can audition for different, small parts in the program: drums, cymbals, the triangle — all things that would widen any child’s eyes when they walk into a music class.
One of these first graders, Ayame, is determined to get a major part in the performance. We watch as Ayame grapples with her feelings after losing out on the instrument she wants, only to score another big role in the song. But Ayame is having trouble learning her part, falling behind some of the kids in her grade. As the performance draws closer, Ayame learns valuable lessons about conquering her nerves, handling constructive criticism and working hard to achieve her goals. Ema Ryan Yamazaki’s film is a heartwarming saga that takes the viewer back in time, encouraging us to remember how difficult it felt to be kids in a similarly scary position. And when Ayame and her class inevitably succeed, their triumph conjures the kind of joy and pride that are shining examples of why even the simplest documentaries can have the biggest impact.
Where to watch: “Instruments of a Beating Heart” is available on YouTube.
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra” is the most easily palatable of all five films nominated in this category, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less striking. Director Molly O’Brien trails her aunt Orin O’Brien — esteemed double bassist and the first woman member of the New York Philharmonic orchestra — as she prepares for retirement after decades of playing and teaching. Orin reflects on her array of accomplishments and all of the barriers she broke, setting the record straight about the headlines she made when she joined the orchestra in 1966 to play under Leonard Bernstein. Now in her late 80s, Orin is still a classic New York broad with a sharp sense of humor and the ability to connect with just about everyone she meets. She’s a joy to watch, but Orin is not quite as candid as one might expect. Sometimes that allows the viewer to get an idea about what she’s not saying, other times, the other O’Brien behind the camera knows not to probe her aunt any further. While “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” isn’t superficial, it is lighter and therefore less immediate than the other four entries in the category. Still, it’s a worthy contender nonetheless.
Where to watch: Stream “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” on Netflix.
Now, which documentary short should win?
This year, the best of the bunch isn’t so obvious. All of these films have the relevant calls to action or emotional framework that Academy voters seek. But in terms of which film should take home the gold, it’s a toss-up between “Incident” and “Instruments of a Beating Heart.” These are two films that, on their face, seem totally different, but they share an inspiring message of empathy and community at their core.
In “Incident” we see residents of the greater Chicago area gather to mourn the loss of a community figure and hold power to account. And in “Instruments of a Beating Heart,” we see how these seeds are planted early in life. Teachers offer kindness and encouragement to their students, while kids provide each other with the compassion they need to foster mutual success early in life. These shorts emphasize fellowship and patience. They are stunning reminders that, in this life, we have to look out for one another. But if you’re trying to pull ahead in an Oscar pool, the Academy loves a heartwarming short, so “Instruments of a Beating Heart” is your safest bet. Either way, these two films from this year’s lineup are the ones you simply cannot miss.
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