12 min · Malayalam · Animation
Follow a stream through the eyes of three curious children—a little adventure for anyone who remembers asking big questions about the world.
Animated short films
131 Animated short films in the cafe, running 2 to 28 minutes. Many are feel-good or bittersweet. They span 14 languages. Each is a complete standalone short film, chosen by the cafe and played through its original video provider.
5 min · No dialogue · Animation · Romance
Spend four sweet minutes with “In a Heartbeat”, where a shy boy's runaway heart says exactly what he is too nervous to admit.
4 min · Malayalam · Animation
Studio Eeksaurus's four-minute sequel to Kandittund!: storyteller P.N.K. Panicker's animated self explains how Arana, the red-tailed skink, got its tail. Sound design by Resul Pookutty.
12 min · Malayalam · Animation · Fantasy
Studio Eeksaurus's Malayalam animation: storyteller P.N.K. Panicker shares the uncanny spirits and tall tales of his neighbourhood. Twelve playful, eerie minutes.
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.
6 min · English · Animation
Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter's Oscar-nominated stop-motion, adapted from Ron Koertge's poem: a son remembers his father through the art of packing a suitcase. Five perfect minutes.
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.
11 min · Spanish · Animation · Drama
A new classmate changes María's daily life. Choose Cuerdas for an animated story about friendship, connection and making room for someone different.
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.
14 min · English · Animation · Documentary
Take a short break with “Ryan” to see the world from another angle.
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.
7 min · English · Animation
A father’s first attempt at his daughter’s hairstyle turns an everyday act of care into a tender story about family and connection.
5 min · English · Animation · Drama
A tiny story with a generous heart. Stay for the moment when its perspective opens up.
10 min · English · Animation · Comedy
A bird too frightened to fly south makes an unusual starting point for a winter journey. Watch if you like small stories about facing a big fear.
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.
6 min · English · Animation · Comedy
Christopher Hinton's Oscar-nominated 1991 NFB animation, set to Wade Hemsworth's folk song about the blackflies that tormented him on a summer survey in Northern Ontario. Five itchy, joyful 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.
8 min · English · Animation · Comedy
Cordell Barker's Oscar-nominated 1988 NFB animation: old Mr Johnson tries everything to get rid of a little yellow cat, and the cat keeps coming back. Eight minutes of escalating chaos.
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.
9 min · English · Animation · Comedy
Oscar-nominated animator Cordell Barker's stop-motion comedy, presented by The New Yorker's Screening Room. A boy daydreams through biology class about godlike powers, and the results are gloriously petty.
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?
8 min · English · Animation
A National Film Board of Canada animation by Jo Meuris, based on Manjusha Pawagi's picture book. Meena hates books until their characters tumble out into her life. Made for ages 5 to 8, charming at any age.
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.
4 min · English · Animation · Comedy
Even an old refrigerator can worry about being replaced. Watch for an animated friendship story about assumptions and the trouble they cause.
8 min · English · Animation
Small paws, big determination. Follow Andy's journey for an animated story about perseverance, help and finding a purpose.
3 min · English · Animation · Comedy · Drama
A swallowed seed turns an ordinary snack into a strange predicament. Try this brief animated comedy for a playful twist on an old childhood warning.
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.
11 min · English · Animation
A professor's obsession leads all the way to the Arctic. Try this animated adventure for mystery, memory and the curious pull of numbers.
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.
5 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy · Science fiction
In this breathtaking science fiction spectacle, a strange mechanical device lands on a desolate world and uses the planet to undergo a startling transformation, that has profound implications for an entire galaxy.
9 min · No dialogue · Animation
A wordless animation: a shepherd turns wool into rain clouds that keep his valley green. When he dies, his loyal dog must carry on the work. Nine minutes that will move dog lovers.
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.
5 min · Japanese · Animation · Fantasy
A 2025 Japanese graduation animation: an angel with no memory lands on an island where only one boy can see her, and he starts to cry. Five bittersweet minutes.
8 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy
Two mismatched bats make an explosive combination. Try BATZ for a dialogue-free animated adventure with clashing personalities and cartoon energy.
11 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama
A tiny mechanical theatre holds a bear's story of separation and home. Choose Bear Story for animation that turns a small street performance into a larger reflection on family and freedom.
10 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy
Expressive character animation and classic slapstick make this landmark open movie an inviting introduction to Blender films.
7 min · English · Animation · Drama · Comedy
Shirley Zhou's UCLA animation thesis: an ex-bounty hunter makes breakfast while his daughter keeps asking about his old job. Seven charming minutes.
12 min · No dialogue · Animation
A wordless animated short about a father trying to reach his autistic son, who runs into a strange forest of blue butterflies and menacing trees. Eleven tender minutes.
5 min · No dialogue · Animation · Fantasy · Drama
Hugo's first step outside needs a little courage and an unusual friend. Try Brave for a short animated story about confidence and feeling accepted.
4 min · English · Animation · Romance
A shy painter's pictures have opinions of their own. Try this animated romance for a playful story about finding the courage to show your feelings.
Related guides
English animated short films · Japanese animated short films · Drama short films · Comedy short films · Romantic short films · Thriller short films · All guides