The South African short film The Last Ranger has gained international acclaim, winning multiple awards at prestigious film festivals and securing a Best Live Action Short Film nomination at the 2025 Academy Awards, reports Cape town Etc .
Directed by Cindy Lee and written and produced by Darwin Shaw, Will Hawkes and David S. Lee, The Last Ranger portrays rhino poaching and conservation in South Africa and is the second installment in the When The World Stopped anthology.
The nominations announcement was co-hosted by actor-writer-comedians Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang, who presented the shortlisted films in a live broadcast from the Academys Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Alongside The Last Ranger , other films that made the final nominations list include A Lien, Anuja, I'm Not a Robot and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent .
Since its release, The Last Ranger has received multiple accolades, including Best Narrative Short Film at the Pan African Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival and Cordillera Film Festival, qualifying it for Oscar contention for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2025 Academy Awards.