Short films are an often-forgotten form of entertainment that is perfect when you don’t have time for a full-length movie or are seeking out something with an artistic lens. Since these films have such a short run time as well as a smaller budget than feature-length films, it’s impressive that they’re able to captivate and immerse the audience so well. Thousands of short films can be found on YouTube to be viewed free of charge. We have compiled a list of the best ones to get you started on your short film journey.
The Jog – One morning, a young Black man wakes up and gets some wonderful news: he’s been accepted into his local police academy, which will set him and his family up with some degree of security and help assure his future. He carries that feeling as he goes about his day, starting with his routine morning run. During his run, he sees someone who needs help and attempts to provide some assistance at the scene. However, his altruistic gesture goes awry, and he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, as a promising morning takes a distinctly wrong turn.
The Crush – An 8 year old schoolboy is so besotted with his teacher that he challenges her boyfriend to a duel…to the death. This short film was nominated for an Oscar in 2011.
Pip – This animated short film presented by Southeastern Guide Dogs — A heartwarming tale for underdogs everywhere, Pip is the story of a small dog with a big dream—to become a Southeastern Guide Dog. Does she have what it takes?
1500 Words – This bleak comedy is about a man who has only 1500 words left to live. The story calls into question what one would do, knowing that words are a limited resource and that they must be used wisely. The short film gives a whole new meaning to the phrase less is more. For this man, silence really is golden – but how will he use his remaining words, and how will he manage to use them sparingly?
The Neighbor’s Window – This film tells the story of a mother who has grown frustrated with her husband and her daily routine. But her life is shaken up when two free-spirited twenty-somethings move in across the street and she discovers that she can see into their apartment.
The Dentist – The Dentist is a western short film that follows a dentist traveling north, searching for a town where he can practice dentistry. But when an ill-mannered cowboy holds him up, the dentist reveals that he is broke and has nothing for the robber to take. All he can do is help the robber with his infected tooth. But what the robber doesn’t know is that the dentist isn’t who he says he is.
Lost & Found – This is a stop motion short film that tugs at the heartstrings. A knitted toy dinosaur must completely unravel itself to save the love of its life. The film has an innocent charm and is a powerful love story of sacrifice. The stop-motion is incredibly crafted and will leave you impressed at the tenacity of the creators.
Hair Love – This Oscar-winning animated short film from Matthew A. Cherry, tells the heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. After 7-year-old Zuri she wakes up in the morning with her little bonnet, and identified it as a special day.
With incredible short film selections like this, YouTube is the perfect gateway to get started with short films. And with new content being added every minute of every day, you will never have a lack of content to enjoy. With the help of VuePlanner’s superior targeting technology, we can help you align your ads with this type of entertaining content to reach a specific audience. Reach out to our team to get started today.