Ninety-Five Senses – Watch the trailer for Jared and Jerusha Hess’ Oscar-qualified short film

JARED and JERUSHA HESS, the husband-and-wife filmmaking duo behind such deadpan comedies as NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and NACHO LIBRE, have qualified for Oscar consideration with NINETY-FIVE SENSES—a touching animated short starring TIM BLAKE NELSON.

Nelson, beloved by audiences for his roles in the Coen brothers’ rustic satires (Delmar in O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?; the title role in THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS) and his recurring turn as The Leader in the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE, lent his voice to the main character of Coy, a folksy philosopher facing his own mortality. As Coy bids a final farewell to each of his five senses, he reflects on his troubled past and dreams of a vibrant, multisensory afterlife.

After winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short at the Oscar-qualifying Florida Film Festival, NINETY-FIVE SENSES has earned consideration for the 2024 Academy Awards.

The project marks two significant firsts for the Hesses: NINETY-FIVE SENSES is their first foray into short-form animation, as well as their first work of dramatic fiction in an otherwise playful oeuvre. In a mere 13 minutes, this surprisingly complex story explores several weighty themes, including parental neglect, disability, and the afterlife.

In addition to its Grand Jury triumph in Florida, the short has been selected by a staggering 17 Oscar-qualifying film festivals throughout the world, winning awards at Animation Dingle in Ireland (Best International Professional Short), the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico (Rigo Mora Special Jury Award) and most recently the Flickers’ Rhode Island Film Festival (First Prize, Best Short Animation).

Beyond the festival circuit, the short received a nomination last month for a 2023 Humanitas Prize. It was the sole animated offering among this year’s Short Film nominees, and the first non-Disney/Pixar animated short ever honored in that category.