Black Sheep, a film directed by Ed Perkins and produced by Simon and Jonathan Chinn, has been shortlisted in the documentary short subject category for the Oscars.

The film follows the story of Cornelius Walker after the murder of 11-year-old Damilola Taylor in November 2000. Cornelius, also aged 11 and with Nigerian parents, lived nearby. His mother, fearing for Cornelius’s safety, moved the family out of London and he suddenly found himself living on a white estate among many racists.

Challenging and timely, the 27-minute film explores questions about ethnicity and identity and the compromises people make to fit in. It won the best short documentary award at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in June. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on 22 January, the British Guardian newspaper reported.