Montreal-based filmmakers lead Canadian Oscar wins with animated short victory
A Montreal-based filmmaking duo is at the centre of Canada’s success at this year’s Academy Awards, winning best animated short film for The Girl Who Cried Pearls and helping drive a total of four Canadian victories on Hollywood’s biggest night.
Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski earned their first Oscar for the 2025 stop-motion film, produced with the National Film Board of Canada. The win also marks the 12th Academy Award for an NFB production.
Maciek Szczerbowski, left, and Chris Lavis accept the award for animated short film for “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” during the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP - Invision, Chris Pizzello
Lavis said the film’s story is root...







