“Playing God” Makes Oscar® Shortlist: A Historic Milestone for Italian Animation
With its inclusion in the 2025 Oscar® shortlist for Best Animated Short Film, Playing God by Studio Croma Animation marks an unprecedented achievement: it is the first Italian animated short to reach this stage of the Academy Awards® selection. The recognition caps an extraordinary international trajectory, including 180 official festival selections, 92 awards, and key wins at Tribeca and Animayo — both Oscar®-qualifying festivals — along with its world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week and a Nastro d’Argento for Best Animated Short.
Created in stop motion, Playing God explores universal themes of fragility, belonging, rejection and marginalization through a narrative lens that combines craftsmanship, artistic sensitivity and remarkable visual maturity. The film is a handmade work produced and animated by Arianna Gheller, directed by Matteo Burani, and realized in collaboration with Onira and Autour de Minuit, with public support from Emilia-Romagna Film Commission and MiC.
The Academy® shortlist arrives at the culmination of a seven-year creative journey that the filmmakers describe as an act of artistic resistance and a defining choice: rather than chasing digital trends or automated workflows, they defended manual animation as a space for freedom and expression. It is a message that resonates within the wider animation industry, currently navigating debates over artificial intelligence and the protection of human-driven artistry.
Beyond its artistic success, the film represents a compelling case study for Italian industry: conceived in Bologna, developed for the global market, supported through international co-production, and distributed domestically by Sayonara Film and internationally by Autour de Minuit. Playing God demonstrates how a new generation of Italian talent — creators, producers and distributors — is shaping a competitive presence in the world of animated cinema.
As the industry awaits the announcement of the five final nominees on January 22, the short will be available for free on YouTube from December 22 to January 11 — an invitation to experience a work that confronts darkness without fear and embraces hope without sentimentality.
Interviews on Italy Meets Hollywood:
- Arianna Gheller (Producer): https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/09/playing-god-arianna-gheller-on-the-journey-of-an-oscar-qualifying-short/
- Matteo Burani (Director): https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/10/interview-with-matteo-burani-playing-gods-director/
- Distribution Strategy: https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/11/how-playing-god-took-flight-domestic-and-international-strategies-behind-a-global-festival-hit/
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“Joachim and the Apocalypse”: An Italian Visionary Film Bridging Theology, Technology, and Global Art Cinema
Paolo Sorrentino’s La grazia: Italian Excellence on the Global StageRelated Posts
With its inclusion in the 2025 Oscar® shortlist for Best Animated Short Film, Playing God by Studio Croma Animation marks an unprecedented achievement: it is the first Italian animated short to reach this stage of the Academy Awards® selection. The recognition caps an extraordinary international trajectory, including 180 official festival selections, 92 awards, and key wins at Tribeca and Animayo — both Oscar®-qualifying festivals — along with its world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week and a Nastro d’Argento for Best Animated Short.
Created in stop motion, Playing God explores universal themes of fragility, belonging, rejection and marginalization through a narrative lens that combines craftsmanship, artistic sensitivity and remarkable visual maturity. The film is a handmade work produced and animated by Arianna Gheller, directed by Matteo Burani, and realized in collaboration with Onira and Autour de Minuit, with public support from Emilia-Romagna Film Commission and MiC.
The Academy® shortlist arrives at the culmination of a seven-year creative journey that the filmmakers describe as an act of artistic resistance and a defining choice: rather than chasing digital trends or automated workflows, they defended manual animation as a space for freedom and expression. It is a message that resonates within the wider animation industry, currently navigating debates over artificial intelligence and the protection of human-driven artistry.
Beyond its artistic success, the film represents a compelling case study for Italian industry: conceived in Bologna, developed for the global market, supported through international co-production, and distributed domestically by Sayonara Film and internationally by Autour de Minuit. Playing God demonstrates how a new generation of Italian talent — creators, producers and distributors — is shaping a competitive presence in the world of animated cinema.
As the industry awaits the announcement of the five final nominees on January 22, the short will be available for free on YouTube from December 22 to January 11 — an invitation to experience a work that confronts darkness without fear and embraces hope without sentimentality.
Interviews on Italy Meets Hollywood:
- Arianna Gheller (Producer): https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/09/playing-god-arianna-gheller-on-the-journey-of-an-oscar-qualifying-short/
- Matteo Burani (Director): https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/10/interview-with-matteo-burani-playing-gods-director/
- Distribution Strategy: https://italymeetshollywood.com/2025/11/how-playing-god-took-flight-domestic-and-international-strategies-behind-a-global-festival-hit/
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“Joachim and the Apocalypse”: An Italian Visionary Film Bridging Theology, Technology, and Global Art CinemaPaolo Sorrentino’s La grazia: Italian Excellence on the Global Stage
