The Singers out on OTT: Oscar-nominated short musical comedy is now available to stream
The Singers on OTT: The Singers is based on a 19th century Russian story about a pub sing-off. The 18-minute short dropped on streaming ahead of the Academy Awards.
Last Updated: 02.09 PM, Feb 13, 2026
The Singers, an 18-minute short film by Sam A Davis, based on a 19th-century Russian story by Ivan Turgenev, is now available to stream The Singers is one of 5 films nominated in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 98th Academy Awards. Following a festival run, the streaming rights of The Singers was picked up by Netflix and the streamer has made the film available for global audiences as of February 13, 2026, ahead of the final stretch of the award season.
What is The Singers about?
Ivan Turgenev’s short story follows a lowly pub full of downtrodden men connect unexpectedly through an impromptu sing-off. The film’s cast was discovered through viral videos and street casting, and includes Mike Young, Judah Kelly, Chris Smither, Will Harrington and Matt Corcoran. The original short story was published way back in 1852 in A Sportsman’s Sketches.
Director Sam, though, came across the story in 2021, when author and professor George Saunders included it in a literary analysis called A Swin in a Pond in the Rain. Despite being a musical, sound was recorded live on set for the film. So far, The Singers has won a few international accolades, for the film and for Sam as director. The Singers is Sam’s second Oscar nomination; he’d produced the Academy Award nominated 2023 short film Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó.
The Singers joins Butcher’s Stain, A Friend of Dorothy, Jane Austen’s Period Drama and Two People Exchanging Saliva in the Best Live Action Short Film category nominations at the Oscars. The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Viewers in India can tune in to watch the Oscars in the early hours of March 16 on JioHotstar (available via OTTplay Premium as well).
The Singers FAQs
Q. What is the inspiration for The Singers?
A. The Singers, directed by Sam Davis, is based on a short story by Ivan Turgenev that was published way back in 1852.
Q. Where to watch the Oscar nominated short, The Singers?
A. The Singers is available to stream on Netflix. The short film dropped on February 13, 2026