Which film won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Short?

• A. Flowers and Trees
• B. The Old Mill
• C. Tin Toy
• D. The Cat Concerto

Answer: (A)

The moment this question targets is when animation earned its own Oscar category and who first claimed it. Flowers and Trees, released in 1932 as part of Disney’s Silly Symphonies, was the first animated short to win the award for Best Animated Short Film. Its win stood out because it showcased a launchpad for major innovations: full-color Technicolor throughout, lively musical synchronization, and a high level of animation quality that demonstrated how cartoons could be as artistically serious as live-action shorts. This milestone set a standard for future animated shorts and helped cement Disney’s leadership in the field. The other titles listed came years later and did not win the first award in this category.