Two Ukrainian War Documentaries Shortlisted for the 2025 Oscars

Two documentaries about the war in Ukraine, ‘Porcelain War’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Ukraine’, have made it onto the shortlists for the 2025 Oscars, as was announced on the official Oscars website on December 17.

Porcelain War (Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, 2024)

The film, shortlisted in the category of Best Documentary Feature, tells the story of Ukrainian ceramic artists Slava, Anya, and Andrii, who choose to stay in their homeland and continue their craft despite Russia’s full-scale invasion. Anya and Slava’s porcelain creations come to life through animation, sharing the narrative of their creators and the challenges they face.

Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (Betsy West and Errol Mack in collaboration with a Ukrainian team, 2024)

The documentary is competing in the Best Documentary Short Film category. ‘Once Upon a Time in Ukraine’ explores the war in Ukraine through the eyes of children, highlighting their resilience and creativity as they transform missile-damaged courtyards and playgrounds into spaces of imagination. The children create stories where vegetable armies defend against Russian invaders, preserving Ukrainian traditions of music and dance in bombed-out studios.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists in 10 categories, with final nominees to be announced on January 17, 2025.

The awards ceremony will take place on the night of March 3, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Previously, it was announced by The State Film Agency of Ukraine that three Ukrainian films have made it into the official longlist for the 97th Oscars, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.