Awesome Short Film

“We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours.” Launched in 1977, the Voyager space probes carry sounds and pictures of life on Earth – a time capsule for alien civilizations. This short film wonders whether we need to hear its message too.

Filmmaker KOJER painstakingly rotoscoped characters and objects from Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and other Studio Ghibli films, then composited the animation over live footage. The scale is off at times, but we still want to live in that world.

Poignant and thought-provoking, Naghmeh Farzaneh made Scent of Geranium to share the universally relatable feelings of anxiety, alienation, and isolation she felt as a new immigrant to the United States, with a quirky yet intimate hand drawn style.

After isolating himself from the rest of the world in a extremely rural area, Brian finds companionship from an unlikely source in this amusing, emotional, and slightly odd 12-minute tale of loneliness and companionship in London-based Jim Archer’s Brian and Charles.

Winner of numerous sci-fi awards and accolades, Kurt Dettbarn’s poignant and charming Sad Monster gives us a glimpse into what life would be like for the imaginary monster living in his daughter’s closet, after she outgrows him.

Donovan Murdock loves his coin. Do not, under any circumstances, take it away from him. Or at least wear a GoPro when you do. A hyperbolic homage to Contra and numerous other video games by Exit 73 Studios.

Boston-based artist Jake Fried has created a very entertaining, minute long animation with ink, gouache, white-out and coffee, drawn by hand. You might want to watch it more than once – the details are rich and fleeting.

(NSFW: Language) A 28-min. film set in World War I. Hollywood has flooded us with war movies, but if you have the time – and ample reserves of happiness – you’re in for a moving work of art.

An excited narrator seems to revel in desperation, failure and ultimately death. But see it through and Voice Over will duly reward you. Directed by Martín Rosete and written by Luis Berdejo.

Steve Snoey needs you to help fund his short film about Pvt. Sammy Vogel: a US Army infantryman, an unsung hero of World War II and a 7-ton, 40-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex.

An animated short film directed by Peter Chung (creator of Aeon Flux) about the war between the angels and demons. When their battle reaches our world, our desire for loot will be satisfied. YESSSS.

Sebastian Cosor and his highly talented crew breathe life into Edvard Munch’s famous work of art. The visuals and the addition of depth are stunning. Check out the Winter Version here.

Made by Pascal Monaco and his fellow students as their graduate project at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover. How many pages would the Michael Bay cookbook have?

A cutthroat little business woman doesn’t let anyone get a freebie in this cleverly crafted animation from student Kyu-bum Lee. The only bad thing about the cartoon is just how short it is.

Using a zoetrope, 3D software and a 3D printer, Eric Dyer tells a mesmerizing story about the cycle of creation and destruction in his loopy, candy-like short film The Bellows March. (Thanks Hillary!)

We don’t know much about this short Polish film, except that it’s written and directed by Damian Nenow, produced by Platige Image, and it looks damn sweet. We hope it gets an English version.

We’re enjoying Thought of You, Ryan Woodward’s fluid and beautifully choreographed 2d animation; we’re also scratching our heads and wondering why it won’t be shown at Sundance next month.

Eran Hilleli, a recent graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel, made this lushly poetic, beautifully animated film for his graduation project. Keep up the good work.

Arthur C. Clarke’s classic science fiction novel may have had several false-starts as a studio motion picture, but this fan-made Rama film by Philip Mahoney and Aaron Ross will tide us over for now.

This animated film by Bricenco and Alapont may be in French, but you don’t need to understand a word to drink in the story – in which the true colors of a black-and-white world are revealed.

HISHE.com gives us a taste of how Star Trek should have ended; if fans thought the lens flares were a bit on the bright side, just wait until they see what happens on the dark side.

Alex Roman’s The Third & The Seventh is amazing; this full-CG piece is technically a look both through the lens of a camera and aside it, but is best enjoyed abstractly. Thanks, everyone!