It's a tight race for this year's Oscar-nominated short films Camille Vilela-Jones Trying to find a safe bet for this year’s animated shorts category is not easy. Though it may be hard to predict a winner, it is easy to realize how all the animated shorts deal with important social issues — even while telling the story of furry friends. “Burrow,” for example, a Pixar film directed by Madeline Sharafian, tells the story of a rabbit trying to build her burrow only to discover that the dirt she is digging is is already overpopulated. A traditionally cute and endearing story of using teamwork to persevere, the bunny ultimately realizes she must rely on her new critter neighbors help — the exact type of film one might expect from Pixar, including the delightful addition of a bathroom disco.