Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced the 2024 Oscar Nominees. Among them, nominated for Best Animated Short Film, was “Ninety-Five Senses,” a short film co-written by University of Utah professor Hubbel Palmer.

“When my writing partner, Chris Bowman, and I got involved with this project, we never dreamed it would end up here,” Palmer said. “It’s been amazing to watch this simple story touch people in a deep way.” The film reunited Palmer and Bowman with directors Jared and Jerusha Hess, with whom they had previously collaborated on a number of projects.

The film features the work of six different teams of animators, each of which used its own style to illustrate the final regrets and redemption of a death-row inmate (voiced by Tim Blake Nelson). The film was produced by Salt Lake Film Society’s MAST program.

“Ninety-Five Senses” has garnered many awards and appeared at dozens of film festivals. RobertEbert.Com declared it “an endearing and heartbreaking animated work,” and Film Threat called the film, “a deeply inspirational, wise, beautifully-animated piece of art.”

“This is a remarkable achievement for Hubbel and a cause for celebration for everyone in the department,” said Andrew Patrick Nelson, the Department of Film & Media Arts chair. “It’s important to note that Hubbel is also a talented teacher who is beloved by his students. He exemplifies our department’s commitment to supporting faculty filmmakers who then bring their real-world experiences into the classroom.”

“I gotta shout out my chair, Andrew Nelson, and everyone in the Department of Film & Media Arts for being so supportive of this and all my endeavors,” said Hubbel.

“Ninety-Five Senses” is currently available to watch for a limited time on MAST’s Small Screenings platform.

Congratulations, Hubbel Palmer, and best of luck at the Oscars!