Roadside Attractions to Release the 2026 Oscar Nominated Shorts, Presented by Taika Waititi

Fresh off of the 2026 Oscar nominations announcement, Roadside Attractions is sharing the news with IndieWire exclusively that not only will the company distribute the 98th Oscar Nominated Shorts, but they will be presented by Oscar-winning filmmaker, writer, and actor Taika Waititi. The Roadside Attractions presentation will be in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on February 20, 2026.

“Short films occupy a singular space in the global filmmaking community, inviting artists to experiment, challenge conventions, and tell stories with unparalleled creative freedom,” said Waititi via statement. The New Zealand-born filmmaker who won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for “Jojo Rabbit” in 2020 actually earned his first Academy Awards nomination for Best Live Action Short Film for his 2005 film “Two Cars, One Night.”

Roadside Attractions Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff said, “This is an extraordinary crop of films and seeing them in the theater will be a treat for Academy Members and Film Lovers alike before they fill out their Oscar ballots.”

The theatrical program will feature three feature-length theatrical presentations, one for each Academy Award Short Film category — Animated, Documentary, and Live Action — a showcase of outstanding short films from around the world.

The 2026 nominees for Outstanding Animated Short Film are:

“Butterfly”
“Forevergreen”
“The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
“Retirement Plan”
“The Three Sisters”

The 2026 nominees for Outstanding Documentary Short Film are:

“All the Empty Rooms”
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’”
“The Devil Is Busy”
“Perfectly a Strangeness”

The 2026 nominees for Outstanding Live Action Short Film are:

“A Friend of Dorothy”
“Butcher’s Stain”
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama”
“The Singers”
“Two People Exchanging Saliva”

Not only does the Oscar Nominated Shorts Program offer audiences the rare opportunity to experience these celebrated works on the big screen ahead of the Academy Awards, it allows anyone participating in office Oscar pools a leg up on making informed predictions about who the winners may be come March 15.

Honoring short films as a distinct art form, Roadside Attractions has committed to supporting the program as a must-see theatrical event, uniting film lovers and the global filmmaking community in a shared cinematic experience. While the program is not a release presented by, sponsored by or endorsed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy has licensed Roadside Attractions the right to use the Oscar trade name in connection to the 98th Oscar Nominated Shorts presentation, in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on February 20, 2026.