Awesome Short Films

Filmmaker Nicolas Arnold used in-camera visual effects to envision what the uncharted outer reaches of space might look like, using liquids and chemicals to approximate the gasses and other matter that make up the universe.

(PG-13: Language, Gore) A stranger finds himself in a Wild West saloon, and has a run-in with a local who doesn’t understand who he’s messing with. What School of Visual Arts students Andy Tai and Eduardo Enriquez’s animated short lacks in depth, it makes up for in style.

Fighter pilots take on a mobile weapon of mass destruction. Filmmaker and Red Giant Chief Creative Officer Stu Maschwitz was inspired by ’80s vector games like Battlezone and Star Wars in making this short film. Animators should check out his making-of video.

(PG:13) If you aren’t distracted by your own tech, deep contemplation and social media, take three minutes and laugh out loud at the charming and squirrely mind of Daniel Koren, as he chronicles his random thoughts in this short vid. Come on, we’ve all been there.

(PG-13: Language) Ultramarathon is one of the world’s most punishing sports. Ultramarathoner Robbie Britton – who moved to Chamonix, France from London for further training – shares what makes him tick in GoshDamn’s beautiful short film.

Writer, editor, and puppeteer David Bizzaro presents a charming and family-friendly live-action short film about an avocado who finds himself feeling empty, and heads out on a quest through New York City in search of his missing better half.

“Is it you?” Expecting that it would be her husband, a housewife is surprised to see a stranger, who is equally perplexed at the situation. Parker Hill’s beautiful and tense short film was inspired by an anecdote from her grandmother’s youth.

(Flashing Images) Filmmaker Emanuele Kabu created this frenetic short film to document his bittersweet relationship with his hometown. The abstract imagery captures the essence of the place and his feelings about the small Northern Italian town of Belluno.

Ash Thorp and XiaoLin “Zaoeyo” Zeng are huge fans of Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic anime, AKIRA, so they did what any superfans with the time and artistic talent would do, they created an eye-popping animated tribute to the film. It’s way too short, but still amazing.

Ash Thorp and Christopher Bjerre’s animated short film is light on plot by heavy on style and visual impact. The 2-1/2 minute film is about “finding yourself amidst the noise around you.” Best watched fullscreen, and with headphones.

Part trash man, part historian, Nick DiMola has spent the last 30 years sifting through deceased people’s belongings. Through his labor of love he has collected a museum’s worth of old and rare items, to create an intriguing, ongoing tapestry of history.

Jessica Kingdon’s award-winning short film gives us a glimpse at the lives of the vendors and shop owners at China’s Yiwu Market, the world’s largest wholesale consumer goods mall. The mall has five floors and is nearly 5 miles long.

Enter a richly textured and beautifully lit world in Ged Sia and Pet Punk’s animated short film about two children and their first exposure to death, after they find a deceased rabbit by the side of the road. Despite the dark subject matter, there’s a sense of wonder about it.

Overwatch’s heroes and villains find themselves fighting against the hat-wearing hooligans of Team Fortress 2 in The Winglet’s Source Filmmaker machinima short film. Tracer vs. the Scout! Widowmaker vs. The Sniper! The Spy vs. Everyone! Who will win?

Feeling moody? Rich Lee’s EPOCH tells a dark and desolate tale of a lone woman attempting to survive in an apocalyptic world. It’s a well crafted story, and with a DIY approach to the project, it offers great a tribute and love to the passion of filmmaking.

Director Douwe Dijkstra presents a transportive short film in which a man travels the streets and beaches of Brazil carrying a portable green screen. After capturing the vignettes of modern life, he replaced the contents of the screen with other scenes from around the country.

A man finds himself pondering the strange and surreal developments that happen in his mind’s eye while he dozes off at his desk at work in this colorful and inventive animated short film by César Pelizer.

A secret agent must navigate his way through an evil villains lair to save the world from destruction in this fabulously well-executed bit of machinima created using Source Filmmaker by a team of dedicated fans. Picked as Overall Winner in Steam’s 7th Annual Saxxy Awards.

Bad guys super-powered and otherwise hit the arena in ArtSpear Entertainment’s latest crossover animation. Can Agent Smith outrace Enchantress in converting everyone? Is Thanos overpowered? Will Darth Vader approve of Kylo Ren? All that and more in this silly short film.

David Bornstein’s darkly comic short film tells the story of a piñata, as told from its own perspective. The concept of an inanimate object’s existential dread was already done to the Nth degree in Sausage Party, but Bornstein conveys the same with far greater restraint.

(PG13: Language) Strapped for cash, newlyweds Jill and Peter are determined to make their staycation honeymoon special – by sleeping in a tent in their living room. Needless to say, awkwardness, hilarity and life lessons ensue in Tim Wilkime’s Staycation.

“They’re like little actors who only ever get to play one role…” Ainslie Henderson’s stop-motion short is an exploration of what makes an artist’s mind tick, as he explains his inspiration, and crafts rudimentary, yet highly-expressive characters using found objects.

Mirari & Co.’s short CG animated short takes inspiration from ancient Mayan mythology, but its plot about mysterious aliens invading Earth and creating a race of shape-shifting “mannequins” is 100% science fiction goodness.