Awesome Short Films

(PG-13) After a moth burrows into a businessman’s ear, he starts to have visions which take hold and set him off on a new course through life. Hue&Cry’s short film is a beautifully animated and expressive tale of self-discovery and transformation.

“I used to do tricks too, but the tricks don’t make them happy anymore.” Elke Van Der Steen, Lucia Ahrensdorf, and Michael Reich collaborated on this strange, but oddly relatable short film that takes us inside the mind of a dog while its masters are stuck at home under quarantine. Warning: Dog poop ahead.

(PG-13: Language) Filmmaker Ben Berman’s meta-documentary was made entirely under self-quarantine. He used the service Cameo to pay actors and other celebrities, along with news footage and search engine queries to paint a picture of the anxiety being fueled by social media and other rumor mills.

Remote visits with doctors have become commonplace these days, but this science fiction short film from The Bloc and The Youth explores what could happen if we ever let AI tech do the doctoring instead of humans, and serves as a tribute of sorts to the real doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals on the front lines.

Freelance motion designer James Tupper presents a cheeky animated glimpse into a small piece of the world of a freelance motion designer, as he creates and programs digital imagery, waits for it to render, waits for his social media views to tally up, then does it all over again.

(PG-13: Gore, Language) “I call ye forth… the devil… with my name… Greg!” Jason Tostevin’s completely sacrilegious horror-comedy short film introduces us to a group of satanists who basically have no clue of what they’re doing, as they try to call forth the devil’s spawn from a pregnant woman.

Filmmakers Hugo Manhes and Madcow collaborated on the short film Trajectoires, which uses a simple concept to produce a dramatic effect. By dangling bright flares from a couple of drones, they created a unique source of illumination for their natural surroundings. Set to an ethereal soundtrack by Linky Larson.

Filmmaker Mike McKinlay’s documentary short film follows the story of Marty, an 11-year-old kid who’s obsessed with skateboarding and ’70s and ’80s punk rock. The film does a great job capturing the spirit of something we all craved as kids, our own unique identities. Though a real ’80s skate punk wouldn’t wear a helmet.

A man struggles throughout his life with self-doubt and social anxiety, and the manifestation of his fears appears in the form of a spiky hedgehog. Director Ed Bulmer’s animated short film reminds us that even the worst fears are simply creations of our own imaginations.

We could all use a little bit of silliness in these trying times, so we want to send a big thank you to animator AJ Jefferies for a much needed smile. His goofy short video has one very simple premise: “A horse struggles to exist.” We know you can do it, horsey! Go for it!

Andrew B. Myers‘ experimental short film uses a combination of animation techniques to fill the frame with dozens of tiny objects constantly in motion. There’s so much going on that you’ll need to go back and watch it multiple times to catch all of the neat little details.

Visual artist Kevin McGloughlin used countless images from Google Earth along with audio samples from NASA to provide “a visual representation of our connection to earth and it’s vulnerable glory.” It’s amazing how these static satellite images can tell such a story.

Filmmakers Tim Sessler and Wanbli Omani created this powerful short film that starkly contrasts the purity of Native American life with the environmental burdens of urbanization. The title pays respect to the Lakota people’s sacred way of life that incorporates peace, harmony, and respect between humans and all life.

Lightfarm Studios and Area 23’s intense award-winning animated short film features takes us un a truly wild ride, as a baby finds itself under attack from a universe of terrifying monsters. But if you stick around until the end, you’ll find out the real reason things seem so unsettling.

Created in collboration between filmmaker Jacco Kliesch and Erlangen City, Germany’s public library, this short film offers a cinematic take on the playful “bookface” art trend, in which people line up real-life scenes with photographic images on book covers.

Vincent Boehringer’s impactful short film follows two young men who experience very different feelings after committing a violent crime together. What makes it so effective is how it tells its story without a single word of dialogue.

Inspired by an ancient Chinese myth about creation, Taiko Studios‘ animated short film tells the story of a god who has the ability to conjure worlds from nothing. When he realizes the one thing missing is a child, he makes a son in his own image. But will independent thought drive them apart, or bring them closer together?

Like Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, and Elmer Fudd, Groompy the rabbit perpetually plays the foil in his cartoons. But when he heads home, the monotony and frustration of his life lead him to a dark place. Luis Usón and Andrés Aguilar’s animated short film is brilliantly executed, but incredibly somber.

The guys from Toronto creative studio reactiv like to play with their food. In this lighthearted animated short, they imagine that edibles were actually used for playing various sports, and making quite the mess in the process.

Charlie Stewart’s beautifully minimal animated short film takes us on a journey to a far-off planet, where two scientists have been left to explore, and two AI-powered digital assistants who strike up a conversation as they wonder where their human masters have gone.

As Charlotte peers out into space from her observatory, she sees what can only be described as a literal black hole. As it approaches the Earth, she dives in and experiences a new perspective on her home planet. A wonderfully imaginative short film by animator Marlies van der Wel with music by Pieter de Graaf.

Joseph Lee Anderson wrote, directed, and starred in this short film about a man who starts his day on a very positive note, but things take a tragic turn after he heads out for his morning jog. It’s a powerful story about racism and prejudice, boiled down to five powerful minutes.

(PG-13) Corridor follows up its goofy short film about ridiculously small weapons with an action-packed sequel. Their enemies come off as stereotypical as the ones in Team America: World Police, but the battle scenes are certainly entertaining.

Prince Michael the cat makes a new friend, and heads off on an epic road trip in this silly short film from AaronsAnimals. It’s basically Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with a cat playing the Steve Martin role, and a dog playing John Candy’s part.

From living rooms on wheels, to 3D printed humans, to transporter beams, to robotic construction workers, Animator Loek Vugs’ short film muses on some of the likely and unlikely technologies which lie ahead for future of humanity.

We only recently came across this ESMA animated film from 2016, but it’s too good not to share. The award-winning CGI short follows the story of the guardians of a sand castle, as they make their last stand against a terrifying enemy.