Favorite Short Films
My favorite short films (45 minutes or shorter).
List activity
27 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
61 titles
- DirectorBuster KeatonStarsBuster KeatonKathryn McGuireJoe KeatonA film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.
- DirectorEric MendelsohnStarsAnne MearaCynthia NixonFrances FosterA middle-aged suburban woman is haunted by what she believes to be a bird that is stuck in her house, convincing those around her that she has lost her mind.
- DirectorAlbert LamorisseStarsPascal LamorisseSabine LamorisseGeorges SellierA red balloon with a mind of its own follows a little boy around the streets of Paris.
- DirectorCharles EamesRay EamesStarsCharles EamesAn interesting look at the world of toy trains, shot from the perspective of the little world itself. Originally created for model train enthusiasts, this short film transcends it's intended audience to delight viewers of all ages and interests!
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsClaudio BrookSilvia PinalEnrique Álvarez FélixSimon, a deeply religious man living in the 4th century, wants to be nearer to God so he climbs a column. The Devil wants him to come down to Earth and is trying to seduce him.
- DirectorWladyslaw StarewiczStarsNina StarBogdan ZoubowitchIt's the story of Yolande, a little girl (about 12) who wanted to become a princess. Bombastus, her old father, has created a marvelous and big clock crowded with little characters (animated puppets). On each hour ring, one of the twelve knights of the clock comes into motion. They're all in love with the princess but a strong black knight doesn't agree... It's not a happy end. So Yolande will dive deep into her dreams, maybe to change the story. It's the second part of the movie. Sylph, master of this imaginary earth and Ondin, master of the aquatic world are the main characters. Yolande and then the man of her dreams join this strange world...
- DirectorVíctor EriceStarsVíctor EriceSpanish director Victor Erice discusses the first film he saw as a 5 year old and the impact it had on his life.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsMichel BouquetReinhard HeydrichHeinrich HimmlerThe history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
- DirectorChris MarkerStarsÉtienne BeckerJean NégroniHélène ChatelainThe story of a man forced to explore his memories in the wake of World War III's devastation, told through still images.
- DirectorDenys Colomb de DaunantStarsJacques PrévertSlow motion cinematography of the wild horses of the Camargue region of France.
- DirectorRobert McKimsonStarsMel BlancElvia AllmanGladys HollandFoghorn Leghorn is cold as winter approaches and decides to court Miss Prissy so he can live in her in warm house. She agrees as long as Foggy will be a good father to her kid Junior, who outsmarts the rooster in every game they play.
- DirectorBruce ConnerStarsDevoGerald CasaleRobert MothersbaughA documentary film exploring the manner in which a determined young man overcame a basic mental defect and became a useful member of society. Insightful editing techniques reveal the dreams, ideals and problems that face a large segment of the American male population. Background music written and performed by the DEVO orchestra.
- DirectorLarry JordanAn experimental film which overlays images of a woman looking out a doorway with footage of a sea coast and cliffs.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsMark W. ClarkJohn HustonDirector John Huston documents the Battle of San Pietro Infine in December 1943.
- DirectorPare LorentzStarsThomas ChalmersThis documentary short film looks at the devastating and costly problems, including seasonal flooding and erosion of precious topsoil, associated with the Mississippi River system and promotes more Federal projects to remedy the situation.
- DirectorEdward F. ClineBuster KeatonStarsBuster KeatonEdward F. ClineMonte CollinsAfter waking up from his wacky dream, a theater stage hand inadvertently causes havoc everywhere he works.
- DirectorEdward F. ClineBuster KeatonStarsBuster KeatonVirginia FoxJoe RobertsA bank clerk ends up in a seemingly haunted house that is actually a thieves' hideout.
- DirectorJennifer Todd Reeves
- DirectorJean VigoStarsJean DastéRobert le FlonLouis LefebvreIn a repressive boarding school with rigid rules of behavior, four boys decide to rebel against the direction on a celebration day.
- DirectorJacques RivetteStarsVirginie VitryAnne DoatJacques Doniol-ValcrozeWhen an unfaithful wife receives a fur coat from her lover as a gift, they must figure out a way to keep the husband from discovering the coat's true origins.
- DirectorGjon MiliStarsLester YoungGeorge 'Red' CallenderHarry EdisonCreated under the guidance of jazz impresario and Verve Records founder Norman Granz, this short captures the spontaneity of a jam session and is one of few film records of black jazzers of the day including tenor sax legend Lester Young.
- DirectorRalph SteinerShoreline images: first small breakers and the swirls they leave, then water running up the shore on a sandy beech, then water hitting pebbles and rocks. The second half is a close look at a sluggish eddy of seaweed, moving to and fro on the surface, like sodden twigs. The ocean's tide creates patterns of small surges and circles. The music of the soundtrack is more dramatic than the more gentle movements of the seaweed. Final closeups show the bulbs and leaves of the plants, then the tide takes over.
- DirectorLes BlankSkip GersonStarsMance LipscombElnora LipscombHattie FranklinA deeply moving tribute to the Texas songster, Mance Lipscomb, considered by many to be the greatest guitarist of all time.
- DirectorJack KinneyBill RobertsStarsJohn McLeishHannes SchrollAfter figuring out how to get dressed, Goofy hits the slopes to demonstrate the art of skiing. Through a series of gags and misadventures, Goofy demonstrates turns, skiing backwards and even the ski jump.
- DirectorForugh FarrokhzadStarsForugh FarrokhzadEbrahim GolestanHossein MansouriSet in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness", of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with religion and gratitude.
- DirectorLarry JordanA surreal, dreamlike experimental film blending baroque, Victorian and space age imagery with odd sound effects.
- DirectorMaya DerenAlexander HammidStarsMaya DerenAlexander HammidA woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.
- DirectorLes BlankCece ConwayAlice GerrardStarsTommy JarrellJulie Jarrell LyonsTogie McGeeA documentary about Tommy Jarrell, a fiddler from North Carolina. This films shows a bit of his current life and those around him and includes a lot of his Appalachian Old-Time music.
- DirectorChuck JonesBen WashamStarsBoris KarloffJune ForayDal McKennonA grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
- DirectorLarry Jordan
- DirectorMaya DerenStarsJohn CageMaya DerenAlexander HammidSilently, a woman wakes on a beach as the tides go in reverse. Her dreamscape unfolds as she tries to locate a chess piece traveling from the beach to a party to a country road and then back.
- DirectorJack KinneyStarsFrank BullPinto ColvigJack KinneyTaking all the places on both teams, Goofy demonstrates the game of football with varying results, having problems with the coach and the goal post.
- DirectorMichelangelo AntonioniDocumentary about street cleaning in Rome.
- DirectorHugh HarmanStarsMel BlancJeanne DunneThe Hollywood Choir BoysTwo baby squirrels ask grandpa to explain what "men" are when they hear everyone singing of "peace on earth, goodwill to men". Grandpa tells the story of man's last war.
- DirectorGeorge CoeAnthony LoverStarsPamela BurrellGeorge CoeSidney DavisThis short film is a parody of some of Ingmar Bergman's best known films, including Wild Strawberries (Smultronstaellet) and The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet). The dialog, seemingly in Swedish, is actually a Swedish-accented fictional language based on English, German, Latin, and Swedish, with most nouns ending in "ska". The principal character, Professor Viktor Sundqvist, 76, is being driven to a lecture at the university, when dove droppings splatter the car's windshield. Detouring at his uncle's old house, his mind wanders back to his youth, when Death came to a family picnic to claim his sister, Inga. Knowing that Death is a gambler, Viktor has Inga challenge Death to a single-point game of badminton for her life. While they are playing, a dove flies above, soiling Death's cape, and distracting him enough to miss the birdie. Having won the game, Inga is free, and she and Viktor run off for a swim in the lake.
- DirectorBoris KaufmanJean VigoWhat starts off as a conventional travelogue turns into a satirical portrait of the town of Nice on the French Cote d'Azur, especially its wealthy inhabitants.
- DirectorVsevolod PudovkinMykola ShpykovskyiStarsJosé Raúl CapablancaVladimir FogelAnna ZemtsovaWith an international chess tournament in progress, a young man becomes completely obsessed with the game. His fiancée has no interest in it, and becomes frustrated and depressed by his neglect of her, but wherever she goes she finds that she cannot escape chess. On the brink of giving up, she meets the world champion, Capablanca himself, with interesting results.
- DirectorJacques TatiStarsJacques TatiPaul DemangeSchool for Postmen" is a 1947 short film directed and starring Jacques Tati, playing a French postman adamant to prove he can be just as fast as American postmen at delivering mail.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsNicole BergerAnne ColletteJean-Claude BrialyTwo French college girls each meet a boy named Patrick and quickly realize that it is less a coincidence then they think.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsJacques DumesnilThis documentary explores the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, its priceless treasures, and how humanity remembers itself.
- DirectorGeorges FranjuStarsMichel SimonChoeurs des Petits Chanteurs de St. FrançoisA tour of the Hotel des Invalides, and more particularly of the Army Museum and the Saint Louis Chapel. From François I's armor to Guynemer's airplane, to Napoleon's and Marshall Foch's tombs. But this is no ordinary tour,it is rather a chilling visit guided by Georges Franju and narrated by Michel Simon emphasizing - at times through biting humor -not the glory but the nonsense of wars, but their tragic aftermath.
- DirectorCharles EamesRay EamesStarsPhilip MorrisonBeginning with a shot of a couple enjoying a picnic, then zooming out incrementally by powers of ten, the film offers a glimpse of everything from the edge of the known universe to the molecules on a person's hand.
- DirectorGuy MaddinStarsLeslie BaisCaelum VatnsdalShaun BalbarA scientist chooses a wealthy man over her two lovers but must heal the earth's core to save humanity.
- DirectorRobert FloreySlavko VorkapichStarsJules RaucourtVoya GeorgeRobert FloreyA wannabe movie star experiences the surreal horrors of dehumanization at the bottom of Hollywood's social ladder as his hopes for success vanish and his identity is reduced to a number.
- DirectorRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleStarsRoscoe 'Fatty' ArbuckleBuster KeatonAl St. JohnAt the Elk's Head Hotel bellhops torment the lobby, each other and guests. The elevator is powered by a stubborn horse. A sham robbery turns into a real one. And there is a chase on a runaway trolley.
- DirectorLarry JordanAn experimental short from Larry Jordan in which a horse rider and gymnast are filmed.
- DirectorWolfgang ReithermanJack HannahJack KinneyStarsPinto ColvigKevin CorcoranJohn DehnerMr. X buys a boat and inadvertently enters the water-skiing race. With Junior driving, with no experience, he's a bit out of his league.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceSyd ChaplinCharlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsJean-Pierre LéaudMarie-France PisierPatrick AuffayAntoine Doinel is 17, lives in a hotel and works in a factory making records; he loves music. He falls in love with a woman he meets at a concert. She sees him as a friend, but her parents love him.
- DirectorNick ParkStarsPeter SallisPeter HawkinsGromit butts heads with a mysterious penguin lodger, who hatches a sinister scheme involving the ex-NASA Techno Trousers that have been modified by Wallace for walkies.
- DirectorDel LordStarsBilly BevanAndy ClydeRuth HiattTwo aimless wanderers are hungry and broke. They think of a way to trick a restaurant into giving them a free meal, but their scheme results in them being pursued by both the restaurant owner and the police. Soon, however, they discover that the restaurant owner has a secret of his own, and the tables are turned.
- DirectorChuck JonesMaurice NobleStarsMel BlancJulie BennettPepe Le Pew, the eternally amorous skunk, is in Paris, where the smell of his odor sends a female cat upward to hit a freshly painted flagpole, which puts a white stripe on her back and causes Pepe to think she is a girl skunk. He lustfully pursues her into the Louvre art gallery, where his foul scent causes the images in several paintings to change poses to show their disgust. The female cat's feline lover has also come into the Louvre and challenges Pepe to a duel for possession of her, but is thwarted by Pepe's unbearable stench.
- DirectorRobert EnricoStarsRoger JacquetAnne CornalyAnker-Spang LarsenIn 1862, during the American Civil War, a Southern civilian is about to be hanged for attempting to sabotage a railway bridge. When the execution takes place from the bridge, the rope breaks and he begins his escape toward home.
- DirectorPare LorentzStarsThomas ChalmersBam WhiteThis documentary is about what happened to the Great Plains of the United States when a combination of farming practices and environmental factors led to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
- DirectorHumphrey JenningsStewart McAllisterStarsLeonard BrockingtonJoseph MacleodBud FlanaganA depiction of life in wartime England during the Second World War. Director Humphrey Jennings visits many aspects of civilian life and of the turmoil and privation caused by the war, all without narration.
- DirectorChuck JonesStarsMel BlancDave BarryNorman NesbittBugs helps a penguin go home via New Orleans, Martinique, the Panama Canal and finally the South Pole. But the penguin's home is in New Jersey.
- DirectorFriz FrelengStarsMel BlancBea BenaderetSylvester Cat and Tweety Bird are pets of tenants in the Spinsters Arms Hotel, where pets aren't allowed. As they try to keep out of sight of the landlord, Sylvester discovers Tweety and chases him in and out of the hotel rooms.
- DirectorJack GlennStarsJackson BeckJoseph GoebbelsAdolf HitlerA newsreel made to condemn the militarization, oppressiveness, and ideology of the Nazi regime - using reedited stock footage of Nazi rallies in both Germany and the United States, with added narration to drive home its points.
- DirectorMaya DerenStarsRita ChristianiMaya DerenAnaïs NinAn experiment with editing techniques that distort space and time in order to further contextualize an image.
- DirectorLeighton PierceStarsPeter van Hoof
- DirectorTaku Furukawa