Award Winning Short Films – Top 25

I’ve compiled a list of my Top 25 Favorite Short films into a YouTube playlist that can be viewed start to finish here. From compelling story lines to incredible 3D animations, each of these films peaked my interest in very unique ways.

BRINK

An incredible film from the storyline to the cinematography, Brink is one of my all-time favorite shorts.  In a brief 9 minutes, the film touches upon a very real emotion, a longing to reach out and say what you’ve always wanted to say but never had the courage to.  Life is short, make it simple, listen to your head and follow your heart.

Summary: Jeremy has been in love with his best friend, Evelyn, since before he can remember. He decides to profess his love for her through a simple, thoughtful letter… but there’s a strong chance they will never see each other again.

APRICOT

The rich pairing of characters blended with a haunting soundtrack instantly captivated me in Moonwalk Film’s short narrative.  Without spoiling the end, the buildup and twist is simply perfect.

Summary: Top 5 Narrative Finalist at the Vimeo Awards 2010!

Do you remember your first love? … Do you remember your first kiss? … Do you remember? …

TERMINUS

Spy Film’s dark, ominous tale is worth watching for the sheer uniqueness and infinitely interpretable underlying meaning.  This film explores an inescapable burden in a dark nightmarish fantasy.

Summary: After inadvertently offending a strange entity that accosts him on his way to work, a 1970s businessman quickly finds himself in the midst if a bizarre predicament. What follows is a rapid descent into madness, a journey both eerie and darkly humorous. The exact nature of the businessman’s tormentor is purposefully ambiguous, lending itself to a variety of interpretations. Is “Terminus” a surreal critique of human alienation in the modern urban environment? or is the protagonist’s struggle an internal one, his mysterious stalker a manifestation of his repressed subconscious mind? Either way, “Terminus”‘s innovative visual effects and distinctively vintage atmosphere make it a highly engrossing experience.

THE THIRD AND THE SEVENTH

Easily one of the most photorealistic CGI animations I’ve ever seen… truly breathtaking. The purity and savant design work is absolutely mesmerizing, so real in fact I couldn’t believe it until I watched the behind the scenes work http://vimeo.com/8217700

Notes: Author/Creator Alex Roman

BALE

UK Director Alastair Mackay’s short packs a feature length emotional trip into a brief 15 minutes of tension, panic, and anxiety.

Summary: The story of 3 young boys, 4 teenagers, and the British countryside. Desertion, a misunderstanding, and the sparking of a chain of events that leads uncontrollably to a terrifying outcome…

FIFTY PEOPLE, ONE QUESTION

This film takes a glimpse into how very alike and dissimilar we really are and expands it through the complexity of a simple question.

Summary: We had an idea: ask as many people as possible the same question. We didn’t know exactly why- I guess we were hoping to expose a slice of human emotion (maybe). Just the simple act of reaching out and asking the question is such an enthralling experience in itself. So go ahead, ask yourself…..

YOUR LUCKY DAY

Featuring Rider Strong from Boy Meets World, this short explores the self-dissolving nature of greed.  Visually, the off-color tone and crisp image is notably impressive.

Summary: A megaball drawing sends a convenience store spiraling out of control.

CAROUSEL

A visual exploration in digital 3D freeze frame originally shot to promote Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD TV.  Very well thought out and incredibly well executed, this is a visual masterpiece.

Summary: Directed by Adam Berg with music provided from Michael Fakesch, the 2 minute 19 second cinematic feature is filmed in one continuous tracking shot and offers an exploration into the world of movies being made for the cinema screen through the eyes of the director and the special effects and lighting experts.

SEBASTIAN’S VOODO

Short animated film about the ultimate self-sacrifice.  The subtleties in the breath of the stitched figures has such a powerful control over the emotion conveyed, great piece of animation.

Summary: A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death.

REACH

Pessimistically inspiring, this film epitomizes the glass half empty/half full scenario.  Should you press beyond your limits or live a safe restricted life?

Summary: A tiny robot is given the gift of life with only one limitation, the length of his power cable. When a curious bird appears at the workshop window, the robot feels a lust to live outside of his reach that may be his demise.

TIR NAN ORG

For anyone who’s ever lost a grandparent or loved one, this foreign short beautifully animates the continuation of life and spirit after death.

Summary: An animated film directed by Fursy Teyssier. Graduation film. 2007.
Fursy Teyssier’ s Myspace: myspace.com/autumnlandscapes

Original soundtrack: The American Dollar
myspace.com/americandollarband

UNDO

What if you were given the chance to undo a page of your life? Would it change your ultimate outcome?  This animated short form Poland takes a creative spin on the concept.

Notes: Created by Marcin Wasko

THE RAVEN

District 9-eqsue short film shot on a $5k budget.  Incredible feat in cinematography and CG animation for an unimaginably small budget.

Summary: Chris Black possesses a power that could lead to the destruction of the current regime, and they will stop at nothing to destroy him. 
The chase is on as Chris runs for his life in this sci-fi thriller set in an alternate and futuristic Los Angeles.

HEARTWORK

Set to the deeply visceral track produced by Danish instrumentalist Trentemøller, you can’t help but feel something watching this video.

Summary: An intense journey into Berlin nightlife – set to Trentemøller track, Moan.

THE ARK

To describe this short would be a spoiler in itself.  Shades of American Psycho and Fight Club speaking strictly about the plot twist.

Notes: Short film by Grzegorz Jonkajtys and Marcin Kobylecki.

MOLOCH

Extremely dark in nature, this animation emulates the inhuman nature of war and violence as emotionless pieces in a perpetual mindless machine.  While the subject matter of the film is hard to watch, the digital textures and lighting in this purely CG film are something to be admired.

Notes: Short animated movie from Poland.. Written and Directed by Marcin Pazera

ATAQUE DE PANICO! (PANIC ATTACK!)

Inspired by the short film HouseOfSecrets, this film out of Motevideo shot on a budget of $300.  Truly admirable work on such a small budget.

Summary: Giant robots invades Montevideo!
A 5min short movie directed and animated by Fede Alvarez.

STRANGERS

In place of the traditional use of dialogue, the director of this short built an incredibly tense scene through the masterful use of strictly audio & visual cues.

Notes: short film by: Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv

THE BLACK HOLE

The simplicity of this concept and visual execution is amazing.  Brilliant short.

Summary: A sleep-deprived office worker accidentally discovers a black hole – and then greed gets the better of him…

IN PERSUIT OF PERFECTION

Featuring an innovative use of 3D animation, this short takes you on a visual adventure with a compelling tale behind the well-known brand Asics.

Summary: Award winning origami designed by Cinema 4D software. This 3D animation takes us a journey through the eyes of the owner Kihachiro Onitsuka as they developed their trainers, the narative is brillaint, whilst visually outstanding.

KWOON – I LIVED ON THE MOON

Set to the surreal sounds of Kwoon, this animated short follows an imaginative adventure through an unknown world.

Notes: Kwoon’s first Video Clip, “i lived on the Moon” from “Tales & Dreams” album. A Yannick Puig Animation.

SIGNS

Light romantic tale of two physically separated individuals brought together through window signs across the way.  A fun, spirited short.

Summary: A simple short film about communication.

EATLIZ – LOSE THIS CHILD

Creative use of stop motion animation and sand art creations.  Intriguing to watch as the story unfolds on the shoreline.

Notes: The new stop motion animation music video from art rock group Eatliz, directed by the Grammy nominated directors Yuval & Merav Nathan.

NUIT BLANCHE – AREV MANOUKAIN

Shot in extreme slow motion, this vintage style short elevates the emotion of love at first sight to an unimaginable level.

Summary: Nuit Blanche explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper real fantasy.

DOIR HOMME – UN RENDEZ VOUS

Short film that leads the viewer down one path only to re-direct to another vastly different scenario in this classic visual masterpiece.

Notes: Directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Jude Law

August 22, 2011 | Categories: Fresh Innovations, Short Films | Tags: short films, youtube | Leave A Comment »