Oscar Nominated Animated Short Retirement Plan Shines

The Academy Award-nominated animated short Retirement Plan tells the quietly heartbreaking and darkly funny story of Ray, voiced by Domhnall Gleeson, a man who spends his working life fantasizing about everything he will finally have time to do once he retires. The film has earned a nomination for Best Animated Short at the 98th Academy Awards, marking a major moment for Irish animation.

Retirement Plan was developed through Frameworks, the flagship animation short film scheme supported by RTÉ and Fís Éireann Screen Ireland. The program invests annually in emerging animation talent across the island of Ireland and has consistently produced short films that go on to win major international awards. The film was selected as part of the 2024 Frameworks lineup, joining a slate known for its creative ambition and global reach.

Directed by Dublin-based filmmaker John Kelly, Retirement Plan centers on Ray, a man quietly dissatisfied with his present life who dreams of the freedom and fulfillment he believes retirement will bring. Domhnall Gleeson voices Ray with understated warmth and melancholy, capturing the tension between expectation and reality. The film was co-written by Kelly and Tara Lawall and commissioned by Screen Ireland and RTÉ.

Suzanne Kelly, RTÉ Group Head of Children’s and Young People’s Content, praised the project, noting that Retirement Plan emerged from the Frameworks 2024 animation shorts scheme, co-funded by RTÉ and Screen Ireland to support Ireland’s animation sector. She emphasized the importance of nurturing new voices and investing in creative talent year after year, congratulating director John Kelly, writers John Kelly and Tara Lawall, producers Julie Murnaghan and Andrew Freedman, and the team at Antidote on the Oscar nomination. Voiced by Domhnall Gleeson, she described Retirement Plan as a tender, funny, and poignant short film that resonates far beyond its running time.