Any film shorter than about 40 minutes is considered a short. I’m trying to be inclusive, but this list may not ever be definitive, as I only started keeping records of short films I’ve watched recently, and have certainly seen many that I’ve forgotten about. But I very much believe that short films are a very definite art form (like short stories) and deserve as much attention as features, and this is my small step toward reflecting that at least on my own site.


A

The Adventurer (1917 USA – Charlie Chaplin – live-action comedy – 20 min – ***1/2)
All Flowers in Time (2011 USA – Jonathan Couette – live-action horror – 14 min – ****)
All in All (2011 USA – Charlie Reff & Jackie Sextro – live-action drama – 12 min – **1/2)
Another Bullet Dodged (2011 USA – Landon Zakheim – live-action drama – 13 min – **1/2)
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1896 France – Auguste & Louis Lumiere – live-action drama – 1 min. – ***)
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat 3D (1936 France – Louis Lumiere – live-action drama – 1 min. – ***)
The Art of Skiing (1941 USA – Disney / Goofy – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
AWOL (2010 USA – Deb Shoval – live-action drama – 14 min – ***)

B

Baby Buggy Bunny (1954 USA – Chuck Jones – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)
Babyland (2011 USA – Marc Fratello – live-action drama – 28 min – ****)
The Ballad of Nessie (2011 USA – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Belly (2012 UK – Julia Pott – animated drama – 8 min – ***1/2)
Bicep Built for Two (1955 USA – Seymour Kneitel / Herman & Catnip – animated comedy – 7 min – **1/2)
Big Business (1929 USA – James W. Horne & Leo McCarey / Laurel & Hardy – live-action comedy – 19 min – ***)
A Bird’s a Bird (1915 USA – Edwin Frazee / Chester Conklin – live-action comedy – 20 min – **1/2)
A Bird in a Guilty Cage (1952 USA – Friz Freleng / Tweety/Sylvester – animated comedy – ***)
Birds Anonymous (1958 USA – Friz Freleng / Tweety – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)
Birds in Love (1936 USA – Manny Gould – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)
Blink (2011 Canada – Rick Rosenthal – live-action drama – 18 min – ****)
The Boat (1921 USA – Buster Keaton – live-action comedy – 25 min – ***1/2)
Bout de Zan Steals an Elephant (1913 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action comedy – 9 min – **1/2)
Bradley Manning Had Secrets (2012 USA – Adam Butcher – animated documentary – 6 min – ***)
Broken Night (2010 South Korea – Yang Hyo-joo – live-action thriller – 21 min – ***1/2)

C

Clear Blue (2010 USA – Lindsay MacKay – live-action fantasy – 20 min – ****)
The Colonel’s Account (1907 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action comedy – 4 min – **1/2)
The Country Cousin (1936 USA – Disney – animated comedy – 9 min – ***)
The Crime of Carelessness (1912 USA – live-action drama – 14 min – **)
The Cuckoo Clock (1950 USA – Tex Avery – animated comedy (MGM) – 6 min – ***1/2)
Custody of the Child (1909 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 11 min – ***1/2)

D

Daffy’s Rhapsody (2012 USA – Matthew O’Callaghan / Daffy Duck – animated comedy – 4 min – ***)
The Defect (1911 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 40 min – **1/2)
Deputy Droopy (1955 USA – Tex Avery / Droopy – animated comedy – 7 min – ****)
Der Fuhrer’s Face (1942 USA – Disney / Donald Duck – animated comedy – 8 min – ****)
Dimensions of Dialogue (1983 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – animated drama – 12 min – ****)
Ding Dog Daddy (1942 USA – Friz Freleng – animated comedy – 8 min – ***1/2)
Dogs are Said to See Things (2012 – Brazil – Guto Parente – avant-garde – 12 min – **1/2)
Donald’s Crime (1945 USA – Jack King / Donald Duck – animated comedy – 8 min – ***)
Don’t Look Now (1936 USA – Tex Avery / Dan Cupid – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965 USA – WB – Chuck Jones – animated comedy – 10 min – ****)
Dr. Breakfast (2011 USA – Stephen Neary – animated comedy – 7 min – ****) [watch]
Duck Pimples (1945 USA – Jack Kinney / Donald Duck – animated comedy – 8 min – ****)

E

The Eagleman Stag (2010 UK – Mike Please – 9 min – ****1/2)
The Elect (2010 USA – Dan Moore & Eric Zacek – 19 min – ***1/2)
Emek-Bakia (1926 France – Man Ray – avant-garde – 13 min – ****)
Ex-Sex (2011 USA – Michael Mohan – live-action drama – 9 min – ***)

F

The Fairy of the Surf (1909 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action fantasy – 8 min – ***)
Falling in Love Again (2003 Canada – Munro Ferguson – animated comedy – 3 min – ***1/2)
The Family Circus (1951 USA – Art Babbitt – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Family Nightmare (2012 USA – Dustin Guy Defa – avant-garde – 10 min – ***1/2)
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011 USA – animated drama – 15 min – ****)
The Fast Mailman (1922 USA – Bobby Dunn – live-action comedy – **1/2)
Ferdinand the Bull (1938 USA – Disney – animated comedy – ***)
The Fireman (1916 USA – Charlie Chaplin – live-action comedy – ***1/2)
The Flat (1968 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – animated drama – 13 min – ****)
Flebus (1957 USA – Gene Deitch – animated comedy – 6 min – ***1/2)
Flora (1948 USA – Alex Lovey – animated comedy – 6 min – ***1/2)
Flora (1989 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – animated drama – 1 min – **1/2)
Flowers and Trees (1932 USA – Disney – animated musical – 7 min – ***)
Fluttering Hearts (1927 USA – Charley Chase – live-action comedy – 23 min – ***1/2)
Flying Elephants (1928 USA – Frank Butler / Laurel & Hardy – live-action comedy – 17 min – **1/2)
Food (1992 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – animated comedy – 17 min – ***1/2)
For the Birds (2000 USA – Pixar – animated comedy – 3 min – ****)
The Four Musicians of Bremen (1922 USA – Walt Disney – animated comedy – ****)
Frozen Stories (2011 Poland – Grzegorz Jaroszuk – live-action comedy – 26 min – ****)

G

The Garden (1968 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – live-action drama – 17 min – ***1/2)
Georgie and the Dragon (1951 USA – UPA – Robert Cannon – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Gerald McBoing-Boing (1951 USA – UPA – Robert Cannon / Gerald McBoing-Boing – animated comedy – 7 min – ****1/2)
Geri’s Game (1997 USA – Pixar – animated comedy – 5 min – ****)
The Giants (1969 Czechoslovakia – Gene Deitch – animated drama – 10 min – ***)
Giddyap (1950 USA – UPA – Art Babbitt – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
The Goat (1921 USA – Buster Keaton – live-action comedy – 27 min – ****)
Golden Yeggs (1950 USA – WB – Friz Freleng / Daffy/Porky – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Goldilocks (1922 USA – Walt Disney – animated comedy – **1/2)
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946 USA – WB – Bob Clampett / Daffy Duck – animated comedy – 8 min – ****)
A Gruesome Twosome (1945 USA – WB – Bob Clampett / Tweety/Sylvester – animated comedy – 7 min – **1/2)

H

The Heart and the Money (1912 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 18 min – ***1/2)
Horizon (2012 Romania – Paul Negoescu – live-action drama – 12 min – ***)
How to Be a Detective (1952 USA – Disney – Jack Kinney / Goofy – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)

I

The Infernal Cauldron (1903 France – Georges Méliès – live-action fantasy – 2 min – ***1/2)
Infinite Minutes (2011 Hungary/Romania – Cecilia Felmeri – live-action drama – 19 min – ***1/2)
It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012 USA – Don Hertzfeldt – animated drama – 20 min – ****1/2)

J

Jabberwocky (1971 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – animated comedy – ***)
Jack the Giant Killer (1922 USA – Walt Disney – animated comedy – ***)
Jammin’ the Blues (1944 USA – music documentary – ****)
Jean Louis (2011 USA – documentary – 10 min – ***)
Juan and La Borrega (2011 Mexico – live-action drama – 10 min – ***1/2)
The Juggler of Our Lady (1958 USA – Gene Deitch – 6 min – ****1/2)
Just a Gigolo (1932 USA – Fleischer – Betty Boop – animated musical – 8 min – **1/2)
Just Ancient Loops (2012 Canada – Bill Morrison – avant-garde – 23 min – ***)

K

Knick Knack (1989 USA – Pixar – John Lasseter – animated comedy – 3 min – ****)
Koko’s Klock (1927 USA – Dave Flesicher / Koko the Clown – animated comedy – 5 min – ***)

L

The Last Hungry Cat (1961 USA – WB – Friz Freleng / Tweety/Sylvester – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Lend a Paw (1941 USA – Disney – Mickey/Pluto – animated comedy – 8 min – ***)
Libertas (2011 Australia/Singapore – Kan Lume, Megan Wonowidjoyo – animated drama – 3 min – **1/2)
Little Rural Riding Hood (1949 USA – MGM – Tex Avery / Riding Hood/Wolf – animated comedy – 6 min – ****)
Little Tinker (1948 USA – MGM – Tex Avery / B.O. Skunk – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Logorama (2009 France – animated action comedy – 16 min – ****)
Love Comes to Magoo (1958 USA – Tom McDonald / Mr. Magoo – animated comedy – 7 min – **1/2)
La Luna (2012 USA – Pixar – animated fantasy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Lumber Jack-Rabbit (1954 USA – WB – Chuck Jones / Bugs Bunny – animated comedy – 8 min – ***1/2)

M

The Magic Fluke (1949 USA – UPA – John Hubley / Fox & Crow – 7 min – ***)
Magnetic Reconnection (2012 Canada – Kyle Armstrong – 13 min – ****)
Meat Love (1988 Czechoslovakia – Jan Svankmajer – 1 min – **1/2)
The Milky Way (1940 USA – MGM – 8 min – ***)
The Miner’s Daughter (1950 USA – UPA – Robert Cannon – 7 min – **1/2)
Motor Rhythm (1939 USA – stop-motion documentary – 15 min – **1/2)
Moving Stories (2012 USA – Nicholas Provost – avant-garde – 8 min – **1/2)
Munro (1960 USA – Gene Deitch – 8 min – ****1/2)
Murder in 3-D (1941 USA – George Sidney / Pete Smith – live-action comedy/horror – 8 min – **)
Musical Memories (1935 USA – Dave Fleischer – animated musical – 7 min – **1/2)
My Baby Cares for Me (1931 USA – Dave Fleischer – animated musical – 6 min – **)
The Mysterious Retort (1906 France – Georges Méliès – live-action fantasy – 2 min – **)

N

Narcocorrido (2012 USA – Ryan Prows – live-action crime – 25 min – ***1/2)
The New York Hat (1912 USA – D.W. Griffith / Mary Pickford – live-action drama – 16 min – ***1/2)
Night Hunter (2011 USA – Stacy Steers – animated horror – 16 min – ***1/2)
Une nuit sur le Mont Chauve (1933 France – Alexandre Alexeieff – animated horror – 8 min – ****) [watch]

O

The Obsession (1912 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 23 min – ****)
Oil’s Well (1923 USA – Monty Banks – live-action comedy – 20 min – ***1/2
The Old Mill (1937 USA – Disney – animated drama – 8 min – ****1/2)
Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise (2011 USA – Kelly Sears – animated thriller – 7 min – ***)
One Minute Puberty (2011 USA – Alexander Gellner – animated comedy – 2 min – ***1/2)
One A.M. (1916 USA – Charlie Chaplin – live-action comedy – 20 min – *****)
One Week (1917 USA – Buster Keaton – live-action comedy – 20 min – ****1/2)
The Oracle at Delphi (1903 France – Georges Méliès – live-action fantasy – 2 min – **1/2)
Origins (2011 – Robert Showalter – animated drama – 2 min – ***1/2)

P

Paperman (2012 USA – John Kahrs – animated romance – 7 min – ****)
Pay Day (1922 USA – Charlie Chaplin – comedy – 20 min. – ***)
Parade of Attractions (??? Russia – live-action documentary – ***)
Parade of Attractions 2 (??? Russia – live-action documentary – **)
Parade of Attractions 3 (??? Russia – live-action documentary – ***1/2)
Poopdeck Pappy (1940 USA – Popeye – animated comedy – 7 min – **1/2)
The Popcorn Story (1950 USA – Art Babbitt – animated comedy – 7 – ***1/2)
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936 USA – Dave Flesicher / Popeye – animated comedy – 16 min – ****)
Punchy de Leon (1949 USA – John Hubley / Fox & Crow – 7 min – ***)
Puss in Boots (1922 USA – Walt Disney – animated comedy – ***)
Putting Pants on Philip (1928 USA – Laurel & Hardy – live-action comedy – ***1/2)

R

Rabbit Romeo (1957 USA – Robert McKimson / Bugs Bunny – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Racketeer Rabbit (1946 USA – Friz Freleng / Bugs Bunny – animated comedy – 8 min – ***)
Ragtime Bear (1949 USA – John Hubley / Mr. Magoo – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)
Real Gone Woody (1954 USA – Paul J. Smith / Woody Woodpecker – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
Red Riding Hood (1922 USA – Walt Disney – animated comedy – ***1/2)
Rivals (1925 USA – Billy West – animated comedy – 20 min – **1/2)
Robin Hoodlum (1948 USA – John Hubley / Fox & Crow – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)
The Roman Orgy (1911 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 9 min – ***)
Rooty Toot Toot (1951 USA – John Hubley – animated comedy – 7 min – ****)

S

Scent-imental Over You (1947 USA – Chuck Jones / Pepe le Pew – animated comedy – 7 min – ****)
Showdown (1942 USA – Izzy Sparber / Superman – animated action – 8 min – **1/2)
Skeleton Frolic (1937 USA – Ub Iwerks – animated musical – 8 min – ***)
Sleep Study (2010 USA – John Merriman & Kerri Lendo – live-action comedy – 5 min – ****)
Smitten Kitten (1952 USA – Hanna-Barbera / Tom & Jerry – animated comedy – 8 min – ***)
S.O.S. (1932 USA – Dave Fleischer / Betty Boob – animated comedy – 7 min – **1/2)
Spider (2007 Australia – Nash Edgerton – live-action drama – 9 min – ****1/2) [watch]
Spring (1909 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 7 min – **1/2)
A Suffragette in Spite of Himself (1912 USA – live-action comedy – **1/2)
The Super Snooper (1952 USA – Robert McKimson / Daffy Duck – animated comedy – 7 min – ***1/2)

T

38°-39° C (2012 USA – Kangmin Kim – animated comedy – 8 min – ***1/2)
The Three Little Pigs (1933 USA – Disney – animated comedy – 8 min – ****)
Three Orphan Kittens (1935 USA – Disney – animated comedy – 9 min – ****)
The Three Robbers (1972 Czechoslovakia – Gene Deitch – animated drama – 6 min – ***1/2)
To Die By Your Side (2011 France – Spike Jonze/Simon Cahn – animated comedy – 6 min – ****)
The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit (1962 USA – MGM – Gene Deitch / Tom & Jerry – animated comedy – 7 min – ****)
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (1953 USA – Disney – animated comedy – 10 min – ****1/2)
Tord and Tord (2010 Sweden – Niki Lindroth von Bahr – animated drama – 11 min – ***1/2)
The Tortoise and the Hare (1934 USA – Disney – animated comedy – 8 min – **1/2)
Tragic Error (1913 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 25 min – ****)
The Trust (1911 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action drama – 25 min – **1/2)

U

Unmanned (2011 USA – Casey Cooper Johnson – live-action drama – 21 min – ****)

V

A Very Fine Lady (1908 France – Louis Feuillade – live-action comedy – 4 min – ***1/2)
The Voyagers (2011 USA – Penny Lane – live-action/animated drama – 16 min – ***1/2)

W

Waiting Room (2010 USA – Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck – live-action drama – 10 min – ***1/2)
Who Killed Who? (1943 USA – Tex Avery – animated comedy (MGM) – 8 min – ****)
The Wind is Blowing on My Street (2010 Iran/USA – Saba Riazi – live-action drama – 16 min – ****)
Won in a Closet (1914 USA – Mabel Normand – live-action comedy – 20 min – ***)
Working for Peanuts (1953 USA – Jack Hannah / Chip N Dale – animated comedy – 8 min – ***1/2)

Y

Yankee Doodle Mouse (1942 USA – MGM / Tom & Jerry – animated comedy – 7 min – ***)

Z

Zergüt (2011 USA – Natasha Subramaniam/Alisa Lapidus – avant-garde – 6 min – ***)