“War Is Over!” Wins Best Animated Short Film at 96th Academy Awards

The 96th Academy Awards made history with the triumph of “War Is Over!” as the second chess-themed winner of the ‘Best Animated Short Film’ award. Inspired by the peace anthem ‘Happy Xmas! War Is Over!’ by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, filmmakers Dave Mullins and Brad Booker from ElectroLeague, along with co-writer and producer Sean Ono Lennon, secured their first Academy Award on Sunday.

The award was presented by Anya ‘Beth Harmon’ Taylor-Joy from The Queen’s Gambit and Chris Hemsworth from Avengers, adding a touch of star power to the occasion. “War Is Over!” tells the story of two soldiers, Winston and Abel, during an alternate reality of World War I, who bond over a game of chess played through correspondence using a messenger pigeon.

Renowned chess historian Edward Winter’s Chess Notes played a pivotal role as a consultant for the film’s chess scenes, adding authenticity to the gameplay. Yoko Ono, a known chess enthusiast, designed a unique chess set called “Play It By Trust” where all the pieces are white, symbolizing collaboration and peace.

The film’s success follows in the footsteps of other chess-themed movies like Pixar’s Geri’s Game and the Drama/Thriller Dangerous Moves. For chess enthusiasts looking for more chess-themed movies, Chess.com has compiled a list of “7 Chess Movies You Do Not Want To Miss.”

While “War Is Over!” is not yet available for streaming, fans can look forward to its release in the future. Stay tuned for updates on where to watch this groundbreaking animated short film.