One of my favorite things to do each Oscar season is to track down all of the nominated short films. The films are currently making the rounds of selected theaters, but many of them are also available right now online — and today, I have video from all five animated shorts!

This year's cast of animated characters includes a mischievous bunny, octopi in love, and a man taking a sentimental journey through his old house. Maybe watching these shorts will help you fill out your Oscar ballot! Check them out:

Oktapodi
How adorable are these octopi? In Oktapodi, these two cuties help each other escape the clutches of a tyrannical restaurant cook. But, even once they're out of the kitchen, their battle to stay together is not over. You hear that? It's animated sea creatures battling adversity. Watch the whole thing right now:

To check out the other four, just read more.

La Maison en Petits Cubes
The main character of this Japanese film has been building an addition on top of his original house, which is almost completely under water. In the film, he dons scuba gear to float through his old home and relive memories with his family. Here's a clip:

Lavatory — Lovestory
This Russian film is a story about love and the random nature of when it strikes. The main character is a lonely female restroom attendant who discovers she has a secret admirer and searches frantically for his identity. Watch the whole thing here:

Presto
If you've seen Wall-E, then you've already seen Presto, the latest Pixar short. The star is a slightly evil rabbit who cooks up a way to get revenge on his neglectful magician master. You can buy this one on iTunes or watch it all right now:

This Way Up
In this quirky short, disaster strikes a father-and-son team of undertakers when a boulder squashes their hearse. They must then make their way across the country in a crazy travel caper with nothing but a coffin and each other to keep them amused. Here's the trailer:

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and Source