The New Yorker Film “I’m Not a Robot” Wins a 2025 Academy Award
A film released by The New Yorker was among the winners at Sunday’s Academy Awards. “I’m Not a Robot,” a darkly comic portrayal of a woman trying to convince her computer that she is human, claimed the prize for Best Live Action Short. It is the second film released by the magazine to be honored with an Oscar.
The film, written and directed by Victoria Warmerdam, opens with a seemingly typical office scene that quickly unravels. When the protagonist, a music producer, fails a series of CAPTCHA tests, she begins to question her own grip on reality. Warmerdam, who made the film with the mononymous producer Trent, said she sees “I’m Not a Robot” foremost as entertainment—a chance to transport viewers with an unusual story. But, she told The New Yorker, the film also touches on ideas that are particularly critical as artificial intelligence moves more deeply into daily life. “This film isn’t just about the ethics of the emerging development of A.I.—it also explores the vital themes of self-determination and bodily autonomy, which are fundamental rights everyone deserves,” she said. “I would be thrilled if this film could spark meaningful conversations.”
Also recognized at the ceremony was a second New Yorker film, “Incident,” a nominee for Best Documentary Short. Directed by Bill Morrison, “Incident” chronicles a police killing in Chicago and its aftermath, reconstructing the violence and officers’ reactions with footage from police body cameras and surveillance footage. The prize in that category went to “The Only Girl in the Orchestra,” about the first woman to join the New York Philharmonic as a full-time player.
Since the launch of The New Yorker’s video department, films released by the magazine have received nineteen Academy Award nominations. You can watch past winners, nominees, and the magazine’s full library of short films at newyorker.com/video, and on the magazine’s YouTube channel.
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