The 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films -- Documentary

By Camden Ferrell

Documentaries can highlight important issues plaguing our complex and layered world, and they can also inspire and find joy in people's achievements and their passions. Whether that's watching a young Japanese girl prepare for her school concert, or watching a brave victim of a school shooting stand up for herself in front of the world, this year's Oscar-nominated documentary shorts are full of pain, joy, tragedy, and hope. Below, I will highlight each of the films while also giving my best guess as to what will end up winning on Oscar night.

5. The Only Girl in the Orchestra

As someone who spends a lot of their free time playing in a community orchestra, I truly wish I could appreciate this more. It's competently made, but I can't say there's a real unique vision guiding it. Orin O'Brien has had a wonderous career, and she is a legend in every way imaginable, but it's a shame the doc can't do her the justice she deserves. I'm hard pressed to find any major flaws other than it's far too conventional and underwhelming to leave a lasting impact. O'Brien has some very interesting musings on art and working with an ensemble, but it's mostly muddied by a documentary that isn't interested in trying new things with this particular medium of storytelling.

4. I Am Ready, Warden

Each year, there's always a documentary that has good intentions, preaches a message I can personally get behind, but is ultimately let down by its execution. While I did mostly enjoy this documentary and its nuanced way of viewing the death penalty, it feels borderline manipulative in its execution, and it doesn't sit quite right with me as a viewer. While it's not asking you to forgive the crimes committed by its subject, it also tries to create a sympathetic character in an effort to push its thesis, a tactic that has mixed results. There are some extraordinarily moving moments in this doc, but I just wish it dug a little deeper without any cheap emotional wins. 

3. Instruments of a Beating Heart

Definitely the most enjoyable documentary short this year, this tells the story of a Japanese girl who is given the job of playing the cymbal at her school performance. What we see is a conventional yet still unique perspective of this young, ambitious, and emotional girl. There's something wholesome yet heartbreaking about watching a kid take something so trivial so seriously. It reminds us of our own youth, where we would also cry because of a minor failure that seemed so important at the time. It's a cute documentary that worked more than it didn't.

2. Death by Numbers

This short film follows Samantha Fuentes, a victim of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Watching someone my age show such sincerity and bravery in the face of utter tragedy is always admirable, and this doc honors her story without feeling like it's exploitative. Her words are powerful, and it feels like an act of catharsis. It won't ever heal the wounds that were created that day, but I'd argue the world is a better place because people like her speak up. If this doc can be faulted for anything, it can be that its runtime can sometimes undermine it's message, but this is an emotional and brave documentary showcasing the lasting impacts to such an unnecessary and tragic epidemic in America.

1. Incident

Another unfortunately timely documentary short, this film uses security cameras and police body camera footage to showcase an incident that occurred in Chicago in 2018. Told mostly in real time, this is an utterly devastating and angering experience. It is so meticulously crafted by its filmmakers, and it helps paint a vivid and upsetting picture of what went down in such a short period of time. It's hard to imagine putting any other movie in this top spot, because Incident is so incredibly harrowing and well-made, I'd be remiss to put it anywhere but the top. This is definitely something that everyone should be watching.

Will Win: Incident
Can Win: Death by Numbers
Should Win: Incident

The 20th annual Oscar® Nominated Short Films theatrical release, presented by SHORTS, is coming to cinemas starting February 14, 2025.​