'The Three Sisters' by veteran filmmaker Konstantin Bronzit has advanced in the best animated short category

Animated film 'The Three Sisters' by veteran Russian director Konstantin Bronzit has been shortlisted for an Academy Award, according to the Oscars website.

Based on a Montenegrin legend, the animated short follows three aging, unmarried sisters living alone in separate cottages on a remote island. Their quiet routines are disrupted when a sailor rents one of the houses, sparking rivalry and a transformation that brings unexpected vitality and joy into their lives.

Final nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced in January, with the ceremony scheduled to take place on March 15 in Hollywood. 'The Three Sisters' has been shortlisted in the best animated short film category.

Bronzit, born in 1965 in St. Petersburg, is a leading figure in Russian animation and has worked for decades at the Melnitsa Animation Studio. His films, often marked by humor and social nuance, have earned wide recognition at international festivals. The Academy has previously nominated two of his animated shorts, 'Lavatory - Lovestory' in 2009 and 'We Can't Live Without Cosmos' in 2016.

The inclusion of 'The Three Sisters' comes as Russian artists continue to appear on major international awards lists despite strained cultural ties with the West following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Last year, Russian actor Yura Borisov was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in 'Anora', directed by American filmmaker Sean Baker, though the prize ultimately went to Kieran Culkin for 'A Real Pain'.

Moscow has condemned restrictions imposed on Russian cultural figures abroad as Russophobic censorship, warning that efforts to "cancel" Russian culture will ultimately fail.

Russia has produced a number of Oscar-winning films over the decades. The Soviet Union won its first Academy Award in 1943, when 'Moscow Strikes Back' took best documentary feature. Four Russian or Soviet films have won in the best international feature category, including 'War and Peace' (1969), 'Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears' (1981), and 'Burnt by the Sun' (1994), directed by Nikita Mikhalkov.