'2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action' Review: Optimism and Outrage Battle It Out in Solid Shorts Crop
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Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Over the past two decades, the Academy Awards have been in a constant state of flux: There are now 10 best picture nominees instead of five, the membership has grown (and diversified) by more than 50% in that time, streaming releases now routinely vie for the top prize.
Amid all that change, one constant remains: For 20 years, ShortsTV has been working with the short film nominees to get their work seen around the country.
The theatrical audience for those releases grows each year, to the point that the “2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action” package is on track to outgross best picture nominee “Nickel Boys” at the box office.
First up in an all-around strong (and impressively international) selection is the Croatian short that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year, “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent.” Set aboard a train traveling through Bosnia in 1993, director Nebojša Slijepčević’s fact-based thriller puts us in the position of the bewildered passengers, confused and intimidated when the train stops and heavily armed men come aboard to separate Muslim travelers.
