12 min · Hindi · Drama
Sheeba Chadda and Shantanu Maheshwari in Ajay Shivan's Hindi drama: Ved has his birthday all planned, until his mother's surprise reminds him whose special day it really is.
Heartwarming short films
72 Heartwarming short films in the cafe, running 4 to 40 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.
22 min · English · Romance · Comedy
Joe Gillette's English romantic dramedy: a melancholy best man escapes the wedding crowd and meets Jessie. A sweet, witty twenty-two minutes about how strangers really connect.
12 min · English · Comedy
Alexandra Robinson's dramatic comedy: Cece comes out to her traditional Italian-American family over Sunday dinner. Twelve warm, funny minutes.
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.
16 min · English · Romance · Comedy
An arranged date is a meeting of expectations as much as people. Try this if you enjoy stories about belonging, family and finding a connection.
14 min · English · Comedy · Drama
Groceries become a reason to reach across the distance of lockdown. A pick for a small story about neighbours and practical kindness.
40 min · English · Documentary
Take a short break with “The Last Repair Shop” to see the world from another angle. The craftspeople who repair every instrument for Los Angeles public school students.
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.
17 min · Hindi · Drama
Sometimes a wrong address leads to a welcome connection. A lonely widower and a delivery boy offer a small story about companionship.
27 min · Hindi · Drama · Romance
Sometimes love lives in the routines we share. Settle in for Ram and Shakuntala's Thursday ritual, and the companionship built around a meal.
25 min · English · Documentary
Take a short break with “Joe's Violin” to see the world from another angle. A Holocaust survivor donates his violin to a Bronx schoolgirl.
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.
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.
8 min · English · Animation
Small paws, big determination. Follow Andy's journey for an animated story about perseverance, help and finding a purpose.
14 min · English · Drama
Inside a lingerie fitting room, two strangers - a customer who has recently undergone a mastectomy and a bra fitter - are bound on a mission to find a bra that works.
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.
15 min · Marathi · Drama
A child's wish to give his teacher a painting becomes an act of determination. Watch for a Marathi short about dreaming beyond the limits others see.
20 min · Hindi · Drama
Two women from very different worlds find something in common. Watch AuntyJi for a friendship built through shared dreams, disappointments and the courage to live on one's own terms.
27 min · Malayalam · Drama
School memories live on in the person who watched generations grow up. Try this for a Malayalam short about pranks, friendship and returning to where it began.
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.
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.
21 min · Tamil · Comedy · Drama
A simple search for change opens up a whole city of encounters. Try Chillra Illa Pa for a Tamil short built around an everyday money problem and the strangers it brings together.
12 min · English · Comedy · Drama
Two elderly nuns find a fellow sister dead at the altar and decide to cram in some adventure while they still can. A gentle, funny English short about mortality.
6 min · Hindi · Comedy · Drama
Can the world's softest pillow replace a mother's cuddle? Watch for a short mother-daughter story about invention and affection.
20 min · Assamese · Drama
Monuj Borkotoky's Assamese drama about a 55-year-old village actor who performs Bhaona folk theatre and helps everyone but himself. A gentle portrait of selflessness and quiet longing.
6 min · English · Drama · Romance
A deaf girl meets a boy who is paralysed from the waist down, and neither knows the other's difference. A five-minute English teen film that won best of show and audience choice at the Reel Short Teen Film Festival, per its makers.
4 min · English · Romance · Drama
Rain may be unwelcome at a wedding, but it can hold memories too. Try Downpour for a brief romantic reflection on the moments that lead two people together.
17 min · Tamil · English · Romance · Drama
A job interview becomes a meeting across a language divide. Try this short romance for Ragu and Aaradhya's effort to understand more than one another's words.
18 min · English · Drama · Comedy
A connection with a young neighbor gives Ernie a reason to look outward again. Watch for a fable about loneliness and the kindness people can offer each other.
7 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama
A child finds care where others would not offer it. Watch for an animated short about belonging and every child's right to an identity.
11 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama
A little disruption can change what home feels like. Choose Foundling for a dialogue-free animation about a quiet hedgehog, a troublesome baby spider and an unexpected bond.
10 min · Kumaoni · Animation
Why offer a necklace of sweets to crows? Watch for a Kumaoni animated journey into a family tradition and the folktale behind it.
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.
14 min · Marathi · Romance · Drama
Small routines hold a lifetime of shared history. Watch this Marathi short for a story of companionship, memory and patient care.
18 min · No dialogue · Drama
A lost shoe becomes a story about the things people give up for those they love. Watch for an everyday act of care told without dialogue.
12 min · Hindi · Drama
When the projector stops, storytelling finds another way. Try Kathakaar for a Hindi short about a man rediscovering his purpose by telling stories to children.
30 min · Marathi · Drama
A small treat can mean a whole world to a child. Watch for a Marathi story about longing, affordability and a village boy's simple wish.
Related guides
Thought-provoking short films · Bittersweet short films · Feel-good short films · Suspenseful short films · Light-hearted short films · Emotional short films · All guides