Watch this year’s Oscar contenders for best animated short (update)

2013’s Oscar nominees for Best Animated Short Film are out, and with the exception of Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare,’ they’re all available to watch for free online. You might have already seen a couple of the nominees, like stop-motion artist PES’s eccentric Fresh Guacamole and Disney’s heart-warming Paperman, but they’re up against some tough competition.

Minkyu Lee’s Adam and Dog follows the title dog through a primeval forest, where a chance encounter forges a new friendship. There’s no dialog (unless you count barking), but the sound design sets a great stage for some striking imagery. Last but not least, Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly’s stop motion Head over Heels (below) looks at a couple, advanced in years, whose troublesome physics keep them apart. In an interview with Animation World Network, Reckart talks about the process and inspiration for the film — his graduate project at Britain’s National Film and Television School, and the only student film in the pack of nominees.

Update: In response to Hollywood pressure, all of this year’s Oscar-nominated shorts have been taken offline. Hopefully once they’re out of theaters they’ll find their way back to YouTube.