Perfectly a Strangeness (stylised in lowercase) is a 2024 documentary short film written and directed by Alison McAlpine.C.J. Prince, "11 Must-See Short Films at TIFF 2024". The Film Stage, September 2, 2024. The world premiere was at the Official Short Film Competition of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or. At the 98th Academy Awards, it was also nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.
It was largely filmed at La Silla Observatory, a European Southern Observatory (ESO) site in Chile, with some shots filmed further north at ESO's Paranal Observatory.Interview with the director on Deadline
Summary The Cannes Film Festival summary says: "In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe. A sensorial, cinematic exploration of what a story can be."
Release The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival,Jackson Weaver, "Cannes is looking pretty Canadian this year with David Cronenberg, Guy Maddin features". CBC News, May 16, 2024. and had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It has since travelled to over 100 international film festivals, playing in 34 countries and winning 24 awards. “One of the most cinematic documentaries of the year”, according to Deadline Hollywood writer Matthew Carey, Perfectly a Strangeness was nominated by Cinema Eye Honors for Best Nonfiction Short Film of 2026, and nominated by the 2026 Academy Awards for Best Short Documentary Film.
Awards and nominations Year Organization Category Result Ref.2024 Chicago International Film Festival Silver Hugo Documentary Short Film 2024 Festival du nouveau cinéma National Competition Grand Prize "Le FNC dévoile son palmarès". CTVM, October 21, 2024. Science New Wave Festival Theme-Sensitive Award Thess International Short Film Festival Cinematic Achievement Award FIEV Best Quebec Short Film-Jury Prize 2025 Canadian Screen Awards Best Short Documentary Film Pat Mullen, "The Tragically Hip, Okurimono Lead Canadian Screen Award Documentary Nominees". Point of View, March 26, 2025. Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short Oscar Qualifying Cinema Eye Honors Nonfiction Short Film IDA Documentary Awards Best Short Documentary Special Mention Full Frame Documentary Film Festival The John Franklin Humanities Institute Award Toronto International Film Festival Canada's Top Ten Carlos Diaz, "Canada’s Top Ten: TIFF Celebrates the Best in Cinema for 2024". That Shelf, January 8, 2025. Trento Film Festival Silver Gentian, Best Artistic Technical Contribution i-Fest International Film Festival Best Direction Short Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma Best Short Film Nevada City Film Festival Best Cinematography Tramway Film Festival Best Film, Cine Sinn Fine Athens International Film + Video Festival From the Booth Award Festival Internacional de Cine de Medio Ambiente de Canarias Best Short Documentary Film Planet in Focus Best Canadian Short Award Miami Short Film Festival Best Experimental Film 2026 Academy Awards Best Documentary Short Film Festival Plein(s) Écran(s) Prix Yes Sir! Madame… Green Film Network Awards Best Short Green Film
See also Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film Submissions for Best Documentary Short Academy Award
References
External links Official website