“When Picasso died I wanted to make the first post-mortem documentary, as I knew would happen anyway, and cheaply. The film took four hours to finish from camera to print and cost a little under $5." Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2008.
11 Nov 1958
T Is for Tumbleweed is a 1958 English-language short film directed by Louis Clyde Stoumen, starring Anne Lockhart. It features some tumbleweed that moves through a small town in the desert and interacts with people and animals. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.
01 Jan 1961
An atmospheric tribute to the genius of Welsh poet and dramatist Dylan Thomas, using many of the windswept locations where Thomas himself grew up and found his inspiration. The film is hosted/presented by Richard Burton, Thomas's friend, who narrates the story and appears from time to time amidst the Welsh landscape. Burton had already appeared in Douglas Cleverdon's acclaimed BBC radio dramatization of Thomas's 'play for voices' Under Milk Wood in the 1950s and, in the early Seventies, would appear in director Andrew Sinclair's film version as First Voice. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation and National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales in 2000.
17 Sep 1964
Oscar Winning documentary short film about the artist Marc Chagall. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2008.
29 Mar 1965
My Snowman's Burning Down is an American short film made by Carson Davidson in 1964, with music composed and performed by Gerry Mulligan. A surrealistic and humorous satire on the Madison Avenue image of the world through advertising. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2009.
01 May 1954
Won the Academy Award for the Best Documentary Short of 1954. The subject deals with the children at The Royal School for the Deaf in Margate, Kent. The hearing-handicapped children are shown painstakingly learning what words are through exercises and games, practicing lip-reading and finally speech. Richard Burton's calm and sometimes-poetic narration adds to the heartwarming cheerfulness and courage of the children. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with British Film Institute in 2005.
01 Jan 1955
Impressionistic picture of the Third Avenue Elevated Railway in Manhattan, New York City, before it was demolished. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.
22 Dec 1956
Documentary short about the American Civil War. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005.
31 Dec 1950
This film examines the reasons why the United States decided to engage in the Korean War. Scenes describe Russia's attempt to gain power following World War II (Korea included), and its refusal to allow free elections in the country. Footage shows Soviet-backed North Korean troops' movement into South Korea on June 25, 1950, the United Nations' response, and the armed struggle against both North Korean and later Chinese troops led by General Douglas MacArthur. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in 2005.
01 Dec 1951
An updated Technicolor followup to a black & white Broadway Brevity (1941) tour of the Morristown, New Jersey seeing eye dog training program. Much of the narration comes from the canine's point of view. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.
06 Oct 1976
In this American Film Institute-subsidized short subject, Fionnula Flanagan plays a sharp-tongued but compassionate nun, while Peter Lempert is cast as a sullen, emotionally disturbed boy. The title refers to the "thawing" process that occurs when the nun attempts to break through Lempert's wall of silence. Winner of the Oscar for "Best Short Film, Live Action". Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
27 Nov 1977
Garry Trudeau's classic characters (Mike Doonesbury, Zonker, etc.) examine how their lifestyles, priorities, and concerns have changed since the end of their idealistic college days in the 1960s. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
01 Oct 1978
An exploration of American escapism through dream sequences. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
01 Nov 1970
Shut Up... I'm Crying is a 1970 English language short film directed by Robert Siegler, starring Sal Catena, Kevin Michael and Carolyn Schultz. It is about a genie who grants three wishes to a plumbing store owner and his wife. When unexpected consequences arrive, will the couple really get what they want? The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
01 Oct 1969
The Rehearsal is a 1969 short comedy, written and directed by Stephen F. Verona. It is a humorous short where a director becomes frustrated with a quisitive actress during the rehearsal of a play. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.
01 Jan 1973
Background is a 1973 American short documentary film directed by Carmen D'Avino. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. The original version was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
01 Jan 1974
Three young ladies perform yoga without clothes in the open air of Cyprus. Another does the same in a studio. These visuals are interspersed with images of Eastern art, processed for "psychedelic" effect. The narrator relates the practice of yoga to Buddhist philosophy. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with British Film Institute in 2012.
07 Jun 1975
Examines the mesmerising construction of clear crystal glass pieces created by the craftsmen of Waterford. The process from the intense heat of the furnace to glass blowing, shaping, cutting, honing, filling and finishing is all depicted in this celebration of the art of creation of Waterford Glass. Academy Award Nominee: Best Live Action Short - 1976.
01 Nov 1976
Haunted by a mysterious super-pilot, a young glider pilot first flees, then confronts his challenger. Nominated for an Academy Award. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.
01 Jan 1975
Doubletalk is a 1975 short film directed by Alan Beattie. The film follows a young man who picks his girlfriend up at her family home and meets her parents -- and the audience is privy to their private thoughts and impressions. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.
24 Aug 1950
A history of the Mexican Revolution (1910-17), narrated through the striking images of the enormous film archive of Salvador Toscano (1872-1947), pioneer of Mexican cinema, compiled by his daughter, Carmen Toscano.