Two New Yorker Films Receive 2026 Oscar Nominations
“Retirement Plan,” directed by John Kelly and co-written by Kelly and Tara Lawall, is based on a simple structure: a list of a man’s life ambitions after he stops working. And yet, for the film’s seven minutes, this list, narrated by actor Domhnall Gleeson, takes the viewer on a journey, humorously illustrating the necessary tasks, ambitious hobbies (hiking, birdwatching, yoga) and life-enriching activities for which he imagines he finally has time. “It seems surreal that the ‘Retirement Plan’ has found such momentum,” Kelly said. “Perhaps the most surprising thing was the emotional reactions, with many people telling us how watching made them re-evaluate their lives.”
In addition to The New Yorker nominated films, four additional films released by the magazine – “Extremist”, “Rovina’s Choice”, “Cashing Out and “Last Days on Lake Trinity” – have been shortlisted by the Academy for this year’s awards. The nominees hope to match the Oscar victory at last year’s ceremony in The New Yorker “I Am Not a Robot,” a dark comedy about technology that won best live-action short film. “Stutterer,” published by the magazine in 2016, won that year’s award for best live-action short film.
In total, twenty-one New Yorkers the films have now received Oscar nominations, including the two that won. You can watch the magazine’s full library of short films at newyorker.com/video and on the magazine’s YouTube channel.
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