Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Cat’s Pajamas/Wonder Killer
This year’s Best Animated Short contest at the Academy Awards should be a no-brainer.
Thanks to the Academy’s tendency to avoid libidinous submissions, though, the category is a bit trickier to predict. Sara Gunnarsdóttir’s hilarious, inspired My Year of Dicks should take home the trophy. But when has the Academy ever preferred horny, adult-oriented films—let alone in the Best Animated Short category?
When Disney and Pixar are out of the question—neither studio is in competition this year for the award—the Academy tends to prefer hokey shorts made for children. Such has been the case with recent winners like 2016’s Bear Story and 2014’s Mr Hublot, two films that prioritized animation over storytelling. This year’s line-up of nominees follows suit, mostly made up of work boasting gorgeous animation with little-to-no story at play.