Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of short films get made every year with blood, sweat and tears. Few, if any, get seen except maybe on the Internet or at film festivals.

Luckily, Magnolia Entertainment has been remedying this situation lately by releasing compilations of Academy Award nominated short films – both live action and animated. This compilation provides an excellent opportunity to appreciate the short format as well as view offerings from the international community.

Indeed, not one of the shorts hails from the United States. Instead, the titles come entirely from Europe and Canada.

I especially liked the updated and animated Peter & the Wolf from the UK and Poland. Hearing Sergei Prokofiev’s music is always a treat.

Grade: A

A Collection of Academy Award Nominated Short Films is currently available.