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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited hundreds of artists and executives to join the organization!

Wicked star Ariana Grande, Dune‘s Jason Momoa and girlfriend, Hit Man star Adria Arjona, Superman‘s Rachel Brosnahan and Anora breakout Mikey Madison are among the actors who have “distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.”

“We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang shared in a statement. “Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community.”

Keep reading to see the full list of invitees…

According to the Academy website, “Membership selection is based on professional qualifications, with an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority. Of the 2025 invited class, 41% are women,...

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ballfranchise is one of the most influential pieces of anime. With its blend of action and comedy, it's become an anime that will likely be discussed, analyzed, and watched years after its final series has aired—if that ever happens. Having existed for over 40 years, the series has had many main animated shows with a distinct style.

Dragon Ball has five main animated series and one spin-off. The animation style varies across each series in the franchise, largely influenced by production time and oversight. Each series was handled by multiple animators, with a Character Designer or Chief Animator ensuring consistency. While some series benefited from careful production, others struggled, proving that Toei Animation’s treatment of Dragon Ball has varied over time.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes Has Some of the Worst Animation Available to Watch on YouTube

Super Dragon Ball Heroes is a promotional web series...

The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Et / 4 p.m. Pt. The prestigious ceremony will take place at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, continuing the Academy’s rich tradition. The event will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on platforms like Jio Hotstar, Oscar.com, Oscars.org, and the Academy’s social media handles.

As far as nominations are concerned, Emilia Pérez leads the 2025 Oscar race with 13 nominations, followed closely by The Brutalist and Wicked, each securing 10 nominations. Stay tuned as we update the complete list of 2025 Oscar winners in real time.

Here’s the complete list of the 2025 Oscar nominees and Winners: Best Supporting Actor Yura Borisov (Anora) Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) – Winner Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) Best Animated Feature Film Flow – Winner Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace and...

Two decades ago, in 2006, the team at Shorts International transformed one of the key Oscar races, securing the rights to release all five finalists in the Academy Awards’ animated short category on the big screen and pretty much all devices, from laptops to cell phones. Ergo, the “2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animation” package now in theaters represents the company’s 20th edition. In that time, Carter Pilcher and his crew have enabled the theatrical release of a whopping 99 animated finalists (securing the rights to all but Shane Acker’s “9” in their first year). This year’s program is fairly unique in that there are no glossy, Hollywood-made contenders in the mix, which makes for a broad-ranging survey of what independent artists are doing with the medium at the moment.

The closest thing to a studio-backed submission is director Daisuke Nishio’s “Magic Candies,” made for Toei Animation (the company...

© Baek Heena, Toei Animation

For nearly eight decades Toei Animation, the legendary Japanese studio behind iconic franchises like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon has been a powerhouse in the world of animation. Now, the acclaimed studio has reached a new historic milestone with its first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film – joining the exclusive list of five alongside Yuck!, Beautiful Men, In the Shadow of the Cypress and Wander to Wonder. The film in question, Magic Candies, is a stunning adaptation of Heena Baek’s beloved Korean picture books, brought to life by producer Takashi Washio and veteran director Daisuke Nishio. Known for his work on Dragon Ball Z, Pretty Cure and Interstella 5555, Daisuke and his team have used their considerable talents to create a visually rich and emotionally resonant short. Magic Candies’ textured, lifelike animation style blurs the line between CGI and traditional claymation, creating a world...

Attention industryites, the final stretch of awards season is here and it’s all leading up to Hollywood’s biggest night with the 97th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. It’s best to pace yourself as the momentum will be building in a big way with a packed schedule of soirees, celebrations and exclusive parties in the coming days. While the below roundup includes many of the typical events — Vanity Fair, Elton John, Madonna, Chanel and Charles Finch, Giorgio Armani and Women in Film are all back with bashes — agencies like UTA have opted to bow out of the party circuit in favor of making donations to L.A. wildfire relief. Here’s all the intel gathered thus far with updates to come throughout the week.

Friday, Feb. 21

Oscar Nominee Spotlight: Breaking the Ceiling — Casting Directors

Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 7 p.m.

Casting directors “discuss historic milestones,...

Universal Language, the original and quietly funny Oscar-shortlisted Cannes and TIFF premiering feature by Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin debuts on one screen each in New York and LA. Chinese animated juggernaut Ne Zha 2 opens Stateside and Oscar Nominated Shorts are back for a 20th season. Sony Picture Classics’ Becoming Led Zeppelin expands to 1,039 locations from 369 Imax screens and IFC Films jumps Armand to 230 theaters from two. Oscar contenders continue to populate screens.

Oscilloscope’s Universal Language quite likes this window with the Academy Awards a few weeks away. In a crowded market, “this date is great. Once the ceremony comes and goes, there is a rotation of films out of theaters,” says theatrical distribution chief Andrew Carlin.

He calls Rankin a great actor and filmmaker with a particular sense of style and Universal Language a film with “a strangeness to it that defies classification” — a plus for Oscilloscope.

Rankin returned the compliment.

Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’ve reviewed every short film in each category: Animation, Documentary, and Live Action. Below are the Best Animated Short nominees:

Beautiful Men | Belgium/France/Netherlands | 18 minutes

Three brothers. One appointment. A lot of fog. Welcome to Nicolas Keppens’ Beautiful Men, a comedic short set in Istanbul at a hotel mainly used for its proximity to a world-renowned hair-transplant center booked so far in advance that Steven’s (Tom Dewispelaere) mistake will ensure they’ve all wasted a ton of money. Because there’s no wiggle room for securing two more slots during their short trip. And since he took point and only found out his error upon arrival, it’s on him to break the news. How will they decide who gets to change their life?

While that question does ultimately get asked, however, the fact that this trio (rounded out by Peter De Graef...

The creative teams behind seven Oscar-nominated shorts took part in TheWrap’s Screening Series on Monday, where filmmakers discussed their work ahead of the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2. Two showcases — live-action/documentary shorts and animated shorts — were held at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California, with both Q&a sessions moderated by TheWrap’s Executive Editor of Awards, Steve Pond.

The first showcase celebrated three nominated films in the live-action and documentary shorts categories.

“I’m Not a Robot” (live-action short) follows a music producer who questions whether she’s a robot after repeatedly failing Captcha tests. “It started as a funny thought, but then my imagination took a darker turn and I really started to wonder,” director Victoria Warmerdam said. “I was really intrigued by the ‘Truman Show’ aspects because, for some reason, I’m so scared that someday someone will tell me that the world is...

Little films are a very big deal at this year’s Academy Awards. Topics as heavy as Ptsd, ethnic cleansing and the immigration system, and as light as music, kissing and children with a passion to perform are all vying for the short film Oscars. Here’s a look at the nominees in the documentary shorts, animated shorts and live-action shorts categories.

Documentary Shorts

The proliferation of platforms distributing short subject documentaries in recent years has led to an abundance of high-quality films that pack a punch. This year’s five nominated short nonfiction docs stand out for their impactful and exquisite storytelling.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what film will take home The Little Gold Man, but if previous award season wins mean anything, Bill Morrison’s “Incident” could be a frontrunner. Told using police surveillance footage, Morrison offers a raw look at the Chicago police shooting of a Black man.

Final voting is February 11-18, 2025. The 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2, and air live on ABC at 7 p.m. Et/ 4 p.m. Pt. We update our picks throughout awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.

The State of the Race

The Best Animated Short nominees are “Beautiful Men,” “In the Shadow of the Cypress,” “Magic Candies,” “Wander to Wonder,” and “Yuck!” These are the Oscar shortlist survivors, which represent five countries (but not the U.S.) and boast mostly 2D and stop-motion over CG.

“Wander to Wonder” and “In the Shadow of the Cypress” are the close favorites, followed by “Beautiful Men” and “Yuck!.” All received Annie Award nominations for short or special production.

“Wander to Wonder”: When the creator of an ’80s children’s TV series dies, the three tiny stars are all alone in the studio. They struggle to...

The 2025 Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday to the usual surprised and offended audience.

The announcement was delayed by a few days due to the wildfires spreading across Los Angeles, but Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang shared the news live on Jan. 23 from the Film Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The award show is slated to take place as planned, airing on March 2.

Emilia Pérez beat out the other features with 13 nominations; it was closely followed by Wicked and The Brutalist, which each have ten.

Following a Mexican drug lord transitioning gender, Emilia Pérez‘s 13 nominations set a new record for a non-English-language film. Star of the film Karla Sofía Gascón was also submitted for best actress, making her the first openly transgender actress to be nominated.

Following Emilia Pérez, Wicked and The Brutalist are Conclave and A Complete Unknown, which were each mentioned eight times. These films will compete...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars), set to honour the outstanding films of 2024. Originally delayed due to the Los Angeles wildfires, the announcement was made on January 23, from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Brady Corbet’s ‘The Brutalist’ leads the pack with multiple nominations, lauded for its ambitious narrative chronicling the life of an immigrant architect in mid-20th-century America.

The Best Actress category has drawn significant attention, with Demi Moore (The Substance) and Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez) leading the conversation. Moore’s performance has been hailed as one of the best of her career, while Gascón’s nomination is historic, representing a landmark moment for transgender actors in Hollywood.

In the Best Actor category, Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) stands out for his deeply moving portrayal of a prison inmate seeking redemption.

‘Conclave,’ a gripping...

Updated: Jan. 17, 2025

Trying to figure out what will get nominated in the three short-film categories at the Oscars is one of the hardest things to forecast. Fear not, we are here to help! Below are all 15 films that made the Academy Awards shortlist for Best Animated Short along with descriptions and embedded videos and/or links where available.

Some of the subjects covered by this year’s batch of cartoon shorts are a group of bald brothers confronting their flaws while all seeking hair transplants, a troubled captain attempting to raise his daughter, the brutality of Isis on Coptic men in Africa, and a young boy curious about kissing.

Here is your 2025 Oscars Best Animated Short cheat sheet, ranked based on Gold Derby’s current combined odds:

“Beautiful Men” – 4/1 odds

While staying at a hotel in Istanbul while they all await hair transplants, three bald brothers struggle with their self-confidence.

Whether they're experienced or newcomers, anime fans recognize that anime can tell beautifully resonant stories about an infinite number of topics. It's easily possible to find dozens of anime about sociopolitical or even philosophical issues for those who are looking for them. That said, not every anime is about having a strong storyline. Some anime series prioritize fighting above all else.

That's not to say anime that's heavily combat-focused can't also tell great stories, as many shonen series like One Piece and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood have proven over the years. Yet some series prioritize fighting far more than story, often with mixed results. Some series understand their fans are looking specifically for great fights rather than interesting narratives. Other series might have tried to tell a good story, only for fans to discover they have little going for them other than their decent fight scenes.

Related 10 Best Anime Character Designs...

The 50th Annual Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) wrapped up on Sunday and announced the winners of the 2024 Golden Space Needle Audience and Juried Competition Awards.

The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.

Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.

In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...

The New York International Children’s Film Festival (Nyicff) has officially selected its 2024 winners.

The jury, which consisted of Ira Sachs, Ilana Glazer, Uma Thurman, and more A-listers, announced short films “Magic Candies” and “Unibrow” as the two selections. Daisuke Nishio’s “Magic Candies” is an animated short and had its world premiere at the festival, where Nedda Sarshar’s “Unibrow” is live-action; both are now Oscar-qualifying. All jurors voted on both awards.

Juror Ilana Glazer called “Unibrow” a “universal” story even given its specificity. “Told viscerally with a full palette of emotions, ‘Unibrow’ is an example of excellent storytelling,” Glazer said.

Fellow juror Benjamin Renner called “Magic Candies” an “absolute delight” of a short film.

The Nyicff audience awards were determined by the votes of viewers aged three to 17, as well as audience members aged 18+ for adult-centric awards. The Grand Prize for an Animated Feature was awarded to “Kensuke’s Kingdom,...

Since it debuted in the 1980s, Dragon Ball has been among the most popular anime franchises in the world. Akira Toriyama's flagship series paved the way for the modern shonen genre, introducing many of the tropes seen in contemporary anime series like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece.

However, one trend that Dragon Ball doesn't receive enough credit for is its use of feature-length films, which have appeared in the franchise since the original Dragon Ball series. In particular, Dragon Ball Z has the greatest concentration of these movies, boasting over 15 films in its library. That said, all 15 of these movies are considered non-canon, as they each contradict the series in some notable way.

Related Dragon Ball Z: 15 Most Iconic Goku Quotes, Ranked Dragon Ball Z's Goku has accomplished incredible things on the battlefield, but he's also a source of sage advice and inspirational words of wisdom.

…by Aaron Mk

Imagine if you will… It’s a Tuesday night with nothing to do. There you are, sitting on your couch, flipping through channel after channel of mindless drivel. “Is there nothing Good on these days?!” you ask yourself. So in an act of desperation you flip your favorite VOD service on (or open your local video rental catalog) and marvel at the endless hours of entertainment. What to watch? Comedy, Drama? Television series? Feature Film? Who has the time play TV roulette?! Nobody, That’S Who! So in an act of kindness, I lay before you the ten best anime series of yesteryear (in no particular order) for you to burn your eyeballs with during those slow weekday nights! And let’s face it… If your already reading this, What Else would you be doing on a weekday night? Hmm?

10: Cowboy Bebop (1998, Series)

Directed by: Shinichiro Watanabe...

Imagine if you will… It’s a Tuesday night with nothing to do. There you are, sitting on your couch, flipping through channel after channel of mindless drivel. “Is there nothing Good on these days?!” you ask yourself. So in an act of desperation you flip your favorite VOD service on (or open your local video rental catalog) and marvel at the endless hours of entertainment. What to watch? Comedy, Drama? Television series? Feature Film? Who has the time play TV roulette?! Nobody, That’S Who! So in an act of kindness, I lay before you the ten best anime series of yesteryear (in no particular order) for you to burn your eyeballs with during those slow weekday nights! And let’s face it… If your already reading this, What Else would you be doing on a weekday night? Hmm?

10: Cowboy Bebop (1998, Series)

Directed by: Shinichiro Watanabe

It’s...

One thing that makes the Halo franchise so interesting is that it is much bigger than the main protagonist of Master Chief and the video games that feature his story. The various novels, comics, and alternate reality games have all added richness to the Halo universe in terms of new characters, weaving plots, and cultural context.

Halo Legends is an anime anthology project in which five different Japanese animation studios interpret the Halo universe through seven short films. And while he appears in most of the shorts, Master Chief stars in only one, proof that the Halo franchise is much larger than one character.

"Origins", directed by Hideki Futumura, is effectively a synopsis of the Halo backstory, from the origins of the ancient Forerunners and their confrontation with the Flood, to the more recent history of the universe, in which the humans of Earth begin to colonize space, and come into conflict with the Covenant.

Exactly what you've all been waiting for... Sort of. Warner Home Video has announced today that they will release Halo: Legends, a series of seven animated short films. It will hit DVD and Blu-ray on February 9, 2010. For your amusement, please see the official press release below: Go deeper into the Halo universe than ever before with Halo Legends, an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most popular video game franchises. Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the exciting tales-beyond-the-games will be distributed February 9, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray for $29.98 (Srp) and $34.99 (Srp), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (Srp) due date for all versions is January 5, 2010. The chapters will also be available On Demand and Digital Download. Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the...