Short Film: Vagabond

"Vagabond" by The Animation Workshop

"Vagabond" is a beautifully animated meditation on modern urban life.

"Graduation film from The Animation Workshop/VIA UC: Following his dog’s kidnapper through a relentlessly moving city, the warmhearted vagabond Dio discovers how far society has gone to keep up its pace."

Short Film: The Gift

"The Gift" by Miniestudio

"The Gift" is a short animated romance film. Without using words, the film explores the experience of falling in and out of love.  It's a simple but sincere piece.

Short Film: Over the Moon

"Over the Moon" directed by James Cunningham Media Design School

"Over the Moon" is a retrofuturistic short animated film about The Comic Book Factory's heroine Connie Radar, the first woman to walk on the Moon, and her robot sidekick, Julius. In it, the pair attempt to prevent the 1969 lunar landing.  The visual effects were put together by students at Auckland's Media Design School.

"A feminist space adventure about kick-ass comic book heroine Connie Radar as she attempts to prevent the first moon landing. Award-winning director James Cunningham and the talented visual effects students at Auckland's Media Design School bring The Comic Book Factory heroine Connie Radar and her bumbling sidekick Julius to life for this intergalactic comedy."

Short Film: ¡MONSTRO!

"¡MONSTRO!" Directed by Chris Romano

"¡MONSTRO!" is an adorably animated contemporary homage to classic monster movies of the fifties.  Somewhere up the Amazon a ramshackle team searches for a legendary creature, possible a distant relative of one once found in a black lagoon.  They are closer than they think but when it appears, mostro turns out to be Amazonian in more ways than one.

"The new film by Christopher Romano, with Executive Producer Kim Davidson.... A rickety scientific expedition ventures down the Amazon River to a dark lagoon, in search of a mythic Creature! But the Creature, it seems, has a less than mythic agenda! MONSTRO! is a horror story. A love story. A ribald comedy!"

Short Film: Tsunami

"Tsunami" by The Animation Workshop

Created by Jess Nicholls, Line Bering, Michelle From, Morten Jæger,
Pernille Kofod Hansen, Sofie Nørgaard Kampmark, and Steffen Christensen

"Tsunami"is an animated short film that examines the psychology of loss.  It was made by a team of seven third year Character Animation and CG Arts students at The Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark  as their graduation project, and it is gorgeous.  The idea for the film came from one of the artists’ personal experience, Sofie Kampmark (who directed the short) was visiting Japan in 2011, when the tragic earthquake and subsequent tsunami took place.

In the dialog free film, a man named Haru returns to a home destroyed by a tsunami to begin picking up the pieces of his life, only to discover that the ocean has left him a gift.  The story carries a real sense of magic, with a nod to Japanese mythology in a pleasant story reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's films.

"Haru returns home in denial after a tsunami, where he must learn to deal with his loss through an encounter with a magical sea Spirit."

Short Film: Wildlife Crossing

"WILDLIFE CROSSING!" from ANOMALIA

"Wildlife Crossing" is an animated short film that tells the story of two snails in love tragically separated by a very busy highway—and a daredevil frog that risks his life jumping from one speeding car to another.  It boasts many of the same virtues as a Pixar's many movies, including a solid story, lovely animation, and plenty of laughs.

Watch behind the scenes videos dedicated to this short film at the WILDLIFE CROSSING website.

"A WITTY STORY ABOUT A SMALL BUT DETERMINED SNAIL BOY WHO MUST CROSS A HECTIC HIGHWAY TO REUNITE WITH HIS PRECIOUS GIRLFRIEND. CAN THE BOY OVERCOME HARSH REALITY OF HIS HANDICAP AND PROVE THAT TRUE LOVE CONQUERS ANY OBSTACLES?"

Short Film: Cloudrise

"Cloudrise" directed and animated by Denver Jackson

"Cloudrise" is a heart-breaking animated film with with many of the trappings of the steampunk genre.  In it, Miko and Tenku have achieved their dream of a cloud ship of their own.  However, their dream becomes a nightmare when they are faced with the greatest challenge of their lives – surviving to fight another day.  The eight-minute short film tells the story of two lovers fighting to stay together as their burning airship plummets out of the sky.

The gorgeous film was created over the course of four months, and fans of of Final Fantasy and Legend of Korra will find it to be a satisfying feast for the eyes with painted backgrounds and graceful martial arts.

"Set in a fantasy world above the clouds, Cloudrise follows a pivotal moment in the lives of two lovers as they face a great challenge. Watch as Miko and Tenku fight to survive an attack on their new airship and take the necessary measures to help each other. Hold on to your seat as you witness how far someone is willing to go to rescue the one they love. This is an action-packed short film that ties together various fantasy/science fiction influences."

Short Film: 1900-2000

"1900-2000" Directed by Benoît Berthe, Gabrielle Locre,
Armelle Renac, Vivien Risser, Agathe Pillot, and Caroline Le Duff

In the year is 1900, Georges and Madeleine are auditioning for a stage show in which they exhibit the technological wonders of the next century.  Unfortunately for Georges, his lovely assistant is fed up with the act, and, right in the middle of the show, she absconds with their time machine.

It's a delightful time-travel romp, inspired by French artist Villemard's 1910 postcards imagining life in the year 2000.  Fans of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine will enjoy the fresh twist on the old story, which kids will love the over-the-top action and slapstick humor.

Video: My Fandom Valentine

"My Fandom Valentine" by OnlyLeigh

Leigh Lahav created this short piece in which characters from your favorite fandoms are asked a series of romantic questions.

"In celebration of Valentine's Day, we asked your favorite TV and Movie characters questions about love, romance and everything in between. Can you name them all?"

Video: Superman Adopted by the Waynes

"What If Superman Was Adopted By The Waynes" by CartoonHooligans

I used to love the Marvel “What If..” comics. What if Spider-Man lost his powers? What if Professor X could walk? This is like those comic books, but it focuses on DC characters and it’s a video. The question here is: What if Superman Was Adopted by the Waynes?

"Ever imagine what would happen if Superman took Batman's place as the son of the Wayne family?"

Short Film: Le Gouffre

"Le Gouffre" ("The The Chasm") from Lightning Boy Studio

Directed by Carl Beauchemin, Thomas Chrétien, David Forest

"Le Gouffre" is a beautifully animated drama the unfolds entirely without dialog.  It tells a tale of two travelers who decide to build a bridge across a broad chasm.  The pair face numerous challenges, which they overcome together through the bonds of friendship and sacrifice.

Carl Beauchemin, Thomas Chrétien, and David Forest spent two years bring their 10-minute story to life following a successful Kickstarter campaign.  The final result is an intense and beautiful film that may be the best short film I've seen so far this year.

"An inspiring tale about friendship, sacrifice and conquering the impossible.

Le Gouffre is the first animated short film produced and directed by Lightning Boy Studio, a young creative team based in Montreal. The film tells the story of two spirited travelers who come across an incredibly wide chasm on their journey and decide to build a bridge to cross it. Released in February 2015, the project had first gained a lot of attention following the huge success of its Kickstarter campaign, which allowed the creators to finance the movie's post-production. Many were impressed by the passion and determination of the small team of three animators, who spent more than two full years creating the 10-minute film."

Short Film: Mr Selfie

"Mr Selfie" by Weareseventeen

“Mr Selfie” follows a man as he goes through an entire day while staring at his smartphone–which may be awfully familiar to some people. It totally nails our over-reliance on our phones. We use it in bed to fall asleep, we use it in bed when we can't fall asleep, we have our phone in the bathroom, on our commutes, on the sidewalk, through live events, through nature and basically through life.

Maybe it's time to put the phone down.

"Something we have all no doubt noticed is the increasing fixation with what is going on our smartphones - if it's not ourselves, then we regularly see other people walking down the street pre-occupied with their phones, we see buses and trains full of commuters fixated on their little screens desperate for some information fix and it’s not uncommon to see friends in restaurants interacting with their phones rather than each other - all missing what is going on around them and reducing their quality of life as a result. This short animation is a playful tale of this modern phenomenon..."

Music Video: EQUATEUR

"EQUATEUR // THE LAVA // PART I" by Kadavre Exquis

The Parisian electronic group Equateur released this pair of music videos as a two-part fantasy adventure animated by French graphic designer Kadavre Exquis.  Those interested can also check out a full breakdown of its making.

Short Film: ANYA

"ANYA" Written and Directed by Damien O'Connor of Brown Bag Films

"Anya" is intended to raise funds to from the Irish charity "To Russia With Love," an organization on a mission to act as a guardian to children without parents and turn them into successful parents, thus breaking the cycle of abandonment. It follows the life of an abandoned child over the course of two decades as she grows up in a Russian orphanage.  It's pretty much as adorable as you might imagine from the still frame of the embedded video and as moving as you'd guess a fundraising video created for a charitable organization would have to be.

The project began with O’Connor visiting one of the charity’s set ups, the Hortolova Orphanage in Russia. There the writer/director met with children and heard their stories. Singapore’s Infinite Studios, moved by the children’s circumstances, offered their services for free. Over all 80 people spread across five countries contributed to the production of Anya. The short is produced by Edel Byrne with original music by Darren Hendley (The Octonauts, Olivia) and is narrated by Russian actress Chulpan Khamatova, with vocal contributions by Irish singer Lisa Hannigan.

Read an interview with the director at Skwigly.

Short Film: Dromeo

"Dromeo" Directed and written by Florian Gerstner

""Dromeo" tells the story of a little astronaut, who is dreaming of flying a kite. Unfortunately he’s located on a foreign world, that doesn’t provide an atmosphere, thus foredooming his endeavours. Realizing the impossibility of his desire, his attmeps become more and more obsessed and selfdestructive."

Short Film: Confusion Through Sand

"Confusion Through Sand" from ornana films

It's increasingly rare to find filmmakers still working on hand-drawn animation in the old-school, flipbook-style method. But that's exactly what the folks at Ornana Films did for their new short film Confusion Through Sand, and the results are absolutely stunning.

With its violently kinetic camera moves and expressionistic suggestions of chaos, "Confusion Through Sand" is one of the best short films I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a stab at traditional animation that feels anything but traditional. It also manages to capture the fog of war in a way that’s as beautiful as it is disarming. 

"A nineteen year old kid finds himself alone in a hostile desert, scared as hell and trained to react."

Short Film: Obsolete

"Obsolete" by Lewis Gray (Smoking Robot)

"Obsolete" tells the story of a robot starting work in a decrepit toy factory. Trapped in the factory all its life it is curious about the outside world, watching a bird through the factory wall each day. When it mistakes a toy on the production line for the bird one day it sets the robots escape in motion.

This style and lighting effects in this film are remarkable. Watching the robot explore the world he knows in the factory and crafting an escape is fascinating. You’ll certainly find yourself cheering for the little guy.

"Obsolete tells the story of a robot starting work in a decaying toy factory. Trapped in the factory all its life it is curious about the outside world, watching a bird through the factory wall each day. When it mistakes a toy on the production line for the bird it sets the robots escape in motion."

Short Film: EL TERROR

"EL TERROR" from Franco

"El Terror" is a delightful animated short created by Montreal artist Franco E. about an outlaw in the Wild West who gets more than he bargains for after stealing an ice cream cone from a four-year-old girl.

"In the wild Sonoran desert, the greatest criminal of the Far-West suffers the wrath of a four years old child after stealing her ice cream cone."

Short Film: Flow

"Flow" from Mathijs Demaeght

Gorgeous colours, bold design and a minimalist soundtrack all come together to guide the audience through a slowly-shifting dream-scape.  At least, that's what we'd say if we were writing log-lines for a program guide. The story is simple, but at all times well told and stunning to look at.  Flow is a MA graduation project made by Mathijs Demaeght at RITS School Of Arts.

"A mourning girl makes an unexpected friend when a white wolf takes her through a mysterious portal on a journey to confront her grief. A journey about loneliness, grief, friendship and love all in one big flow."

Short Film: Heat vs Repulsion

"Heat vs Repulsion" by Magnil

A master of gravity goes up against a master of flames in a fight that shakes the entire planet in this exciting animated short by 19-year old 光学核心 (Optical-Core).