25 best animated short films

1. The man who planted trees

L'homme qui plantait des arbres

• Canada, 1987.
• Drama.
• Duration: 30 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.5.

Pedro Rocha e Mello / YouTube

The adaptation of Jean Gionot's work in an impressionistic manner tells the story of a lonely man who decided to plant trees again in a desert area. This will take him many years.

2. Sandpiper

Piper

• USA, 2016.
• Adventure.
• Duration: 6 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.4.

"Short animation" / YouTube

The plot of a short story from Pixar very simple. It is dedicated to a chick that learns to find food in the coastal sand, but is constantly hit by the waves.

3. Paper novel

Paperman

• United States, 2012.
• Melodrama.
• Duration: 7 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.3.

"Short animation" / YouTube

The blank document, which the wind tore from George's hands at the station, crashes right into the face of the sweet girl. As a result, the print of her lipstick remains on the paper. Since then, the hero thinks only about meeting a stranger again. And it turns out that they work in neighboring buildings.

4. House of small cubes

Tsumiki no ie

• Japan, 2008.
• Drama.
• Duration: 12 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.3.

A J M / YouTube

The lonely old man's hut is flooded all the time. And every time he builds himself a new house on the roof of the old one, rising higher and higher. But one day he remembers that he forgot his smoking pipe on one of the lower floors. The old man dives under the water, plunging deeper into the past.

5. partly cloudy

Partly cloudy

• USA, 2009.
• Fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 6 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.2.

Nguyen Duong / YouTube

Everyone knows that babies are made in the clouds, and storks bring them. Only now Peck was not lucky: he always gets either toothy crocodiles or thorny hedgehogs. But work is work, you have to take action.

6. Menu

Feast

• USA, 2014.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 6 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.2.

"Short animation" / YouTube

Winston's hungry stray puppy is treated to French fries by a stranger. This is how the long-term friendship between man and dog begins. But soon the owner meets the girl, and then both the relationship and Winston's food change.

7. The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea

• Russia, Canada, Japan, 1999.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 20 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

sumesh somanathan / YouTube

Legendary Russian animator Alexander Petrov transferred the work to the screens Ernest Hemingway, turning the action into animated pictures. The plot tells about an elderly fisherman who cannot come to terms with his age. He decides not to return from the sea until he gets a good catch.

8. House on rails

Het treinhuisje

• Netherlands, 1981.
• Drama.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

Wanna Bana Animada / YouTube

An ordinary family lives in an ordinary house. The wife knits, the husband extracts gold, and together they drink tea. But the railway runs right through their dwelling. And they have to open the doors so the train can pass.

9. Kiwi!

Kiwi!

• USA, 2006.
• Adventure.
• Duration: 3 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.0.

Madyeti47 / YouTube

A kiwi bird with very small wings wants to fly. A very short cartoon in 3 minutes tells about the stubborn pursuit of a dream, even if it may cost life.

10. About birds

For the birds

• USA, 2000.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 3 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.0.

Clips Hay / YouTube

A new one joins the flock of birds sitting on the wire and eternally roaring. She is unlike everyone else: big, awkward and very friendly. The neighbors try to avoid her, but it turns out worse for themselves.

11. Arm

Ruka

• Czechoslovakia, 1965.
• Drama.
• Duration: 18 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.0.

Short Movie Addicted / YouTube

This puppet cartoon was created in Czechoslovakia, and its theme directly hints at the life of creators in a totalitarian state. Harlequin creates beautiful pots for her favorite flower. But then the Hand comes to him and demands that he sculpt only her images. She does not accept rejections.

12. Harvey Crumpet

Harvie krumpet

• Australia, 2003.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 23 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.0.

Salyangöz / YouTube

The plasticine cartoon is dedicated to the life of Harvek Krumpecki, who suffers from Tourette's syndrome. Having lost his parents, he escapes from Poland, which was captured by Nazi Germany. Changing his name to Harvey Crumpet, he decides to start life anew. But learning to appreciate the happy moments of the hero does not come immediately.

13. Father and daughter

Father and daughter

• Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, 2000.
• Drama.
• Duration: 8 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.9.

Janset Arpat / YouTube

The daughter cannot come to terms with the loss of her beloved father. Years go by, her life changes. But all the same, passing by the place of the last meeting, she cannot say goodbye to the past.

14. Jeri's game

Geri's Game

• USA, 1997.
• Drama.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.9.

"Short animation" / YouTube

Old man Jeri plays chess with himself in the park. Completely immersed in the game, he imagines himself as two different players with opposite personalities. And passions heat up during the game.

15. Johnny Express

Johnny express

• South Korea, 2014.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.8.

Alfred Imageworks / YouTube

Johnny works as a space courier: he must deliver packages to various planets. True, other worlds do not appeal to him. Johnny is very lazy and prefers to sleep while the autopilot drives the ship to the next customer. But even in a fully automated world, things don't go according to plan on a regular basis.

16. Old lady and pigeons

La vieille dame et les pigeons

• Canada, France, Belgium, 1996.
• Drama.
• Duration: 25 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.8.

Les Armateurs / YouTube

A middle-aged Parisian woman constantly feeds pigeons with pastries. And the hungry and emaciated policeman decides that he could get some food from her too. To do this, he dresses up as a dove and comes to the woman's home.

17. Bao

Bao

• USA, Canada, 2018.
• Drama.
• Duration: 8 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.5.

James Hayes / YouTube

A Chinese woman prepares baozi pies in the kitchen. Suddenly one of them turns into a child. Now the woman needs to educate him, because soon Bao is growing up and no longer wants to obey.

18. Bauble

Knick knack

• USA, 1989.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 4 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.5.

Bootleg Ultraman / YouTube

A funny story of a toy snowman who lives in a glass ball. He really liked the other toy, and the hero is ready to make every effort to get to the beauty.

19. Village

The village

• UK, 1993.
• Drama.
• Duration: 14 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.5.

Rudko Ihor / YouTube

A satirical story unfolds in the minimalistic scenery of this cartoon. The two villagers begin an affair, but the neighbors cannot help but intervene, and this leads to tragic consequences. At the same time, even ants help each other.

20. Fatties!

The Chubbchubbs!

• USA, 2002.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 6 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.4.

ImageworksVFX / YouTube

The main character of the cartoon works as a cleaner in an interplanetary bar. And somehow he hears that dangerous Chubbchubbs are coming soon. The hero does not know what they look like, but soon he encounters terrible robots.

21. Meaning of life

The meaning of life

• USA, 2005.
• Drama, fantasy.
• Duration: 12 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

don hertzfeldt / YouTube

In 12 minutes, the simplest animation shows the entire history of mankind. The action begins in prehistoric times and ends in the distant future. The worlds and forms of the mind change, but the behavior remains the same.

22. Alma

Alma

• USA, Spain, 2009.
• Fantasy, detective.
• Duration: 6 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

evil tv / YouTube

Young Alma walks through the snowy streets and stumbles upon a doll store. It is closed, and the girl is about to leave, but suddenly the door swings open. And inside, Alma sees a doll very similar to herself.

23. Time of fairy tales

Storytime

• Great Britain, 1968.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 9 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

MeGi Vachadze / YouTube

The first half of this strange cartoon from Terry Gilliam is about Don the cockroach. He loves to have fun: jumping on bread and riding a banana peel. But for some reason people are trying to get rid of it. And the second part tells about a man named Albert Einstein and his hands.

24. Head-mountain

Atama ‑ yama

• Japan, 2002.
• Fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.0.

EVERYTHING Smart / YouTube

The greedy person decides not to throw away the cherry pits, but to eat them. As a result, trees begin to grow on his head. People come to rest in their shadow, but they don't always behave decently. An excellent analogy of the relationship between man and nature.

25. Bob's birthday

Bob's Birthday

• Canada, UK, 1994.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.9.

Maria B. / YouTube

On the birthday of her beloved husband, Margaret decided to throw a party. She prepared food and invited all her friends. But the hero of the occasion himself has no mood to celebrate.