Oscar shorts guide

They used to be the tie-breaker categories, the ones in which Oscar poolers simply had to guess, or play hunches based on the titles or subject matter. But the nominees in the short film categories, which at one point were slated for elimination, are more visible now than they've ever been.

For the second year in a row, Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International are distributing the animated and live-action nominees theatrically. This month, they'll screen in more than 30 cities before the Oscars, including a week's run at the Nuart in West Los Angeles beginning Feb. 16. An Oscar -weekend stint will follow at the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian, while 18 more cities will show the shorts in March, April and May.

"The importance of [the academy recognizing short films] really can't be underestimated," said Nathaniel Kahn, the director of "Two Hands," after a showing of the nominated documentary shorts at the Aero Theater last week.

While Kahn's category is not as widely distributed as the animated and live-action shorts, the documentaries will be shown at a variety of screenings around the country, some under the auspices of the International Documentary Association.

The categories can still be tricky to predict, with a small pool of voters compared to other categories: only members who've attended special academy screenings of the shorts are allowed to vote. But it's possible to make educated guesses, based on a look at all 14 nominees.

Take a click-through look at this year's Oscar nominated shorts.