Do you ever find yourself wanting to be immersed in a story but with very little time to spare? Well, short films are perfect for you to make use of those precious moments. While packing a smaller punch when compared to feature films, these shorts can still tell complete and compelling stories. This list particularly focuses on short films that clock under 15 minutes and highlight everything that’s possible in the format.
For quite some decades now, short films have been a true art form in their own right. They’re no longer confined to being stepping stones for directors. Now, even some of the most creative filmmakers choose to express themselves through a shorter runtime and just as powerful stories. Major directors like Martin Scorsese, Spike Jonze, and Sofia Coppola cut their teeth making short films in the early days of their careers.
But what makes a short film excellent and worth your time? At their best, a “good” short film achieves an incredible amount with very little to go from. The initial idea, the emotional payoff, the fabrication of a world, tight script, imaginative visuals, and strong lead performances all work together to realize something greater within just a few minutes. Our carefully picked collection is sure to introduce you to a unique cinematic experience. And all in under 15 minutes.
20 Mob Ghost (2022) – 10 Minutes
Directed by Jimmy Caputo, Mob Ghost is a comedy/horror film. It centers around George, a recently divorced man who has moved into a tiny apartment. Shortly after, he realizes that a supernatural spirit of a mobster haunts the place and makes it stink of pasta. George finds a cheap paranormal investigator named Pete from Craigslist. When the two try to conjure the spirit, what follows is pure hilarity.
A Great Mix of Comedy and Sincerity
Underneath its sincere elements of a grieving man trying to understand an unseen presence are subtle comedic moments that make Mob Story extremely enjoyable. Paul Noonan and Jeff Blanchette have incredible chemistry as George and Pete, both emitting danger and desperation at the same time. Nick Albanese plays the unrelenting mobster ghost with impeccable comedic timing.
19 Chapel of Rest (2022) – 14 Minutes
A short that makes us perceive life and death in a different manner, Chapel of Rest centers around Father Jones, who is called in from out-of-town to perform a funeral at a funeral home. Upon arriving, he is faced with the biggest mystery of his life – he doesn’t know whose funeral it is. Pondering the question, he is joined by Neil, an equally inquisitive man who sits next to him and tries to uncover the truth about who is in the coffin that lay before them.
An Unsettling Mystery
The dialogue in Chapel of Rest is what allows its gorgeous and unsettling mystery to take center stage. Call it an atmospheric horror short or a thought-provoking piece of art, there is a palpable air of tension throughout. Written and directed by Iain Cash and starring Sidney Kean and Kyle Brookes, the film was nominated for several accolades including Best Thriller – Short at the London Indie Film Festival, an award it won.
Watch Chapel of Rest on YouTube.
18 Shank’s Rain (2021) – 10 Minutes
Director Jonathan Rowan’s short film about relationships and codependency takes your breath away in less than ten minutes. From the first time their eyes meet to the last shared conversation, we follow two individuals who were convinced they were soulmates. However, one look back into their relationship and everything they built together begins to crumble down in a hundred little pieces.
Shank’s Rain will allow a glimpse into the constant fear of being romantically involved with a person by reflecting on insecurities, the past, and the deceptively complex present shared by its two main characters. They are played beautifully well by Alia Caprie and Khyran Shank (who also co-wrote the short film with Rowan). Leaving its conclusion subtle instead of loud is quite clever.
Watch Shank’s Rain on YouTube.
17 Expecting (2019) – 8 Minutes
Expecting is a short drama written and directed by Ryan Couldrey. Its intriguing setup sees a soon-to-be mother finally being upfront about certain aspects of her pregnancy. The single mother is about to give her baby for adoption to a couple she got in touch with through an infertility support group. Sitting across from them at an awkward dinner party, she reveals truths that fill the air with tension.
Couldrey takes the viewers on a rollercoaster journey – not one filled with emotions, but with undeniable tension. The inside of its protagonist’s head has been the source of this story, and when that is unraveled in a tone that is uncertain but intense, the result is remarkable. Samantha Wan, Kira Hall, and Andres Wong deliver performances that are precise and subtle.
Watch Expecting on YouTube.
16 The Boy With a Camera for a Face (2013) – 14 Minutes
Commenting on the modern way of living, this Spencer Brown-directed short centers around a boy who was just born different. With a camera literally in place of his face, every moment of his life is transformed into a documentation, and everything he witnesses becomes a recording. We follow him from birth through adulthood, and in the process, experience the world through his lens. Pun intended.
The Boy With a Camera for a Face is a satirical comedy. Whimsical in tone but never preachy, it skewers society’s obsession with taking pictures of places and people and recording their little moments. The special effects bring this fairy tale concept to life vividly. And paired with a witty verse narration read by Steven Berkoff, the short film is both heartbreaking and humorous.
Watch The Boy With a Camera for a Face on Vimeo.
15 Sonja (2018) – 5 Minutes
Sonja is an experimental short that stars Soňa Zelisková in the lead role. Exploring her one-of-a-kind story through unique audiovisual techniques, we follow her through her life. Beginning at the age of 13, when she was diagnosed with diabetes, then at age 26, when she lost her vision following the birth of her son, and finally at age 39, when she regains control of her life and finds solace in pursuing art and ceramics.
A genuinely moving premise that brings perspective and wonder, Sonja is based on the real life story of Soňa Zelisková. To do justice to her experiences, director Maroš Milčík uses various filming techniques – like infrared technology that helps achieve a surreal black-and-white environment. The poetic short may revolve around the number 13 but its overarching message about fulfilling one’s personal goals is heartwarming.
Watch Sonja on Vimeo.
14 Like a Bolt from the Blue (2023) – 11 Minutes
Revolving around a Dublin couple, Like a Bolt from the Blue is a recent short film that brings to light modern relationships in a way that is authentic and relatable. Tony and Erin have been dating for some time now; they attend parties and have a decent social life. However, when an unplanned pregnancy situation arises, the two are forced to rethink their choices, and the bond they share is damaged beyond repair.
Director Michael Antonio Keane (who also plays the guy in the relationship) uses vibrant vistas, stunning shots of the Dublin coastline, and a playfully curious score to find the right balance of sincerity and fragility. Tony and Erin’s story resonated because of their personalities. As a couple, they hold eye contact and look away, but those moments speak a lot. Overall, Like A Bolt from the Blue leaves your mind buzzing with thoughts.
Watch Like a Bolt from the Blue on YouTube.
13 The Encounter (2019) – 3 Minutes
The Encounter is a mesmerizing and easy-flowing short film that follows a conversation between Alice and Ali. The former is a 25-year-old documentary photographer and activist who worked for several years on the front lines, and the latter is a man who works in Oman, away from his home and family in Pakistan, to support and provide for them. Through his words, we learn of his wife back home, their culture, and his dreams.
Using scarce means of filmmaking and yet creating an elegant composition, The Encounter, directed by Marko Roth, reveals enough in its short runtime. From the wide vignettes of the golden, hot desert, to the close up shots of the workers in Oman, the film unveils shades of a person that often lay underneath their veneer of happiness. The short explores the question – can we ever escape what lingers within?
Watch The Encounter on Vimeo.
12 Less Than One (2014) – 4 Minutes
In a population of eight billion, what are the chances that a person will find their soulmate in this lifetime? That’s the question explored in this short film, written and directed beautifully by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. The idea is absurd as it is, and Less Than One puts a mathematical lens to it and explores it through the eyes of a couple who recently had a huge fight.
This incredible short radiates pure warmth and simple emotions. Modern relationships are harder to hold on to now, more than ever, and it circles around the same theme. Tim Brown and Samantha Jayne are simply called ‘Him’ and ‘Her.’ We get to know them through their words, their body language, their aspirations, and their desire for small connections in a world desperately in need of light.
Watch Less Than One on Vimeo.
11 Beauty Mark (2018) – 10 Minutes
Also directed by Jonathan Rowan, Beauty Mark tells the story of a woman stuck in an abusive marriage. Krystal experiences the same vicious cycle of anger and apology with her husband Karlos day in and out. After every incident, he manipulates her into thinking he will change. But after one tragic event, Krystal comes to the realization that her perception of love is forever clouded.
Not only is Beauty Mark a sincere portrayal of abusive marriage, but it also addresses loveless relationships in a collective and superficial society. Stars Skyh Black and Chelsey Goldsmith play their characters quite well, their grace and destruction coming out in equal proportions. An official selection at the Atlanta Black Pride Film Festival, the film is a must-watch.
Watch Beauty Mark on YouTube.
10 The Gunfighter (2013) – 9 Minutes
A rare Western comedy short from director Eric Kissack, The Gunfighter is set against the backdrop of the dusty sun-baked West. The titular gunslinger walks into a saloon, where an assortment of typical rogues and swindlers sit. Almost out of nowhere, the voice-over of a narrator fills the saloon and, little by little, reveals the gunslinger’s psyche and his next move. Turns out, the narrator has a thirst for blood.
Dramatizing the idea of what life (or watching a movie) would be like if a narrator constantly kept dropping hints and spoilers, The Gunfighter arrives with the kind of flair and humor that subverts genre norms. The clever dialogue delivery by Nick Offerman as the Narrator paired with Shawn Parsons’ clueless yet thoughtful gunslinger makes the short a delight to watch.
Watch The Gunfighter on YouTube.
9 Me & You (2015) – 7 Minutes
Director Jack Tew makes the most of his setting, which is an enclosed room filled with stuff that belongs to its main characters, to create a short film that is beautiful and extremely tender. Shot entirely through one focal point, it examines the love between two people – from the beginning of their relationship, to their period of high tides and romance, and eventually to the formation of a gap between their beings.
With a limited running time and a scarce budget, creating a short that is innovative but still impactful may pose a challenge. Tew not only gifts his viewers with conversations that cultivate their understanding of his characters, but also fleshes out the many layers between who they present themselves as and who they become. Me & You is a charming short film starring Jesse Rutherford and Georgia Clarke-Day.
Watch Me & You on YouTube.
8 MONSTER (2005) – 10 Minutes
Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, this horror short film has a premise that bears a stark resemblance to her feature directorial debut, The Babadook (since it was her inspiration for the movie). MONSTER follows a mother constantly grappling with grief, while her young son keeps insisting that there is a disfigured rag doll in the house that threatens to eat him alive. When, in the middle of the night, she sees a shadow, things take a sinister turn.
Powerful and terrifying in every which way, MONSTER is shot entirely in black-and-white. Taking the haunted house trope to another level, the film’s expert cinematography immerses us into the surroundings and has us walk alongside Susan Prior’s character. Kent’s short won four awards, two at Aspen Shortfest, and one at Australian Screen Sound Guild and Imago – International Young Film and Video Festival each.
Watch MONSTER on YouTube.
7 A Thousand Words (2008) – 5 Minutes
Circling around the idea of big-city loneliness, A Thousand Words follows a young man in Los Angeles. While on a metro, he catches the eye of a young woman. After she gets off, he notices that she’s left her digital camera behind. Going through the pictures, he learns a few things about her – like her name, what her apartment building looks like, and the fact that she’s returning home to Boston soon.
With whimsy and heart, A Thousand Words finds profundity laced in its gorgeous mystery. Directed by Ted Chung and starring Yoyao Hsueh and Nasim Pedrad, its triumph lies in the transformation power of a stranger, their quirks, and the volumes of their personality. Tackling universal themes like longing for connection and searching for love, the short brings a smile on your face.
Watch A Thousand Words on YouTube.
6 The Division of Gravity (2011) – 10 Minutes
Like a cautionary tale for couples in love, The Division of Gravity arrives from the mind of Rob Chiu, who adapts it from a script written by Ben Fogg. The short follows a young man and a woman who were once obsessed with one another. But their self-destructive ways and personal pressures lead them to drift apart. Eventually, the two are forced to confront the separation and move on with their lives.
The Division of Gravity features a premise that is eerily plausible in real life. Its striking visuals and complex character behaviors are heavy with rich subtext. The overarching theme is about fraught relationships, and Chiu never lets his focus shift. Rebecca Calder and Max Wrottesley bring nuance to their characters, and their poetic one-liners anchor the overall film.
Watch The Division of Gravity on Vimeo.
5 Splitscreen: A Love Story (2011) – 3 Minutes
Splitscreen: A Love Story is a romantic short shot entirely on a Nokia mobile phone. It is about two people who live on opposite sides of the world but are headed to the same destination. With one in New York and the other in Paris, the film focuses on both their lives in a parallel fashion and explores the journey that will bring them together in the end.
Almost like a modern Romeo and Juliet (minus the grand love confessions and the impending doom), this James W. Griffiths-directed short shows how two strangers can cross paths and end up becoming the most important person to each other. Splitscreen: A Love Story boasts grainy cinematography, minimalist aesthetic, and simple visuals, with the performances from Lola McDonnell and Scott Ellis stealing all the spotlight.
Watch Splitscreen: A Love Story on YouTube.
4 Death and Faxes (2022) – 13 Minutes
Of the few award-winning short films is Death and Faxes. Written and directed by Erbil Shaban, it centers around Jim Schafer, a 34-year-old man who dies a tragic death and wakes up mysteriously in a waiting room with no recollection of how he got there or how to get out. Surrounded by eccentric characters from separate walks of life, he soon realizes that this is the afterlife and he must make an important decision.
Making provocative comments on the idea of death, Death and Faxes is a cold and bizarre short film that proves a person’s capacity (or the lack of it) to be human. Some people make inconsequential mistakes in life. Others take the win. Regardless, the result is unsurprising. Starring Lester Cowling and Dorian Simpson, this short deserves a watch.
Watch Deaths and Faxes on YouTube.
3 The Stranger (2022) – 13 Minutes
In The Stranger, a man takes a family hostage in their small-town feed store. Stuck with endless time on their hands and spiraling thoughts, they must figure out a way to know this stranger’s motives. The father in the family has only one chance at saving them, and it is to answer the stranger’s solitary demand: “Tell me who I am.”
Directed and written by Dan Burks, The Stranger constructs a lot of unbearable tension around its unassuming premise. With the hostage situation and ever-lurking question at play, it is up to the cast to deliver performances that are intense and powerful. And that they do. Eventually, the short declares having a happy life as a foundation of lies and proves how a brief runtime can make just as impactful a point.
Watch The Stranger on YouTube.
2 Are You My Mommy (2018) – 15 Minutes
An action-packed comedy directed and edited by Gavin Michael Booth, Are You My Mommy satirizes the gender inequalities seen in the film industry and media as a whole. It centers around an action star called ‘Hero,’ who happens to be in danger; the answer to his situation resulting in either life or death. He is then rescued by an unlikely savior, one that has a hidden motive.
Tightly coiled and precise in what it intends to convey, this award-winning short pulls no punches and gives way to some unsettling and long-overdue truths. With its stunning imagery and piercing commentary on Hollywood’s portrayal of women on screen, it sticks with you long after. Whether it is in film, television, on the media, or elsewhere, the complex character study leaves no stone unturned. And in less than 15 minutes.
Watch Are You My Mommy on YouTube.
1 Reaching Happy (2020) – 9 Minutes
The final short film on our list, Reaching Happy, examines the capacity for life and love to bloom amidst pathos. It revolves around a construction worker, who is crushed after the death of his girlfriend. However, as the sole guardian and caregiver of their daughter, a child with a unique spirit, he rises above his grief and makes sure she finds a safe space in society, one that’s away from shame and stigma.
Delicate in tone and keen in observation, Reaching Happy unpacks some universal struggles faced by humans. Like finding your purpose and having the courage to fully commit to it. Its bittersweet epiphany and the ability to balance emotional moments leaves the audience feeling seen. The short is directed by Jonathan Dubsky, and it stars Lyric Abbott, Caleb Dante Olivieri, and Suzanne Bennett. Its ultimate message is refreshing and layered, which is why Reaching Happy earns its spot.
Watch Reaching Happy on YouTube.
