Something to think about

9 min · Tamil · Comedy

Knowing what comes next might be more trouble than it is worth. Try this Tamil short for a comic twist on premonition and greed.

18 min · Malayalam · Drama

Make a little time for the story in “Globe”.

29 min · Tamil · Drama

A daughter's return forces her family to face uncomfortable truths. Watch this Tamil social drama for a story about prejudice, abuse and the need to change.

15 min · English · Science fiction

One astronaut, one experimental spacecraft, and the possibility of going too far. Try this if space exploration leaves you wondering what might lie beyond the next leap.

13 min · English · Drama

See a family argument from the child caught in its middle. Watch for a story about the tensions children notice before adults explain them.

7 min · English · Animation · Comedy

A missing scarf opens the door to surprisingly big questions. Try this animated fable for a small forest adventure with an existential streak, narrated by George Takei.

30 min · Marathi · Drama

A child's small wish meets a village's old restrictions. Watch for a mother–daughter story about education and the possibility of change.

4 min · English · Thriller · Horror

A walk to the car becomes a confrontation with fear. Try Afraid for a three-and-a-half-minute thriller about the anxieties that can follow women through ordinary routines.

21 min · Hindi · Romance · Drama

What remains of a childhood crush after years apart? Try this Hindi short for a reunion full of uncertain possibilities.

4 min · English · Drama

Four minutes from director Maaz Khan with Diana Von Gruning and Younes Mohamed: a compact reminder, in English, that first impressions can be badly wrong.

31 min · Marathi · Drama

An everyday need becomes a fight for dignity. Watch Rekha for a Marathi story about a woman's determination to care for herself and find support beyond her household.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

Two women meet across a class divide at a moment of crisis. Try Not Friends Not Strangers for a lockdown drama about the tension between needing help and trusting a stranger.

18 min · Hindi · Drama

Latika Kaushik writes and directs this sharp Hindi drama about rumour, ritual and a mother's fear for her sick child. Eighteen minutes that look hard at how panic spreads through a neighbourhood.

17 min · Hindi · Drama

A frustrating conversation can arrive at the moment you most need a new perspective. Try Parichay for a Hindi story about business setbacks and an unexpected encounter.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

Rupa begins to see herself beyond the story of being unwanted. Watch for a short about care, belonging and discovering your worth.

15 min · Hindi · Science fiction · Drama

Sudeesh Kanaujia's Hindi sci-fi drama asks what happens when humans start behaving like gods: generators, operators and destroyers. A fifteen-minute think piece rather than a spectacle.

15 min · English · Science fiction · Romance · Drama

Space becomes the setting for a search for connection after loss. Try this if you like science fiction that makes room for memory and love.

26 min · Telugu · Drama

Directed by O. Ravi Kumar; the description lists official selections at Aab International Film Festival 2017, Lake View International Film Festival 2017 and Best of India Short Film Festival 2018.

20 min · Telugu · Comedy · Drama

An interview takes a philosophical turn. Watch this Telugu short for a conversation about belief, people and the values we live by.

16 min · Kannada · Drama

Pushpa keeps fighting for her son in a world quick to judge her. Watch for a Kannada short about dignity, hardship and a mother's resolve.

16 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

Aditi's search for the perfect guy becomes a chance to understand herself. Watch for a Tamil coming-of-age romance about finding the love that fits you.

32 min · Marathi · Drama

A mother and son's journeys toward self-acceptance unfold together. Try Daaravtha for a Marathi coming-of-age story about identity and the limits tradition can place around it.

10 min · Tamil · Fantasy

Three magical powers give a family new possibilities—and new risks. Try this Tamil fantasy short about choices and their consequences.

27 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Thriller

Minul M Nair's Malayalam comedy piles mystery and twists onto a story that keeps going wrong. Twenty-six minutes of cheerful chaos.

13 min · English · Drama

A chance meeting opens a conversation about how we judge one another. Try Dre for a compact drama built around an unexpected encounter.

30 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama

Try this Tamil short directed by Naresh Sampath and written by Arun Karthik. A pick for discovering their independent romantic storytelling.

17 min · Hindi · Drama

The same heat can feel very different from one life to another. Watch for a street-level view of climate change and the people who cannot step away from it.

14 min · Hindi · Comedy · Drama

The investigator becomes the suspect in this Hindi comedy of a missing earring, suspicious neighbours and Baby's unusual detective work.

21 min · Arabic · Drama

What happens when doing your job and doing the human thing pull in different directions? This Arabic short puts that choice at the centre of a commercial shoot coming apart.

14 min · English · Drama

What would an artist risk to be noticed? Try this British short for a painter whose plan for recognition goes dangerously beyond the canvas.

27 min · Hindi · Drama · Romance · Comedy

Love can be awkward at any age. Try this short for two generations finding their way through romance, family and unexpected connections.

11 min · Malayalam · Drama

A longed-for celebration gives way to an unwelcome duty. Try this Malayalam short for a young nun caught between a private wish and another person's need.

11 min · Tamil · Drama

A small apology becomes a big question about power. Watch for a story that asks who gets to demand respect—and who is expected to stay silent.

13 min · English · Comedy · Drama · Horror · Fantasy

For Owen, resisting a compulsion feels as if the world could end. This dark comedy takes that fear literally, mixing an everyday struggle with wildly escalating stakes.

18 min · English · Comedy

A father's final demand makes grieving unusually difficult. Watch this dark comedy for a strange family inheritance and the feelings money cannot settle.

12 min · English · Comedy · Romance

A London pub, a break-up that won't happen and a compulsory game of chess. This sharp English comedy turns every move on the board into a move in the relationship.

11 min · Japanese · Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Koji Yamamura's Oscar-nominated animation retells the rakugo tale of a miser who grows a cherry tree on his head. Its makers note it ranked in Annecy's list of 100 films for a century of animation.

21 min · English · Drama

Some questions follow us long after childhood. Watch for a British drama about seeking the answer that might finally let someone move on.

12 min · Malayalam · Drama

Try a Malayalam short directed by Madhu Punnapra. A compact pick for discovering Sea Shine Productions' work.

11 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Sansedai (Three Generations)” to see the world from another angle. Three generations of a Japanese-American family, through 1930s home movies and photobooks.

7 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy

What if daylight controlled your every move? Watch for a wordless stop-motion tale of a worker with a brighter idea.

8 min · English · Documentary

Carving a wooden spoon becomes a way to think about the doubts we bring to our work. A pick for slowing down with someone's craft and honesty.

15 min · Malayalam · Drama

Try Illithalla for a short Malayalam film from director Rasheed Parambil, presented by Cue Studio.

10 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Drama

A man seeks a psychologist's help to find peace of mind; the doctor, played by director Jeethu Joseph, pinpoints the real problem and prescribes a rare remedy.

16 min · Malayalam · Drama

A shared meal becomes a shared secret. Try Panku for three friends whose craving leaves them racing to stay ahead of a forest-officer raid.

9 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama

A tree grows as the family around it changes. Watch for an animated reflection on care, time and the life rooted in one place.

8 min · Tamil · Drama

A shortage of carrots exposes something more troubling between neighbours. Try Theetu for a Tamil story about the prejudices hidden in ordinary exchanges.

24 min · German · English · Swedish · Comedy · Drama

When his partner disappears during an Alpine wellness holiday, Aron is unsure whether he is searching for her or for himself.

26 min · Tamil · Thriller · Drama

Three encounters bring a reporter, friends and strangers into the same frame. Try this if you enjoy stories that make unexpected connections.

13 min · English · Comedy

What if your harshest inner critic could follow you around? Try this dark comedy for an unusual look at self-doubt and the voice we learn to live with.

15 min · Tamil · Drama

Try a Tamil short written and directed by Devamoorthy Velayutham. A pick for discovering this cast and crew's independent work.

24 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

A couple's plans for the future turn into a puzzle. Try this if you enjoy untangling what people mean—and what they are trying to achieve.

13 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

Three people, and a relationship open to interpretation. Watch for a Malayalam psychological drama that leaves room for your own reading.

38 min · Malayalam · Drama

A winged stranger lands in the wrong backyard. Watch this Malayalam short for a collision of faith, scepticism and the urge to believe in miracles.

13 min · Malayalam · Thriller

Try a Malayalam thriller that asks you to reconsider what a touch can mean. A short pick for viewers drawn to suspense.

8 min · Hindi · Animation

Can a small coin find a purpose in a world that values bigger things? Try Ketan Pal's animated short for a playful question about worth.

6 min · English · Drama

A second can change who we meet and where we go. Try this for a short about timing and the possibilities of a small moment.

12 min · Tamil · Drama

Discover an early short from filmmaker Nithilan, made for the Naalaya Iyakkunar Season 3 contest. A pick for exploring a filmmaker's earlier work.

15 min · English · Documentary

What happens when your livelihood no longer fits your conscience? Choose 73 Cows for a short documentary about a farmer weighing an unusually difficult change.

20 min · Tamil · Drama

Lakshmi Devy directs and stars in this Tamil drama about a bright young woman raised never to have an opinion. Its makers report awards at several international festivals.

10 min · Tamil · Drama

A child's story puts water scarcity into everyday perspective. Watch for a brief Tamil reminder of something too easy to take for granted.

10 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

A sleeping princess draws a very unlikely rescue party. Choose Sleeping Betty for a dialogue-free, ink-drawn fairy-tale parody that mixes royal history with playful absurdity.

29 min · Malayalam · Drama

A girl's diary becomes her way of answering cruelty. Try this Malayalam drama for a difficult story about grief and a child's need to be heard.

5 min · English · Tamil · Hindi · Animation · Comedy · Drama

What if a skin tone came with a number that shaped how people treated you? Try this short animated satire for a pointed look at colourism and everyday prejudice.

22 min · Tamil · Drama

Try a Tamil drama written and directed by Pranav Prasannan, featuring Munish. A pick for discovering Eva Films' independent work.

9 min · English · Animation

Why does time seem to speed up as we age? Try this stop-motion short for a darkly comic exploration of that fear.

16 min · Telugu · Drama

For a brief Telugu drama, try Daari from writer-director Suresh Raj Bogamoni.

8 min · Hindi · Drama

A mother faces the cost of silence when her daughter's future is at stake. Watch for a short about breaking a cycle of domestic abuse.

15 min · Tamil · Drama

For this family, a phone is the way into a classroom they cannot otherwise reach. Try Pichai Pugunum for a Tamil story about education and the cost of staying connected.

10 min · Spanish · Comedy · Drama · Fantasy

Unhappy at work and disconnected from his family, Manuel is diagnosed with a strange condition: he is turning into an elephant.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

What would it take to leave a secure job for an idea of your own? Follow Aarti as she weighs uncertainty, ambition and a new beginning.

35 min · Tamil · Drama

A father reaches the hospital with borrowed money, but it may still not be enough. Choose Balloon Doctor for a Tamil drama about care, poverty and what it takes to help a child.

17 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

A stranger offers Ashley a new perspective, then becomes a source of uncertainty. Choose Fugue for a Malayalam psychological story that turns the search for connection into suspense.

31 min · Malayalam · Drama

For a Malayalam drama from writer-director Shreyani Joseph, set aside half an hour for Oru Munnariyippu.

18 min · English · Science fiction · Action

A battlefield is not the only place this war is being fought. Try this science-fiction short for its collision of vast machines and an inner, spiritual struggle.

10 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama

A playground becomes a place to rethink who gets included. Watch Ian for an animated story told without dialogue about reaching out to a child who wants to belong.

22 min · Hindi · Thriller · Drama

The police have a suspect, but not an identity they can pin down. Try Zabaan for a Hindi mystery about suspicion, unanswered questions and the limits of certainty.

38 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama its makers say is the first to tell this story on screen: a young widow observing iddah, four months and ten days of seclusion. Thirty-seven minutes of grief, faith and endurance.

11 min · English · Science fiction · Romance · Comedy

Dating is complicated enough without a visitor from the future. Try this for a playful collision between romance and time travel.

28 min · Konkani · Drama

A respected boss looks very different to the people working for him. Watch for a Konkani short about dignity, exploitation and a chance to speak up.

29 min · Malayalam · Science fiction

For a Malayalam science-fiction short, try Alien Brihaspati from writer-director Harinarayanan, featuring Snigdha Maria, A V Anoop and Ishak Musafir.

12 min · Malayalam · Drama

Set aside eleven minutes for Akhil Kotta's Malayalam drama, with family and the place of older parents at its heart.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

Look beyond labels to the people living with them. A pick for a story about hardship, resilience and the hope of being understood.

31 min · English · Documentary

See our shared home through the memories of the people who first photographed it from lunar orbit. Earthrise offers an astronaut-led documentary reflection on a picture that changed the view.

8 min · Gujarati · Comedy · Drama

Your own wishes do not always get the deciding vote. Try this Gujarati short for a humorous look at life's choices and other people's expectations.

12 min · Hindi · Drama

For anyone who has struggled to say what they feel, Zuni turns toward the emotions that can get lost in everyday pressure and family life.

12 min · Malayalam · Horror · Science fiction

Two policemen arrive at an abandoned house in Kerala with orders to close a reopened case: a young woman found dead there in 2022, to be filed as a routine suicide before her family's questions and the court can push further. An old caretaker leaves them food and a single warning not to light a particular lamp. Ignoring it traps them in a night that will not end, in this restrained, single-location supernatural time-loop horror.

35 min · Tamil · Documentary · Drama

Take a short break with “Nagarodi” to see the world from another angle. People neglected by the government and authorities - a Neelam documentary.

22 min · Malayalam · Romance

Try this Malayalam musical short for a love story shaped by the world of a Theyyam artist, with music woven into the telling.

21 min · Bengali · Drama

Try a Bengali short from Abhijit Banerjee and his ensemble. A pick for exploring independent Bengali storytelling.

10 min · Hindi · Drama

Why does Mira wear a helmet everywhere? Try The Blue Helmet for a mother's unusual everyday ritual and the grief behind it.

30 min · Sinhala · Tamil · Drama

A journey north becomes a lesson in listening. Watch The Tea Is Cold for encounters that reveal what remains after a war has officially ended.

22 min · Hindi · Science fiction · Drama

A robot built to serve begins to question the people around him. Try Anukul for a Hindi science-fiction short about consciousness, power and the ethics of creating an obedient helper.

19 min · Hindi · Drama

Discover a Hindi short written and directed by Tahira Kashyap Khurrana. A pick for exploring independently made drama in a compact format.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

Can an unfamiliar kind of work reveal a familiar human need? Watch for a conversation about loneliness, judgment and the comfort of connection.

28 min · English · Drama · Science fiction

How do you write a villain that might be smarter than everyone in the room? Writing Doom brings that question to a writers' table for a short fiction about superintelligence.

25 min · Malayalam · Thriller · Drama

When social-media traps put a price on girls' honour - a cautionary thriller.

15 min · Malayalam · Fantasy · Thriller

A Malayalam noir fantasy: a man who has escaped every prison is sent to an island jail whose guards say no one leaves. Fourteen minutes that slowly tighten the screws.

20 min · English · Gujarati · Drama · Comedy

Grief has no patience for social performance. Try this tragicomedy for a widow's encounter with visitors who seem to bring everything except understanding.

16 min · Assamese · Drama

Priyanka Sohoria's Assamese drama about domestic violence in rural Assam, and about the hope and courage it takes to step into the light. Sixteen minutes that handle a hard subject with care.

20 min · English · Drama

Brenton Gieser's English sci-fi drama for DUST: in a near future without work, a despairing artist is a finalist for permanent digital bliss with all pain removed. Twenty minutes on what we lose when we stop feeling.

8 min · Indonesian · Drama

Directed by Fachri Al Jupri; distributed by Viddsee.

13 min · French · Drama

Hey, My name is Oren Gerner, I make and love short films. you can find me here:

16 min · Malayalam · Drama

For a brief Malayalam short from writer-director Abhinav and Redemption Motion Pictures, try Runner Up.

14 min · Malayalam · Tamil · Drama

Based on a real-life incident, this Malayalam-Tamil short centres on the experience of a corporate employee in Chennai.

31 min · Malayalam · Drama

Discover a Malayalam short by Sanju Anirudhan featuring Surabhi Lakshmi. A pick for viewers exploring independent character-driven drama.

10 min · English · Animation · Comedy

A carefree train ride becomes a darkly comic scramble. Watch for an animated short about class, self-interest and a journey going wrong.

35 min · English · Drama

A grounded drama about how easily young people on a north London estate are drawn into street and gang life and violence, and the search for a way out. It was made through community workshops with residents affected by these issues, many acting for the first time.

26 min · English · Comedy · Science fiction

Michael Heaton's retro sci-fi comedy: in an alternate 1950s where people grow from seeds, a lonely woman plants herself a husband. Twenty-six minutes on what perfect really means.

51 min · Tamil · Documentary · Drama

Take a short break with “Powering Pollution!” to see the world from another angle. Villages around the NLC Neyveli thermal plants and mines and the pollution they live with.

11 min · Tamil · Drama

A proud pensioner expecting his son from America instead meets his American-raised grandson, setting off a turbulent family encounter.

14 min · Hindi · Comedy

A Hindi comedy with a message: a greedy businessman who expects God to grant his every wish opens the door to a stranger, and the visit turns his thinking upside down.

24 min · Hindi · Drama · Thriller

How well do we know the person closest to us? Try Blindspot for a Hindi suspense story about trust, marriage and the assumptions behind a plan.

6 min · English · Science fiction · Animation

A robot workforce becomes a way to look at exclusion in a city. Watch for an animated short that echoes Brixton's history through a futuristic world.

14 min · Marathi · Drama

When does staying silent become a choice? Try this Marathi social drama for a question about responsibility and acting in time.

21 min · English · Documentary · Drama

Take a short break with “Wounded Hills” to see the world from another angle. After two years of devastating monsoons, a look at the environmental crisis in Kerala's Western Ghats.

28 min · Hindi · Thriller

A writer and a garbage collector have more in common than either expects. Watch for a Hindi mystery that unfolds through one unusual conversation.

22 min · Gujarati · Drama · Thriller

When does dedication become too much? Try Ati for a Gujarati story that puts mathematical obsession and emotional devotion on a collision course.

26 min · Punjabi · Drama

Try Jimmewari for a Punjabi drama centred on responsibility and the resilience it takes to carry it.

12 min · Urdu · Drama

Mahira Khan and Zahid Ahmed star in Sheheryar Munawar's Urdu drama about one morning in Sheherzade's life, split between husband, daughter and lover. Eleven minutes on promised fairy tales.

15 min · English · Drama

A warm Passover visit turns serious when a granddaughter confronts her grandmother with a secret that touches on Anne Frank's history. A fourteen-minute English drama about memory and truth.

18 min · Malayalam · Drama

The Moon is far away, but a child's dream can last for years. Try Badru for a Malayalam story about imagination, perseverance and an ambition that begins with a bedtime tale.

18 min · Urdu · Drama

A child's difficulty at school turns out to have an overlooked cause. Watch Noor for a social drama about seeing someone's needs and making room for them to thrive.

26 min · Kannada · Drama

Suru's Talkies' first Kannada short, directed by Yashan M with Sangeetha Bide and Darshan Shet. A value-based drama about something best kept between us.

22 min · Malayalam · Comedy

Who decides which rules we have to live by? Open Your Mind uses satire to question the everyday restrictions people place on one another.

13 min · Telugu · Drama

Directed and shot by Suresh Raj Bogamoni; the upload describes it as an award winner of the ANR Short Film Contest. Published by TeluguOne.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

A phone can keep a child busy—but what happens to the family around it? Try this Hindi short about parenting in a screen-filled world.

17 min · Hindi · Comedy · Drama

A donkey's worth turns out to be a very human question. Watch for a Hindi folk tale about status and the people others underestimate.

4 min · No dialogue · Drama · Animation

Try a brief film that tells its story without actors or dialogue. A pick for seeing how much a few minutes of images can say.

10 min · English · Drama

What might Ibsen's Nora face in the modern world? Watch Hattie Morahan in a short response about a woman choosing her own path.

20 min · Telugu · Drama

Spardha means a fight within. This Telugu drama follows a would-be world kickboxing champion whose biggest opponent is himself. Nineteen minutes, with English subtitles and festival recognition its makers list.

20 min · Hindi · Drama · Comedy · Romance

Try Elaichi for a wedding-night story where tenderness and humour make room for a difficult past and the possibility of a new beginning.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

A Hindi drama about a woman whose voice puts insomniacs to sleep, and the old client who says he hasn't slept in twenty years. Fifteen quiet minutes about the past and mental health.

31 min · Hindi · Drama

Aarti Chhabria directs Darshan Jariwala as a wealthy businessman who, facing death, leaves everything to seek peace in Varanasi. A thirty-one-minute Hindi drama about what really matters.

24 min · Tamil · Comedy

Try a Tamil short from Dhinah Chandra Mohan and the Kadhai Kelu collection. A compact way to discover this filmmaker's work.

20 min · Farsi · Comedy

In Tehran, Mina wants her family to move abroad. Saeed instead invents a device to cover men's eyes, challenging who should bear responsibility for restrictions on women's visibility.

10 min · English · Animation · Drama

A stranger's death changes the way Ruby sees her city. Watch this animated short for a reflection on fragile lives and unexpected connections.

22 min · Punjabi · Drama

What makes a gift meaningful? Choose Shukrana for a Punjabi story about education, generosity and helping someone build a different future.

8 min · Hindi · Drama · Comedy

A prize announcement takes an awkward turn. Try this Hindi short for a comedy of assumptions and crossed wires.

12 min · Hindi · Drama

A difficult day meets a deafening night. Watch Manoj Bajpayee play a constable pushed to his breaking point.

11 min · Malayalam · Horror · Fantasy

Rooted in the Kerala folk belief of Varathu Pokku, this Malayalam horror sends a cocky auto driver down a road said to belong to the goddess. Ten minutes; those who see her aren't meant to tell.

14 min · Hindi · Drama

An argument does not always end with the people who started it. Watch for how one person’s anger can ripple through other lives.

17 min · Marathi · Thriller · Drama

Santosh Davakhar's Marathi drama follows an eight-year-old who doesn't know his religion and explores them all like a curious traveller. A gentle seventeen minutes on faith without prejudice.

7 min · Hindi · Drama

How far would you go to stay honest? Happy Journey makes room for that uncomfortable question in a six-minute Hindi short.

18 min · Marathi · Drama

See a village's hardship through a schoolboy's eyes. Watch for a Marathi short that brings a large crisis down to everyday life.

18 min · Tamil · Drama

Banu Priya stars in Prem Kumar's Tamil drama about caste discrimination and untouchability, an Aadhan Originals production billed by its makers as award-winning.

20 min · English · Somali · Drama

How do you grieve someone you barely knew? Watch for a teenage story about family expectations, identity and unexpected connection.

16 min · Hindi · Drama

“Ek Chup” is a quietly gripping Hindi drama about the silence that hides abuse, and one woman who learns to turn that silence to her side.

16 min · English · Drama

An ordinary bedtime becomes the setting for an extraordinary story. Try David Lowery's Pioneer for a short centred on a father, a son and the power of telling a tale.

30 min · Kannada · Drama

Raghu Raghava's coastal Kannada meta-tale, presented by Rishab Shetty Films. Its makers report Best Film (Karnataka section) at the Oscar-qualifying Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022.

17 min · Malayalam · Drama

Try a Malayalam school-themed short from Anujith Vijayan. A pick for discovering a filmmaker's perspective on student life.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

Try Avaladhigaaram for a Tamil drama centred on women's safety and standing up to intimidation.

32 min · Marathi · Drama

Told through several perspectives, this Marathi short looks at how discrimination persists in workplaces, institutions and everyday encounters. Rather than dwelling on an act of violence itself, it stays with the survivors and their families afterwards, tracing the loneliness, fear and emotional collapse of having to wake up and keep living after everything has broken.

23 min · Telugu · Drama

A daughter's next step puts a father's beliefs to the test. Try Vaikalyam for a Telugu family drama about work, ambition and the freedom to choose a future.

23 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

A husband and wife who both work demanding jobs struggle to keep their life together, and have to ask what they really want from each other: love or money.

12 min · English · Science fiction · Comedy · Drama

A recliner that turns back time sounds convenient—until ordinary responsibilities catch up. A pick for science fiction that begins right at home.

13 min · English · Drama

Look beyond the thrill of a climb to the pain driving it. A pick for a story about risk, isolation and recognizing when pushing harder is not the answer.

20 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Island in Between” to see the world from another angle. A Taiwanese-American filmmaker on Kinmen, the islands between Taiwan and China.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

One necessary step outside becomes the start of finding herself again. Watch Renuka Shahane in a story about confidence and everyday independence.

11 min · English · Drama

A school uniform represents a dream that should not be out of reach. Watch for a Malayalam short about a child's wish to learn.

22 min · Hindi · Drama

Yash Verma's Hindi family drama with Sanjay Mishra, Neeraj Purohit and Anupriya Goenka: siblings rush home after a worrying call from their father and find him cooking kheer. Selfish or selfless, what does family love ask of us?

13 min · Japanese · Animation · Fantasy

Nina Aiiro's first original anime short, with music by Ayase: a girl named Luca asks Nene one unsettling question, what do you want? Twelve dreamlike minutes in Japanese.

11 min · Gujarati · Drama

Pradeep Vaghela's Gujarati drama asks what understanding really means, who has it and when. An eleven-minute thought piece from Jay Vyas Productions.

15 min · Kannada · English · Drama

Written, directed and co-produced by Chanakya Vyas; selected for the New York Indian Film Festival 2024 and, per the upload, first prize in the Karnataka competition of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2023.

18 min · Telugu · Drama

Choose Ardhanaari for a Telugu social drama that places a transgender character at the centre of a story about humanity and how people treat one another.

30 min · Hindi · Drama

A home holds more than its walls. Watch for an artist and his family facing what it means to leave during Partition.

28 min · Tamil · Thriller · Drama

Fear and anger pull a fragile bond in different directions. Try this for a Tamil drama about guilt and the possibility of emotional healing.

22 min · Hindi · Drama

A cup of tea opens a conversation across a tense divide. Try Kahwa for a Hindi short about two people finding common ground while the world around them remains unsettled.

16 min · Hindi · Drama

Coming home does not make a fresh start simple. Watch for a short about guilt, change and trying to put things right.

21 min · Telugu · Science fiction · Romance

An indie Telugu sci-fi romance from MarkataRashi: Samay is willing to travel through time to win over the person he loves. Twenty-one playful minutes.

19 min · Hindi · Horror · Comedy

Dhawan's Hindi horror-comedy: a miser can't resist a trail of scattered money, even as it leads him towards something unearthly. Eighteen minutes of greed and goosebumps.

13 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Perfectly Normal for Me (How Autism Feels)” to see the world from another angle. Jordan Kamnitzer tries to show what living with Asperger's is like from the inside.

20 min · English · Science fiction · Comedy

Justin Kruse's English sci-fi comedy: Reaper Rick, a paranoid veteran living off the grid, has the strangest day of his life when something arrives. Twenty minutes for conspiracy fans.

38 min · Tamil · Drama

A young woman needs support just when the people around her seem furthest away. Try this Tamil drama for Shreya's struggle to face a difficult future.

9 min · English · Animation · Drama

A meeting with Death becomes an invitation to look back at life. Choose Coda for a brief animated reflection on the things a person can miss while living.

14 min · Tamil · Drama

Try Bhargav Prasad's Tamil short for an independent voice from Neelam's Kadhai Kelu collection. A pick for viewers who enjoy stories that invite discussion.

8 min · Malayalam

5 min · Sanskrit · Drama

A short field trip brings larger disagreements into focus. Try Dvandvam for a Sanskrit story about how generations and social backgrounds shape the way people see the same situation.

30 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

Three doctors discover what their usual perspectives leave out. Watch for a Malayalam short about the human encounters behind medical work.

15 min · Malayalam · Thriller

When does wanting more become a hunger that cannot be filled? Try this for a Malayalam thriller about greed.

14 min · Tamil · Science fiction · Comedy

Balakrishnan's Tamil sci-fi comedy for Finally, with Raj VJ and DevaDharshini. A playful fourteen-minute time-travel caper.

14 min · Tamil · Drama

What happens when appearance is allowed to stand in the way of ability? Try this Tamil short for a story confronting colour prejudice.

18 min · Tamil · Drama

A story that asks us to look past prejudice and recognize a person. Watch if films about dignity and understanding matter to you.

7 min · English · Drama

Watch this shortfilm on what happens when a young teacher with a different perspective meets a class of rowdies.

31 min · Tamil · Drama

A mother backs her daughter’s dream while remembering her own. Try this if stories about ambition and family encouragement speak to you.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

When the outside world goes quiet, difficult questions can get louder. Try this for a Tamil story about solitude and looking for answers.

36 min · English · Science fiction

Jason Carman's ambitious sci-fi for DUST, set in the year 2730: a scientist proposes building an artificial habitable planet. Thirty-six minutes in the project's final century.

15 min · Hindi · Thriller

How safe is a crime that depends on everything going perfectly? Try Tenth Race for a Hindi suspense short featuring Pankaj Tripathi and a plan that invites that question.

7 min · English · Drama

Nicholas Clifford's Tropfest 2013 short: three stories collide and change one another in ways no one saw coming. Seven minutes on what goes around.

29 min · Hindi · Drama

A pair of shoes opens a child's imagination to another life. Watch for a Hindi story about small dreams and the inequalities around them.

22 min · English · Comedy

Try an English-language satire about caste from Rajesh Rajamani. A short pick for viewers interested in social hierarchy through comedy.

15 min · Tamil · Drama

Discover a Tamil short from Srinath Kannan S, with English subtitles. A pick for exploring independent short-form cinema.

20 min · Tamil · Drama

A father's difficult work follows his son beyond the journey to school. Watch for a Tamil short about dignity, inequality and the bond between parent and child.

27 min · Marathi · Drama

Grief is only the beginning of the battle in Baluta. Choose this Marathi drama for a woman defending her work, dignity and place in her community.

11 min · Marathi · Drama · Comedy

Two women face a similar problem in very different working lives. Watch for a Marathi story about deadlines, resourcefulness and a familiar snack.

21 min · Hindi · Drama

Make a little time for the story in “Nayantara's Necklace”. An accidental friendship between two unlikely women, and a necklace.

22 min · Telugu · Science fiction · Drama

A Telugu science-fiction drama: a paleontologist living with a chronic illness finds a fossil that may hold the universe's biggest secret. Twenty-two thoughtful minutes.

11 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy

Simon knows about ducks quite well. They make noise, fly, swim, some even roll.

9 min · Tamil · Drama

For a short Tamil film with a historical lens, try 1956 Ceylon from Joy Jegarthan and Pakidiya Kathaippam, centred on the period of the Sinhala Only Act.

18 min · English · Drama

Growing up in Oakland’s hip-hop culture, Eng struggles with her Chinese American identity. To her high school basketball team, she’s just that girl who sits on the bench, but to the Asian kids she’s "Americanized." As her sophomore year of high school comes to an end, Eng tries to find a sense of belonging within the two worlds that don't accept her.

39 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama

When a superstitious belief threatens Arjun's love for Aakruthi, the couple make a life-changing decision involving Kavya, a woman with cancer, in a bid to break the 'curse'. A drama about deception, social expectations and second chances.

37 min · Bengali · Drama

Suman Mukhopadhyay and Gargee Roy Chowdhury play a couple suffocating at home during the COVID lockdown, one anxious and one hopeful. A thirty-six-minute Bengali drama about finding air to breathe.

15 min · Punjabi · Drama

Try a Punjabi short from Harbhajan Singh and Studio7R. A pick for discovering an independent production team's work.

5 min · English · Animation · Fantasy

A monster, a colony of birds and a very small rescuer fill this animated mini-opera. Choose The Tale of How for a brief journey into a richly strange fantasy world.

21 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Our Neighbors, The Peacocks” to see the world from another angle.

5 min · English · Documentary

War looks different from the people sent to fight it. Try this brief documentary for a soldier's perspective beyond the headlines.

41 min · Tamil · Documentary

Stay with a community that refused to let its struggle for justice disappear. A pick for viewers interested in documentary accounts of power, resistance and collective action.

16 min · Malayalam · Drama

A story set in Thalassery examines the vulnerability of women even within their own homes.

12 min · Telugu · Drama

Independent short directed by Ravi Achini, published on Chai Bisket's Clap Board channel.

6 min · English · Animation · Comedy

An art student with poor eyesight follows his teacher's advice to draw exactly what he sees, and becomes an online sensation as an abstract artist. A six-minute animated satire of art criticism.

17 min · Hindi · Drama

A connection between generations opens a door beyond loneliness. Try Shuruaat for a Hindi story about companionship and finding a reason to begin again.

30 min · Tamil · Comedy

Four Bangalore software engineers get drawn into a multi-level marketing scheme in this comic, cautionary Tamil short that won Best Film at the Avtar International Film Festival 2012.

19 min · Malayalam · Drama

What does it take to break a damaging silence? Try this Malayalam short for a story centred on speaking up and reclaiming a voice within a difficult relationship.

21 min · No dialogue · Animation

Some people keep a place for us long after we leave. Watch for a story about longing, care and the bonds that distance cannot easily undo.

6 min · English · Animation · Science fiction

A traveller searches across space and time for the origins of the universe and life, arriving alone at a difficult realisation as the cosmos ages.

20 min · Dutch · Drama

Three synchronised swimmers present a united front while bullying others. Jealousy and shifting loyalties begin to expose fractures beneath their rehearsed smiles.

20 min · Marathi · Drama

A postman and a message set a compact story in motion. Try Taar for a Marathi short featuring Nagraj Manjule, Pooja Dolas and Bhushan Manjule.

9 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy

A single flower turns neighbours into enemies. Watch Norman McLaren's wordless parable for an inventive, unsettling look at how conflict grows.

24 min · Tamil · Drama

Two strangers share a wish to see a film. Try this Tamil short for a journey about cinema, dignity and who gets welcomed through the door.

27 min · Tamil · Drama

A familiar face can transform an ordinary route. Try this Tamil romance for a story of quiet admiration and the fear of losing a small daily joy.

29 min · Malayalam · Drama

Friendship feels different when money enters the room. A pick for thinking about the class divides that can sit quietly between friends.

20 min · Malayalam · Fantasy · Thriller

Enter a night forest where the shadows may be hiding something. Choose Irulan for a Malayalam fantasy short with a mystery waiting beyond the trees.

11 min · Hindi · Drama

Sudeesh Kanaujia's Hindi drama about a well-educated man lost in daily routine, and how one person's outlook can change another's. An official screening at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival, per its makers.

30 min · Bengali · Drama

Laltu arrives in the city hoping for an education. Watch Okkhor for a Bengali drama about the distance between that hope and the pressures children are made to bear.

20 min · Malayalam · Drama

Vivek Joseph Varughese's Malayalam drama about a housewife who is loved but not respected, and the day she claims for herself. Billed as award-winning by its makers, with English subtitles; MMC viewers have watched it to the end.

10 min · English · Comedy · Drama

Ben Brand's adaptation of Andy Weir's story The Egg: a man killed in a traffic accident finds himself talking to God, who has an answer to the biggest question of all.

29 min · Korean · Documentary

Oscar-nominated documentary short and DOC NYC grand prize winner, produced by Field of Vision and Gary Byung-Seok Kam.

13 min · English · Drama

Nancy comes in for a haircut and finds someone willing to listen. Watch for a dark short about the gap between keeping up appearances and finding a way forward.

15 min · Telugu · Drama

Even a pair of shoes can reveal who is allowed to belong. Watch for a Telugu short about caste, education and a child's aspirations.

10 min · Marathi · Drama

A property decision reopens a conversation about a shared life. Watch for a Marathi short about the choices that remain after a couple grow apart.

18 min · Hindi · Drama

What does a household overlook when everyday work becomes invisible? Try this Hindi drama for a story about domestic labour and the respect it deserves.

8 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

Try a Tamil short centered on a relationship between two girls. A pick for viewers interested in LGBTQ stories.

6 min · English · Comedy

Tom Noakes's AACTA-nominated single-take Australian short: why is a metalhead singing Old MacDonald by a rural highway? Five minutes that flip every first impression.

19 min · Kannada · Drama

Directed by Puneeth B A, who uploaded it to his own channel; story and screenplay by A M Prakash and Nischay Bhargav.

22 min · Hindi · Drama · Comedy

A broken window grill lets a homeless man slip into a night-shift worker's home, and he grows attached to it. Its makers list best short film at the Indian Film Festival of Boston. Twenty-two bittersweet Hindi minutes.

13 min · Marathi · Drama

What happens when the frame we live inside becomes too small? Watch for a Marathi story about the limits people learn to place around themselves.

16 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Frank” to see the world from another angle. Ninety-nine-year-old lawyer Frank Lucianna prepares for his final case, reflecting on a lifetime of work and his reluctance to retire.

7 min · Tamil · Drama

What gets passed on when prejudice is treated as normal? This Tamil short questions caste blindness and the beliefs young people inherit at home.

11 min · Hindi · Drama

Aanchal has heard enough about her complexion. Watch for a story about challenging the standards people impose—and making room for your own worth.

8 min · English · Documentary

What can washed-up plastic become? Spend eight minutes with two artists who turn a beach's discarded objects into a different way of seeing waste.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

A forgotten birthday makes room for a woman’s own wishes. Watch for the person behind the family role.

20 min · Tamil · Drama · Fantasy

Try Thiruthai Avale for a Tamil emotional fantasy that places a transgender woman's experience at the centre of its story.

27 min · Malayalam · Documentary

Take a short break with “Neeliyar Kottam” to see the world from another angle. A small sacred grove protected for generations in the middle of a busy town.

7 min · English · Documentary

An early-cinema invention becomes a window into a complicated family history. Try Drew Christie's short for an unusual meeting of moving pictures, memory and mortality.

13 min · Odia · Drama · Animation

Sidharth Goutam's Odia film imagines an artist confronting Fakir Mohan Senapati, the father of Odia literature, about how the language is treated today. Twelve thought-provoking minutes.

14 min · English · Animation · Documentary

Take a short break with “Ryan” to see the world from another angle.

16 min · English · Horror · Comedy

In the summer of 1980, a successful yuppie faces an existential crisis when a Nosferatu-like ghoul joins his social circle and threatens his status.

16 min · Tamil · Drama

Try a Tamil short featuring Aadukalam Murugadoss and Abi Nakshathra. A pick for discovering Selvadurai Thangapandiyan's storytelling.

13 min · Punjabi · Drama

Directed and produced by Sudh Singh; the description says it took second place at the Punjab University Cine Vision Festival 2017.

19 min · Marathi · Drama

A school can feel close and still be out of reach. Watch for Nagraj Manjule's short about a child's determination to learn.

16 min · Malayalam · Horror

Choose Yaksham for a brief Malayalam film featuring Hima Sankar and Arun C. Kumar, with a poetic dedication to women constrained by taboos.

16 min · Hindi · Drama

One apple connects two children living very different lives. Watch for a small encounter that brings a larger inequality into focus.

10 min · English · Drama

Michael Felker's sci-fi drama for DUST: a runaway teen finds an arcade machine that replays her deepest regret, again and again, until she finally sees it clearly.

27 min · Kannada · Drama

Kaushik H A's Kannada drama with Chaithra Rao as Gowri, a middle-class woman worn down by routine who starts noticing small sparks of joy. Twenty-seven reflective minutes.

11 min · Malayalam · Drama

A shy salesgirl's attachment to a shop mannequin is the safest closeness she has, until it is taken away. An eleven-minute Malayalam drama about loneliness.

28 min · Malayalam · Drama

Explore a Malayalam original from Vibin Jose and Budget Lab. A pick for viewers interested in independent storytelling shaped around a parable.

11 min · English · Animation · Science fiction

A surreal, deliberately open-ended story about trust and the worlds people construct for one another.

16 min · Tamil · Drama

Understanding someone else's pain is a place to start. Watch for a Tamil short about empathy and care for women.

16 min · Malayalam · Drama

Vineeth Chakyar's Malayalam drama with Rachana Narayanan Kutty as a gifted girl whose creativity society refuses to accept. Sixteen minutes that turn childhood innocence inside out.

6 min · Hindi · Drama

Akshay Danavale's five-minute Hindi short for Content Ka Keeda about a snap judgement and the person behind it.

22 min · Tamil · Drama

Karishma writes and directs this Tamil drama with Ram Nishanth and Priyadharshini Rajkumar. Twenty-one minutes.

23 min · English · Drama

An urgent journey reveals how far a mother must travel for help. Watch for a story about care, difficult choices and the barriers people face.

8 min · Malayalam · Drama

A short fiction about a passive society that comes to regret failing to act while there was still time, framed through blue as the colour of calm.

23 min · English · Documentary

Meet Lusia Harris in her own words. A short introduction to a basketball life that deserves to be better known.

9 min · English · Drama

A missed bus leaves room for an unexpected encounter. Watch for a short about time, memory and moments that stay with us.

31 min · Malayalam · Science fiction · Thriller · Drama

How much of ourselves do we hand over to technology? Try ESC for a confined psychological science-fiction story about identity and digital dependence.

15 min · German · Comedy

Two craftspeople in a German village receive an unusual commission from a film production: building concentration-camp scenery. Everyday routines collide with the unsettling demands of recreating history.

20 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “Heart Valley” to see the world from another angle. A loving portrait of Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies and his life lessons.

24 min · Malayalam · Drama

Midhin Madhu's Malayalam drama with Devaki Rajendran: the story of one woman, which its makers say is the story of women since society began.

22 min · Hindi · Drama

Try an FTII short about women's struggles and the wish for change. A Hindi-language pick for viewers interested in social awareness.

12 min · Bengali · Comedy · Drama

A small theft brings a bigger question of conscience into focus. Try this for a compact Bengali story about the choices people justify.

6 min · Punjabi · Drama

Take five minutes to discover this Punjabi short from Tea Time Films. A pick for viewers looking for a compact story with something to reflect on.

30 min · Malayalam · Drama

On a rainy evening, Chandra decides to tell her husband Das something intimate she has kept to herself. The disclosure upends everything the couple believed about each other, leaving both of them to ask whether their life together can go on as before.

20 min · Tamil · Comedy · Science fiction

For a Tamil comedy built around a time-loop idea, try this independently credited short from the 1UP team.

10 min · Manipuri · Drama

Discover this Manipuri short from Luching Productions, written and directed by Luching Luwang. A pick for exploring the team's independent storytelling.

6 min · German · Documentary

Denise visits Vienna's Prater amusement park almost every day. Riding the Tagada carousel helps her cope with her past and find balance in her life.

31 min · Malayalam · Drama

Anish Mohan's dialogue-free Malayalam anthology, inspired by Kamal Haasan's silent classic Pushpaka Vimanam: a blocked writer finds his stories in a strange vision. Its makers list a FEFKA festival selection.

16 min · Tamil · Drama

Ashwin Muniyandi's Tamil drama: a domestic worker asks for a small advance, and an ordinary day of chores exposes everyday humiliations. Fifteen grounded minutes.

15 min · Telugu · Drama

A cardboard camera is enough to start dreaming. Watch this Telugu short for a playful adventure about imagination and the urge to tell a story.

12 min · English · Science fiction · Thriller

Mark Slutsky's English sci-fi for DUST: a struggling lawyer wakes in a doorless room, chosen to negotiate for the whole human race. Eleven tense minutes.

8 min · Hindi · Drama

They came for dinner, but their relationship is what gets discussed. Watch for a short about wanting different things from the person beside you.

21 min · Tamil · Drama · Thriller

Based on Moti Nandi's Bengali short story 'News of a Murder'. English subtitles.

9 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “A Marriage to Remember” to see the world from another angle. How Alzheimer's revealed the strength of the filmmaker's parents' marriage.

31 min · Tamil · Drama

Try a half-hour Tamil short directed by R. Sameer. A pick for discovering this production team's storytelling.

39 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

An ordinary school day gives way to a difficult choice. Watch Be Selin for a Malayalam drama about a young woman trying to regain control of her situation.

22 min · Kannada · Drama

Deepak R's experimental Kannada comedy-drama about Lagnesh, whose life is tangled up in superstition and a pair of slippers. Its makers bill it as a 2021 Dadasaheb Phalke award winner.

18 min · Hindi · Drama

Three women reach the moment when enduring is no longer enough. Watch for a story about finding the strength to challenge the lives imposed on them.

32 min · Tamil · Drama

For a Tamil short that approaches storytelling from an unusual angle, try Sriram KJS's Sila PENgalin Kadhai.

20 min · English · Drama

School-election ambition gets the musical treatment. Try Top of My School for a rivalry where wanting to win threatens to take over everything else.

22 min · English · Science fiction · Thriller

Alone on the red planet, one commander starts questioning what happened to his crew. Try Thalamos for a compact science-fiction mystery about isolation and an uncertain mission.

15 min · Bengali · Drama

Try a Bengali fable from Chandril Bhattacharya and Nandanik Studios. A compact pick for discovering their storytelling.

22 min · Tamil · Drama

Naveen Mu's National Award-winning Tamil drama: an elderly woman supporting a paralysed, demanding husband is pushed to the edge when he threatens the rooster she earns her living from.

27 min · English · Documentary

What can belonging cost? Listen to Cornelius Walker's account of identity and survival in a documentary that confronts racism and the pressure to fit in.

23 min · Telugu · Thriller · Fantasy

A Telugu spiritual thriller: haunted by a recurring dream of the sea and a woman in yellow, Anu follows a mysterious book to Kulashekarapattanam and her forgotten ancestry.

11 min · Tamil · Comedy

A smooth-talking mentor has advice to spare—and flaws of his own. Try Otta Jatti for a Tamil comedy about trusting appearances and discovering that nobody is perfectly stitched together.

16 min · Tamil · Romance

Love and the rules around it do not always point the same way. Try this for a Tamil romance about a couple facing relationship strain.

24 min · Tamil · Drama

Who gets to decide where home is after a wedding? Watch for a Tamil short about a woman questioning an expectation others take for granted.

8 min · Hindi · Drama

Who gets welcomed, and who is made to feel lesser? Try this Hindi short for a reflection on inequality and the prejudices people pass on.

18 min · Malayalam · Drama

Two friends become each other's support across the years. Watch for a Malayalam story about connection, trust and the journey a friendship can take.

20 min · Hindi · Drama

A child's question opens a door to everyday kindness. Try this if you enjoy stories that find something meaningful in ordinary people.

20 min · Hindi · Drama

Gregg Helvey's Oscar-nominated drama about Kavi, a boy forced into bonded labour at a brick kiln who dreams of school and cricket. Its makers cite more than 100 festivals and 50 awards.

8 min · English · Romance · Drama

A brief train encounter opens the door to a whole imagined life. Watch for a romance about connection, possibility and the moments we might let pass.

7 min · Malayalam · Drama

Pause for a brief Malayalam parable about the balance that lets every life coexist, and the warning against upsetting it. A pick for a quiet, thought-provoking few minutes.

17 min · Tamil · Thriller · Drama

A family feud turns every decision into a move. Try this Tamil thriller for a story of competing interests and consequences.

18 min · No dialogue · Animation · Thriller · Fantasy

A night train becomes a world of its own. Choose Madame Tutli-Putli for stop-motion animation that turns an ordinary journey into an eerie encounter with memory and fear.

21 min · Kannada · Drama

One unanswered call becomes harder to ignore. Try this Kannada short about mistrust and the problems we choose not to face.

10 min · Malayalam · Drama

Try an experimental Malayalam short that moves between reality and fantasy. A pick for viewers who enjoy exploring a story's less-defined edges.

9 min · Tamil · Drama · Thriller

Set aside nine minutes for a Tamil short from Fully Scripted and Night Owl. A pick when you feel like discovering a new storytelling team.

14 min · English · Animation · Drama

Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby's Oscar-nominated NFB animation: in 1909 a dapper Englishman tries ranching in Alberta, armed with badminton, birdwatching and liquor. Painterly, funny and sad.

12 min · English · Fantasy · Drama

What happens when Death has only one person left to find? Try this compact English-language encounter at the end of humanity.

15 min · Turkish · Drama

A search for a missing cat becomes something larger. Watch for a Turkish short about memory, solidarity and finding a voice.

15 min · Malayalam · Drama

A chance meeting reveals how quickly people judge by appearances. Watch for a Malayalam short about prejudice and making room for others.

25 min · Kannada · Drama

A frightening first experience becomes a story about the difference kindness and understanding can make. Watch Menarche for its focus on two children and the people willing to help them.

11 min · Telugu · Drama

For a short built around humanity and the Indian Pledge, try this Telugu social drama from Ajay Ejjada and Creative Frames.

20 min · Hindi · Drama

An award-winning short about being bullied - and being the bully.

29 min · Malayalam · Drama

Keeping time is not always the same as making time for people. Try this Malayalam short for a doctor learning a lesson outside his usual routine.

15 min · Tamil · Comedy · Drama

Saravanan Aravind's first Tamil short, about how 'just five more minutes' can quietly change a life. Fourteen minutes, with English subtitles.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

Tilak wants to decide his own future. Watch this Hindi student film for a story about education, determination and the pressures of poverty.

15 min · Slovenian · Thriller · Drama

A woman passes a refugee camp on her commute. When her path crosses those of its residents, her fear and assumptions lead to a disastrous encounter.

11 min · Hindi · Drama

A person's job should not decide whether they are trusted. Try this Hindi short for a story that questions everyday prejudice.

13 min · Malayalam · Thriller · Drama

A Malayalam supernatural drama with English subtitles: after a temple visit, ordinary Vineeth can hear other people's thoughts, and the gift soon becomes a burden.

14 min · Malayalam · Science fiction · Thriller

Rijo Mariyam Jose's ambitious Malayalam time-loop sci-fi: what if you had to relive the same moment, again and again? Fourteen minutes with English subtitles.

28 min · Kannada · Horror · Fantasy

A Kannada horror-comedy: psychology student Sowmya invites her boyfriend over while her parents are away, but the evening involves a spirit board and some very polite guests from the other side.

11 min · Telugu · Romance

Try a Telugu romantic short from Vinay and Aditya. A compact pick for discovering their early storytelling, with source-declared English subtitles.

11 min · Malayalam · Drama

How do you tell someone who you are when acceptance feels uncertain? Watch for a Malayalam story about coming out and wanting to belong.

22 min · Malayalam · Drama

Shaiji Joseph's Malayalam drama about parents of modest means raising an autistic daughter, starring Nandhana Rajesh. Twenty-one honest minutes.

11 min · Hindi · Drama

A fallen bird's nest turns a child's question into something much bigger. Watch for a gentle starting point for thinking about the nature around us.

34 min · Tamil · Drama

Explore a Tamil story centred on Kathir and the world of agriculture. A pick for viewers interested in independent rural and social storytelling.

28 min · English · Documentary · Science fiction

Roman Kroitor and Colin Low's Oscar-nominated 1960 NFB documentary, a voyage through the universe that Stanley Kubrick drew on for 2001: A Space Odyssey.

24 min · Hindi · Drama

A Hindi drama released for Women's Day that asks how 'woke' a modern family really is when it comes under pressure. Starring Geeta A. Sharma and B Shantanu.

5 min · English · Science fiction

Try a brief science-fiction short about the weight we carry inside. A pick for viewers interested in emotional ideas told through futuristic imagery.

35 min · English · Documentary

Take a short break with “The Barber of Little Rock” to see the world from another angle. A barber builds a nonprofit community bank to close the racial wealth gap.

6 min · Hindi · Drama

Make a little time for the story in “Marz”.

18 min · Hindi · Romance · Drama

Aniket Chandrakant Dhavale's Hindi drama with Sruthi Hariharan and Vishal Nayer: a couple about to marry, and the secret he's afraid to tell. Billed as award-winning by its makers.

9 min · Tamil · Drama

Pause with a short that asks a deceptively simple question: who am I? A Tamil pick for reflecting on identity and the way forward.

13 min · English · Drama · Romance

What do you hold on to when everything is changing? Try this for a teenager's search for meaning at the end of high school.

32 min · Malayalam · Drama

A thirty-one-minute Malayalam family drama: a dysfunctional family's holiday drags a hidden truth into the open and tests a mother's capacity to accept it.

7 min · Gujarati · Drama

What happens when years of quiet frustration finally find a voice? Try Chakra for a Gujarati short about a teacher pushed to his limit by everyday humiliation.

9 min · English · Comedy · Romance

A first date in a hip coffee shop goes off the rails when Steve, an actor, insists on following a literal script. An eight-minute English comedy about control and connection.

11 min · Tamil · Science fiction · Thriller

A Tamil sci-fi mystery from Finally: on her way to the airport, Monica walks into the deserted village of Surulpatti and finds herself trapped in a loop she can't escape.

10 min · Tamil · Drama

See Vijay Sethupathi in a short-film performance alongside Yamuna, directed by Sathish Kumar Govinthasamy. Athiyayam offers a brief look beyond his feature-film roles.

5 min · No dialogue · Drama · Romance

An encounter between a man and a woman asks whether love and attraction can overcome intolerance, told without words.

14 min · Hindi · Romance · Drama

Naseeruddin Shah and Shernaz Patel star in a Hindi romance set in one small café, where an old love is glimpsed across the room and a young couple face their parting.

27 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama about a young woman who has never had anyone to call her own, until a stranger's care changes her life. Twenty-seven tender minutes.

21 min · Malayalam · Drama

Try this Malayalam short for a story framed around intoxication and uncertain perceptions. A pick for viewers drawn to psychologically uneasy situations.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

What happens when a mother's responsibilities pull against her sense of self? Try Aaeena for a Hindi drama centred on that difficult choice.

17 min · Tamil · Drama

Anu wants a say in the shape of her own life. Watch for a Tamil short about ambition and the right to choose motherhood.

6 min · English · Documentary

A habit formed in solitude turns out to matter far beyond one cabin. Watch for a short documentary about curiosity and the value of careful observation.

6 min · No dialogue · Animation

See human history from a stone's point of view. Watch for a wordless journey that turns the passage of time into an animated adventure.

28 min · Odia · Drama

Make a little time for the story in “Bhoka (Hunger)”.

13 min · Malayalam · Comedy

Try a Malayalam satire about contemporary communal politics. A short pick for viewers in the mood for social questions with a satirical edge.

9 min · Malayalam · Drama

A thirsty man with little water left must decide whether to share it with another person in need.

24 min · English · Science fiction

Hashem Al-Ghaili's English sci-fi: an advanced alien civilisation runs a simulated reality where countless beings, humans included, are prisoners without knowing it.

9 min · No dialogue · Animation

Daniel Martínez Lara and Rafa Cano Méndez's wordless CGI animation: in a grey, busy world, a father named Copi tries to teach his son Paste the right way to live. But what is the right way?

25 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama

Uma Swaminathan's Tamil romantic drama with Navaneeth Venkat and Ramya Murugan, an intimate look into Ayesha and Kathir's life together. English subtitles.

16 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil student film about following your passion, built on Steve Jobs's line about loving what you do. Its maker lists first prizes at several college festivals. English subtitles.

12 min · Tamil

A filmmaker recounts his education to his son, leaving the truth of his account in question.

15 min · Hindi · Drama · Action

A Hindi drama set on the India-Pakistan border in 1999, just before Kargil: the son of a former Pakistani soldier learns that understanding, not war, brings peace.

7 min · English · Science fiction

David Lea's sci-fi for DUST: every Sunday an old man and his dog walk to the Cornish clifftops, but this time they're not alone. Six quiet, wondrous minutes.

12 min · Hindi · Thriller

A mathematical idea links lives an ocean apart. Try this for a short mystery about connections across space and time.

10 min · Mandarin · Science fiction · Drama

What happens when a city runs short of both water and trust? Try The Sand Storm for a compact dystopian science-fiction story featuring Ai Weiwei.

16 min · Hindi · Drama

A small birthday wish carries enormous weight in this Hindi drama with Rasika Dugal. Inspired by the 2014 Peshawar school attack, it is a hard but deeply humane watch.

21 min · English · Drama

Six-year-old Libby has lived in silence until a caring social worker opens up a way to communicate. Turn on the captions and settle in with this moving British drama about a deaf child being understood.

23 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

Settle in for a Tamil drama about a young woman pushed into a marriage without a choice, and the open question of whether love or freedom lies ahead.

25 min · Tamil · Drama

Arun D's Tamil drama about a single mother working as a maid who chases her ambitions in the face of class inequality. Billed by its makers as an award winner.

29 min · Tamil · Drama

Settle in for a Tamil drama in which a mother and her teenage daughter face an unexpected pregnancy and the pressures closing in around them. A pick for a quietly searching family story.

10 min · English · Drama

Hop in for “Jalebi!”, a warm Indian-Australian short where one car ride is enough to shift how someone sees the road ahead.

9 min · Malayalam · Drama

A nine-minute Malayalam awareness film about the invisible challenges and quiet resilience of people living with multiple sclerosis.

20 min · Tamil · Drama

A divorced couple decorate for their son's birthday while he isn't there, and old feelings surface. A tender Tamil drama about the family that remains.

18 min · English · Science fiction · Horror · Thriller

A missing body leads a physician to a secret experiment on the edge of life and death. A seventeen-minute English sci-fi horror.

4 min · English · Science fiction · Thriller

A four-minute English sci-fi thriller in which an office worker's daily routine slowly becomes something unsettling.

19 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

A Malayalam relationship thriller about a husband whose 'love' turns controlling and frightening. Eighteen tense minutes.

8 min · No dialogue · Animation · Romance · Drama

Make room for “Lost & Found”, a tender Australian stop-motion tale in which a knitted dinosaur gives everything, stitch by stitch, for the fox he loves.

11 min · English · Romance · Drama

Two strangers, one chance meeting in a London cafe: settle in for a tender romance that weighs what it costs to let someone in.

23 min · Dutch · Science fiction · Comedy · Drama

Victoria Warmerdam's Oscar-winning Dutch comedy-drama: a woman keeps failing CAPTCHA tests at work and starts to wonder whether she's human. Twenty-two sharp, unsettling minutes.

44 min · Malayalam · Drama

A forty-three-minute Malayalam drama about Marty and Albin, two young men who find friendship in difficult circumstances. Best kept for an evening.

11 min · English · Drama

Pull up a chair for “No More Wings”, a warm, bittersweet two-hander in which childhood friends Isaac and Jude catch up over fried chicken as their lives drift in different directions.

20 min · Malayalam · Drama · Comedy

A Malayalam comedy-drama about two roommates sharing a home and their loneliness. Funny on the surface, heavier underneath.

10 min · Malayalam · Romance · Drama

A ten-minute Malayalam romance that runs into the family expectations tied to horoscopes and marriage.

10 min · Malayalam · Drama

Nine minutes of Malayalam drama in which one brief encounter lays bare the caste and class lines running through ordinary life. Small in scale, sharp in aim.

24 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama with Sonu TP: a telecaller who has never cared about the people on the line is handed an unexpected responsibility. MMC viewers have watched it to the end.

13 min · English · Drama

Sit with “Presentation”, a perceptive, empathetic teen drama about Holly, who has to stand up in front of her class while self-doubt and anxiety close in around her.

20 min · English · Science fiction · Thriller

A selfish executive is trapped in a restroom time loop and has to face other versions of himself to get out. Twenty minutes of clever, funny sci-fi.

18 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil drama in which kindness and family bonds slowly challenge a violent man's view of the world. Seventeen thoughtful minutes.

28 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam family drama about the stigma attached to a visible skin condition, and the people who refuse to let it define someone they love.

27 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Romance · Drama

A Malayalam rom-com about the question every young couple in Kerala hears sooner or later: when's the wedding? Twenty-six warm, funny minutes.

12 min · Malayalam · Drama

Three women sharing one household face the quiet pressures of marriage, control and isolation. An eleven-minute Malayalam drama that says a lot in little time.

1 min · No dialogue · Drama

A one-minute lift for anyone who missed their people in 2020: a lonely drummer, no band in sight, and an imagination that refuses to stay quiet.

15 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil social drama about care, responsibility and the world we hand to the next generation. Fourteen minutes.

17 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

A patient and a visiting nurse share a conversation that brings painful truths about both their lives to the surface. A sixteen-minute Malayalam drama.

23 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Drama

Two neighbours go to war over who owns a jackfruit. A Malayalam comedy about how fragile pride can be.

14 min · Malayalam · Drama

Settle in with a young bride who refuses to accept the household rules the other women have long made peace with, and watch her questions begin to change them too.

12 min · No dialogue · Animation · Science fiction · Drama

A wordless animation: a delivery robot crosses an abandoned world and forms an unexpected bond with a dog. Twelve minutes of quiet wonder.

13 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

Spend a little time with the love story in “Mayakkama Kalakkama”. An encounter between strangers becomes a lasting memory.

12 min · English · Drama · Comedy

An Irish short about a boy from Africa on his first day at a new school, with memories of home shaping everything he sees. Funny, moving and twelve minutes long.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

A school lunch box opens a window onto a family's daily struggle. Settle in with this Tamil drama about a child learning what it really takes to put food on the table.

17 min · Malayalam · Romance · Drama

Two older people find companionship despite loneliness and their families' expectations. A seventeen-minute Malayalam romance about second chances.

17 min · Malayalam · Drama · Romance

A misunderstanding brings two people in their thirties together for a conversation about loneliness, health and companionship. A seventeen-minute Malayalam romance.

7 min · English · Drama

Liam has six weeks to live and has told no one. Settle in for a quietly affecting British drama about keeping up appearances while time runs out.

18 min · Hindi · Drama

Ask a mother how she is, and really listen. This tender Hindi drama with Seema Pahwa and Palomi Ghosh sits with the quiet struggles a mother hides behind 'everything is fine'.

5 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy · Horror

A wordless five-minute animation in which feeding the ducks turns strange, then grotesque. Darkly funny, and not for anyone squeamish about birds.

15 min · Tamil · Drama

Sridhar Shanmugam's Tamil social drama about poverty, education and whose voices get heard, billed by its makers as award-winning. Fourteen minutes worth sharing.

16 min · Malayalam · Drama

A labourer who has only ever been a helper hears an unlikely idea from his wife: become a 'human god'. Try this Malayalam drama for a pointed look at poverty and faith turned industry.

12 min · Tamil · Drama · Fantasy

A Tamil fantasy-drama about an aspiring filmmaker whose imagination starts writing itself into the story he's trying to make. Eleven playful, layered minutes.

12 min · English · Animation · Drama

“STILL” is a quiet, music-led AI short about memory and grief, and about the people we keep trying for even when we can't fix what's broken.

20 min · Tamil · Malayalam · Drama

Ride along with “Where Is My Friday?”, a Kochi-set story of a former techie chasing a film career who drives a cab to get by, until one passenger becomes the listener he needs.

23 min · English · Drama · Thriller

A college student who feels threatened seeks shooting lessons and a sense of control from a survivalist. A twenty-two-minute English drama about fear and power.

14 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama about a relationship worn down by ego and manipulation, and the moment someone decides it's not too late to walk away.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil drama about the relationships children need in order to grow confident. Eighteen quietly affecting minutes.

17 min · English · Drama · Science fiction

During a lethal epidemic, a quarantined father faces an impossible choice when his daughter falls ill. A sixteen-minute English sci-fi drama that lands close to home.

23 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil family drama about the pressure piled on children over marks and exams, and what one mark can cost.

32 min · English · Science fiction · Drama

A thirty-one-minute English sci-fi drama: an interplanetary hauler trying to provide for his daughter is forced to face his past and some hard choices.

26 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

A Tamil drama about a dancer wounded by criticism of her skin colour who learns to heal, love herself and dance again.

15 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama about a home nurse whose compassion brings real human connection to the people in her care. Fifteen warm minutes.

20 min · Malayalam · Fantasy · Drama

A young man escapes his routine and stumbles into a mystical village that changes how he sees life. A nineteen-minute Malayalam fantasy with a 3.5% like rate on YouTube.

12 min · Malayalam · Thriller · Drama

A barber's late-night customer brings an old wound back into his life. Twelve tense Malayalam minutes.

22 min · Malayalam · Drama

Settle in with a quiet family drama in the Netherlands, where an au pair's return reopens a day that changed everything and asks what one fleeting choice can cost.

14 min · English · Drama · Thriller

An ordinary school day becomes a child's fight for safety. Watch for a restrained, emotionally difficult perspective on the people at the centre of gun violence.

6 min · English · Comedy · Drama

A five-minute English comedy that turns an introvert's trip to the barbershop into an odyssey of social anxiety. Painfully relatable.

4 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama

Steve Cutts's “MAN” compresses humanity's appetite for the natural world into a few sharp, darkly funny minutes that linger long after.

4 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy

A wordless four-minute animation: a piece of bread tries to escape its fate and finds an unexpected way of looking at life.

6 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy · Drama

A wordless animation: a strange creature races against time to finish the most important thing it will ever make. Six minutes that linger long after.

22 min · Malayalam · Drama

Give some time to “Preshnam”, a Malayalam drama made by a school’s own students and staff that treats a child’s compulsive stealing with empathy rather than blame.

11 min · Malayalam · Drama

An accountant's simple errand turns tense when a police officer with an old grudge makes it personal. A quiet Malayalam drama about how small slights can grow.

51 min · Malayalam · Fantasy · Comedy · Drama

In a town where everyone has a superpower, one ordinary young man tries to find his skill and a job. A fifty-one-minute Malayalam fantasy-comedy for a full evening.

16 min · English · Comedy · Drama

An eight-year-old's crush on his teacher leads to a challenge with surprisingly serious stakes. A sixteen-minute Irish comedy-drama.

9 min · Tamil · Romance · Comedy

Balaji Mohan's original Tamil short for Naalaiya Iyakkunar, later expanded into his 2012 feature of the same name: a quick, funny guide to messing up in love.

18 min · Malayalam · Comedy · Fantasy

A man whose hand slaps anyone who lies goes to a psychiatrist with secrets of his own. An eighteen-minute Malayalam fantasy comedy.

22 min · Malayalam · Drama

After an elderly neighbour dies, a police officer searches for her missing child and uncovers a different story about identity and family. A twenty-one-minute Malayalam drama MMC viewers have watched to the end.

20 min · Malayalam · Drama

Two struggling friends find small moments of happiness in a chaotic city over one night of talking. A nineteen-minute Malayalam drama.

21 min · Malayalam · Drama · Fantasy

Two children's lives become tangled up with time, fate and mysterious events in this twenty-one-minute Malayalam fantasy-drama.

20 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil social drama about ageing and how families treat their elders. Twenty minutes to make you call your grandparents.

3 min · No dialogue · Drama

Two minutes is all “Chalk” needs to leave its mark: a small, tender story of a child's longing, inspired by a true wartime incident.

9 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama

An eight-minute Tamil romance about family judgement and the choice to stand beside the person you love.

13 min · English · Drama

Teacher Robert Brammel and his student Jin form an unusual bond shadowed by guilt and loss. A twelve-minute English drama.

19 min · English · Drama

One night, a teenager with nowhere to sleep and a deafblind man waiting for his bus find their way to each other. Settle in for a warm, quietly moving drama about empathy.

15 min · Hindi · Drama

As time slips away, an ageing man wants above all to know he still matters to those he loves. Settle in with Kanwaljit Singh and Nilu Kohli for a tender Hindi drama about belonging in later life.

21 min · Malayalam · Drama

An independent Malayalam film directed by Sonu and Dinoop, and one of the cafe's quietest discoveries: under 5,000 YouTube views, but an unusually high 5.6% like rate. Twenty minutes to find out why.

10 min · Malayalam · Drama

A child, a cat and a fish share a small story about hope and survival. Nine and a half Malayalam minutes with a 5.5% like rate on YouTube.

19 min · Tamil · Drama

Make a little time for the story in “Arul”.

6 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama

Warm up with “Timber”, a darkly funny animated fable in which freezing logs discover that staying alive together may cost them everything.

3 min · No dialogue · Drama

Life is simple, so why complicate it? This wordless short from Vignesh Venugopal turns a small obstacle into a gentle nudge about the paths we leave for others.

14 min · Malayalam · Romance · Drama

A Kutti Stories Malayalam drama about a young woman whose relationship choices run into family expectations and dependence.

27 min · English · Comedy · Drama · Thriller

A grieving man's train journey is hijacked by a volatile, unpredictable young stranger. Twenty-six minutes of very dark comedy that turns unexpectedly tender.

8 min · Tamil · Drama

A seven-minute Tamil drama in which one traffic-police encounter becomes a reflection on power and fairness.

11 min · Tamil · Drama

On a rainy Sunday, a barber and his regular customer talk about their lives and the pressures of modern society. Eleven warm Tamil minutes.

16 min · English · Drama

A young girl makes her home on a beach, and a chance connection begins to change what that life looks like. Choose Jada for a tender, quietly moving drama about resilience and being seen.

31 min · Malayalam · Drama

A dark-skinned young woman faces everyday prejudice about her looks and finds her own worth. Indiark Entertainments' Malayalam drama with Lakshmika Sajeevan, one of the cafe's best-liked films.

15 min · Tamil · Thriller · Drama

Try “The Gamble of Time” when you’re in the mood for a little suspense.

12 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil short from Puducherry's Trust for Youth and Child Leadership that takes up social disability and education. Choose it for a socially minded story about how learners are seen.

8 min · Tamil · Drama · Romance

Love has a way of complicating the simplest choices. Pause for this short Tamil drama about relationships and the consequences that follow what people decide.

18 min · Malayalam · Drama

Kay K writes and directs this Malayalam drama about memory and human connection. Eighteen reflective minutes.

22 min · Tamil · Drama

A Tamil social drama about the dignity and hardship of sanitation workers. Twenty-one minutes that change how you see a familiar job.

12 min · Tamil · Romance · Drama

An introvert's carefully closed-off world is upended when an outgoing woman pulls him out of his shell. Settle in to see whether he makes sense of love or bends who he is.

16 min · Hindi · Drama

Two girls from very different homes are brought together by a lunch box during the Ganesh festival. Six Sigma Films' warm Hindi drama, finished by MMC viewers.

22 min · English · Drama

A quiet helpline shift turns into a conversation that reaches deep into two lonely lives. Settle in for a tender, unhurried story about grief, kindness and the power of simply listening.

25 min · Malayalam · Drama

Vignesh A Moorthy's Malayalam drama, produced by the LV Prasad Film & TV Academy. Twenty-five emotional minutes.

20 min · English · Drama

Spend an unhurried evening with “Stealing Silver”, in which Maisie Williams’s guarded Leonie, asked to watch over her forgetful elderly neighbour Udo, slowly lets her own buried grief surface.

12 min · Malayalam · Drama · Thriller

A bereaved couple's strained marriage spirals when a rat becomes the focus of their distress. A twelve-minute Malayalam drama-thriller, unsettling and unusual.

24 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam family drama that brings the experience of postpartum depression into the open. Twenty-four honest minutes.

15 min · Malayalam · Drama

A Malayalam drama about children confronting caste and colour discrimination in a rural community. Fifteen minutes.

12 min · Malayalam · Drama

Pooja's online persona raises questions about identity and loneliness. A twelve-minute Malayalam drama for the social-media age.

7 min · English · Science fiction · Drama

A grieving mother brings home a synthetic child to fill the silence, unaware of the robot's hidden purpose. A seven-minute English sci-fi drama.

12 min · Hindi · Drama

A child's simple wish for a cake becomes his mother's quiet mission. Settle in with Half Cake, a Hindi short about a single mother's resilience and the small sacrifices behind an ordinary treat.

5 min · English · Animation · Drama

A tiny story with a generous heart. Stay for the moment when its perspective opens up.