For our third Rundown article, two short film categories where fiction reigns. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Animated Short Film and Best Live-Action Short Film as well as general commentary about the race. Tomorrow, we’ll cover the youngest Oscar category.

Best Animated Short Film

Winner Predictions

• Adam and Dog
• Fresh Guacamole
• Head Over Heels (R) [New]
• Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”
• Paperman (O) (R) [New]

Runner-Up Predictions

• Head Over Heels (R) [New] (R) [New]
• Paperman (O)

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Wesley Lovell: I’ve seen parts or all of some of the nominated shorts. I can’t say that any of them particularly impressed me the way the non-nominated Eagleman Stag did, but I think Paperman may finally break the dry spell Pixar has had in this category. Still, never bet on Pixar to win Animated Short Film. In its many attempts in recent years, the company has come up short even with surefire winning films. As for what could triumph? I think Fresh Guacamole is inventive, but Head Over Heels seems more like something the Academy would want to recognize.
Peter J. Patrick: I have no idea but I’ll take a shot in the dark and say Head Over Heels will win with Paperman my pick for runner-up.
Tripp Burton: Paperman and Head Over Heels have the edge in here, both being sweet love stories that play really well to audiences and are emotionally resonant. I’m giving the edge to the Disney film (it would be their first non-Pixar generated win here in over 40 years!), but don’t underestimate the power that British stop-action animation has over the voters in this category.

Best Live-Action Short Film

Winner Predictions

• Asad (O)
• Buzkashi Boys
• Curfew (R) [New]
• Death of a Shadow (O)
• Henry

Runner-Up Predictions

• Asad (R) [New]
• Curfew (O)
• Henry (R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: A number of these films just didn’t sound like Oscar contenders when I read the descriptions or watched snippets. So, I may be entire off-base here, but the Academy has shown a willingness to recognize bizarre selections here, which is why I think that Death of a Shadow may still have a chance. However, it’s more likely that Asad, Buzkashi Boys or Curfew appeals to Academy sentiments and I wouldn’t rule out a win by Henry either.
Peter J. Patrick: Again, I have no idea, but I’ll pick Curfew for the win and Asad for runner-up.
Tripp Burton: This is one of the hardest categories to try to piece out, mostly because all of the films are emotionally packed and play very well with audiences: Curfew has a cute child rehabilitating a lost soul, Death and a Shadow and Henry both deal with lost loves and Buzkashi Boys and Asad both have children trying to survive in war-ravaged societies. Asad is the most heart-warming of the films, complete with a cast full of Somali refugees (whose refugee status is listed in the credits next to their names) and an audience-pleasing twist near the end, so I am giving it the edge here. Don’t be surprised, though, if the charming child-drug addict relationship of Curfew or especially the aging lovers of Henry manage a win here instead.

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