The Oscar-Nominated Shorts return to Proctors from Feb. 24-March 14. Showcasing the best short films from around the world, the 2026 Oscar-Nominated Shorts program includes films in all three categories: Animated. Documentary, and Live Action. Not Rated, but the Producers recommend this be treated as if Rated R. 158 minutes, including a short intermission.
All the Empty Rooms (U.S.): Directed by Joshua Seftel — In this moving short documentary, a journalist and a photographer set out to memorialize the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings. 33 minutes.
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud (U.S.): Directed by Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo — An intimate chronicle about documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, the first American journalist killed while reporting on the Russo-Ukrainian War. In English, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and Somali with English subtitles. 38 minutes.
Children No More: “Were and are Gone” (Israel): Directed by Hilla Medalia — In Tel Aviv, activists gather weekly to demonstrate their opposition to the war in Gaza with a silent vigil for the children killed in Israeli attacks. In Hebrew with English subtitles. 36 minutes.
The Devil is Busy (U.S.): Directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir — This film chronicles a day on the frontlines in the battle for reproductive rights at a women's healthcare clinic. Besieged by protesters, the director of security takes necessary risks to safeguard staff and patients. 31 minutes.
Perfectly a Strangeness (Canada/Chile): Directed by Alison McAlpine — In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be. 15 minutes.
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