The Academy has announced its ten-film shortlist for consideration for the Best Animated Short Film category at this year’s Oscars.

Five these titles will become Oscar nominees. Of these, the only film I suspect to be a lock is Piper from Pixar. Walt Disney’s Inner Workings is also a likely nominee.

10 ANIMATED SHORTS ADVANCE IN 2016 OSCAR® RACE

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 89th Academy Awards®. Sixty-nine pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Blind Vaysha,” Theodore Ushev, director (National Film Board of Canada)
“Borrowed Time,” Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj, directors (Quorum Films)
“Happy End,” Jan Saska, director (FAMU – Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague)
“The Head Vanishes,” Franck Dion, director (Papy3D Productions, National Film Board of Canada and ARTE France Cinema Department)
“Inner Workings,” Leo Matsuda, director, and Sean Lurie, producer (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
“Once upon a Line,” Alicja Jasina, director (University of Southern California)
“Pear Cider and Cigarettes,” Robert Valley, director, and Cara Speller, producer (Massive Swerve Studios and Passion Pictures Animation)
“Pearl,” Patrick Osborne, director (Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures)
“Piper,” Alan Barillaro, director, and Marc Sondheimer, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
“Sous Tes Doigts (Under Your Fingers),” Marie-Christine Courtès, director, and Ludivine Berthouloux, art director (Vivement Lundi! and Novanima)

Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

Nominations for the 89th Oscars® will be announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.

The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.