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.
Short films under 5 minutes
51 short films under 5 minutes in the cafe, running 1 to 5 minutes. Many are feel-good or thought-provoking. They span 8 languages. Each is a complete standalone short film, chosen by the cafe and played through its original video provider.
4 min · English · Comedy · Thriller
Alex Brooks's four-minute comedy-thriller: two criminals discover they've picked the same hiding place.
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.
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.
2 min · No dialogue · Drama
A wordless, under-two-minute short made, as its maker puts it, for those still awake at 2 a.m. Pour a late cup and settle in.
5 min · Tamil · Comedy
Pradeep Ranganathan, later of Love Today, stars in Kamal Prakash's four-minute Tamil comedy about a die-hard single guy, styled after a Rudy Mancuso music video.
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.
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.
5 min · Tamil · Comedy
A four-minute Tamil satire about modern relationships, which its maker calls the turning point of his career.
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.
5 min · English · Animation · Drama
A tiny story with a generous heart. Stay for the moment when its perspective opens up.
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.
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.
3 min · No dialogue · Horror
Getting ready for bed, a woman switches off the hall light and sees a silhouetted figure at the far end of the hallway. Each time she flicks the light back off, the figure appears closer.
4 min · English · Horror
A three-minute horror in which an ice cream van turns an ordinary treat into something threatening. Quick and nasty, in the best way.
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.
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.
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.
2 min · English · Comedy · Fantasy
Stolen bicycles and a unicorn collide in a brief comic encounter on the street, in Ninian Doff’s fantastical short.
5 min · Gujarati · Drama
A mother's question at a phone shop reveals a deeper silence. Watch for a brief Gujarati story about family connection and the calls we wait for.
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.
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.
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.
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.
4 min · Tamil · Comedy
Twenty seconds, a producer and a cheque worth winning. Try this Tamil comedy for a compact send-up of the film pitch.
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.
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.
5 min · English · Documentary
Take a short break with “Forest Bathing” to see the world from another angle. Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of healing in the forest.
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.
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.
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.
5 min · No dialogue · Animation
A wordless fantasy action short made in Blender by Ammonite and Zean, winner of Blender's Suzanne Award for best short film 2024. Koji must defeat an ancient evil his late master left behind.
5 min · Hindi · Drama
Sometimes a small new skill means something much bigger. Try L for a short about a mother's wish to ride a scooter and the hurdles along the way.
5 min · No dialogue · Animation · Drama
A discarded ring becomes a very big prize for some very small creatures. Watch for a wordless animated adventure beneath the city.
4 min · Japanese · Animation · Science fiction · Comedy
Buckle up for a fast trip beyond Earth, as Makina and Chiharu turn a weekend drive into animated interplanetary chaos.
4 min · English · Animation · Comedy · Fantasy
A rude encounter becomes an unexpected lesson in empathy. Try Mime Your Manners for a quick animated reversal of roles.
3 min · No dialogue · Animation · Comedy
Two octopuses will not give up on staying together. Try this for a very short, very determined animated escape.
4 min · Tamil · Drama
A schoolboy begins imagining a life different from his father's. Watch for a compact story about the futures children see around them.
Related guides
Short films under 20 minutes · Short films under 10 minutes · All guides