Short Films

Heading to Stuttgart Next April Headline News

FMX 2023 Set for April 25-28

The 4-day hybrid event returns to Stuttgart with 1-day devoted to online presentations from around the world; BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated producer Jinko Gotoh serves as the next program chair.

In 2D, 3D, Business, CG, Digital Media, Education and Training, Event, Films, Games, Jobs & Recruiting, People, Post-production, Previs/Postvis/Visualization, Short Films, Technology, Television, Transmedia, Virtual Production, AR/VR/XR, Visual Effects | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News, VFXWorld | Blogs: FMX Conference Spotlight | Special Events: FMX | Geographic Region: All

It Was the Soot Sprites Headline News

Lucasfilm and Studio Ghibli Unite for ‘Star Wars: Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies’

In the most adorable crossover of all time, the new, original hand-drawn short focuses on Baby Yoda and the soot sprites, beloved Ghibli characters from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ and ‘Spirited Away.’

In 2D, CG, Digital Media, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Continuing the Lost in Oz Story ANIMATIONWorld

New Animated Short: Find Out What’s Next for ‘Lost in Oz’

The team behind the Emmy Award-winning series shares its latest film, ‘Packing Magic,’ that picks up the story of Dorothy Gale, answering fan’s questions whether she’d return home to Kansas or start a new life among her magical friends and foes in the legendary world of Oz.

In 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Technology, Television | ANIMATIONWorld | Geographic Region: All

And the Rest is History! ANIMATIONWorld

Animated Characters: Sequence 1 – What Am I Doing Here?

Animator, director, character designer, teacher, and writer Nancy Beiman shares her ‘would you believe it?’ path to the inaugural class of CalArts’ Character Animation Program back in September 1975, in the first of an ongoing series of articles – and eventual blog - she’s penning for AWN.

In 2D, Art, Business, Education and Training, People, Short Films, Writing | ANIMATIONWorld | Geographic Region: All, North America

Awards Headline News

‘The Record’ Takes Grand Prix at Warsaw Animated Film Festival

Swiss director Jonathan Lasker’s film wins the international competition; ‘Slow Light’ by Kijek/Adamski garnered both the Platige Image Award and Polish Filmmakers Association for Best Polish Film.

In 2D, 3D, Awards, CG, Event, Festival, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: Europe

Hopp To It! ANIMATIONWorld

‘Zootopia+’ Revisits a Smiling Sloth, Con-Artist Weasel, and Other Colorful Characters

Josie Trinidad, Trent Correy, and Nathan Curtis discuss the new Disney+ series of six animated shorts that take deep dives into many of Byron Howard and Rich Moore’s 2016 Oscar-winning film’s most intriguing mammal metropolis residents.

In 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Television, Voice Acting | ANIMATIONWorld | Geographic Region: All

animated shorts Headline News

Indie Artist Turns Napkin Doodles into ‘ArtSquad’ Shorts with NVIDIA Omniverse 3D Tools

London-based Rafi Nizam used Omniverse Create XR and content-creation apps from Adobe, Autodesk, and Epic Games to create his fun new animated show.

In 3D, Art, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Technology, Virtual Production | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Let’s Dance – After the Apocalypse Headline News

Groove to a Post-Apocalyptic Dance Adventure - Adult Swim SMALL’s ‘Hot Future’ Short

Watch Mike Anderson and Ryan Dickie’s latest animated collaboration - created with real-time tools including Unreal Engine - set 1,000 years in the future; their film joins the network’s other original short-form content commissioned from emerging animators and comedic voices from around the world.

In 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Virtual Production, Visual Effects | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Shorts to Watch ANIMATIONWorld

It’s a Wrap: My OIAF 2022 Competition Diary

There’s nothing like it – immersed in the dark theater, engrossed in OIAF competition films, popcorn greasy fingers tapping out notes in the dark.

In 2D, 3D, CG, Event, Festival, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Blog Post | Blogs: Ambling Around | Special Events: OIAF | Geographic Region: All

Animated Shorts of the Month ANIMATIONWorld

The Animation Pimp Presents - Binocular Briefs October 2022

Sorry we’re late – publisher lameness to blame – AWN’s monthly animated shorts survey includes ‘Cash In, Cash Out,’ ‘Dog Apartment,’ ‘Luce and the Rock,’ ‘Safe Mode: Lana Among the Lilies,’ and ‘Scale.’

In 2D, 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld | Columns: The Animation Pimp | Geographic Region: All

NFTs for Animation Headline News

FF3 Web3 Platform Launches ‘Bloom,’ it's First Animated Project

Cryptocurrency-driven crowdfunding platform aims to finance director/illustrator Zachary Gladwin’s original animated short; patrons receive tiered rewards such as NFTs, behind-the-scenes access to the filmmaker and his team and IMDB producer credits.

In Business, CG, Digital Media, NFTs - Blockchain, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Celebrating the Best in Animation Headline News

‘Little Nicolas’ and ‘My Father’s Dragon’ Take Top Honors at AIF 2022

The 5^th annual Animation is Film featured juried competitions as well as the U.S. premiere of Henry Selick’s ‘Wendell & Wild,’ and first looks at Dreamwork Animation’s ‘Puss In Boots: The Last Wish’ and Disney’s ‘Strange World.’

In 2D, 3D, Awards, CG, Films, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Special Events: Animation is Film | Geographic Region: All

Winners Revealed! Headline News

Sander Joon’s ‘Sierra’ Takes Grand Prix at 2022 Fredrikstad Animation Festival

Signe Bauman’s ‘My Love Affair with Marriage’ named Best Feature Film, as the celebration of Nordic-Baltic animation wrapped up last weekend; Finnish animator Heikki Prepula received the Lifetime Achievement Award for a storied career that began in children’s TV in the 1960s.

In 2D, 3D, Awards, Event, Festival, Films, People, Short Films, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: Europe

WUBBA LUBBA DUB-DUB! Headline News

Adult Swim’s ‘Rick and Morty’ Gets Spooky in New Short

Claymation filmmaker Lee Hardcastle’s ‘Summer’s Sleepover’ animated short promises a trippy-horror-laden prelude to Halloween, airing October 30; more Season 6 episodes coming November 20.

In 2D, 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Television, Voice Acting | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

The Perfect Xmas Gift! Headline News

Disney+ Drops ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ Trailer

The Guardians are determined to make Christmas unforgettable by finding the perfect gift for Quill, which can only be found on Earth; Marvel’s holiday special hits the streamer next month.

In 3D, Acting, CG, Digital Media, Films, People, Short Films, Television, Visual Effects | Headline News, VFXWorld | Geographic Region: All

They Took the Challenge Headline News

24 HOURS Animation Contest Winners Revealed

Watch the winning films - 300 student teams from 17 countries took part in the annual challenge to produce a 30-second animation in under 24 hours; over $150K in prize packs and cash were awarded to 7 teams.

In 2D, 3D, Awards, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Crushing it On Social ANIMATIONWorld

Javadoodles: ‘Talks Over Drinks’ with Friends in Funny Animated Shorts

The artist and animator’s Tumblr posts of simple drawings on coffee cups expanded into fun, humorous animated shorts of the cups, and cocktail glasses, sometimes using audio submitted by fans, generating millions of video views.

In 2D, CG, Comics, Digital Media, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld | Geographic Region: All

Close the Literary Gap Headline News

Nine PBS and Lion Forge Animation Team Up on ‘Drawn In’

The multi-media initiative aims to close the literary gap with educational games, digital comic books, resources for grownups, and an animated series that follows the epic comic adventures of 4 Midwest kids who LOVE comic books.

In 2D, Business, CG, Comics, Community Outreach, Digital Media, Diversity and Inclusion, Education and Training, Games, Short Films, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

digital shorts Headline News

PBS KIDS' ‘City Island’ Digital Shorts Coming December 26

In the new animated series, created by Aaron Augenblick, kids get a civics lesson featuring a diverse citizenry of trees, cars, and buildings, each with its own name and personality; next month, new ‘Molly of Denali: The Big Gathering’ shorts also launch.

In 2D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Horror from del Toro! Headline News

Netflix Teases ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities’

The curated horror anthology from the acclaimed filmmaker debuts later this month with 2 themed episodes streaming daily for 4 nights; brand new motion art and debut dates tease fans, heightening anticipation for the series that’s coming soon, but not soon enough!

In 3D, Acting, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Scottish Scandals Headline News

Watch 2022 Sundance Selection ‘My Old School’ Official Trailer

From filmmaker Jono McLeod, the animation-embellished live-action documentary tells the true story of a mysterious student who enrolled in a Glasgow school in the 1990s; film available on-demand today.

In 2D, Acting, CG, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Columns: Vilppu | Geographic Region: All

Submit Your Latest Work Headline News

Call for Entries: Annecy 2023

Animation’s premier festival now accepting submissions in multiple categories, including short films, TV films, commissioned films, graduation films, feature films and VR works; registration dates for Mifa Pitch Sessions coming soon.

In 2D, 3D, Business, Call for Entries, Event, Festival, Films, Short Films, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Special Events: Annecy | Geographic Region: Europe

It’s Unreal! Headline News

Preymaker Premieres Highly Anticipated ‘Blue’ at VIEW 2022

Watch it here - launching live today as part of Epic Games’ ‘Future of Animated Storytelling’ presentation, the animated short is one of the first crafted entirely in the cloud using Unreal Engine – without compositing - by a team of artists collaborating virtually from around the world.

In 3D, CG, Digital Media, People, Short Films, Technology | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Blogs: VIEW Conference Spotlight | Geographic Region: All

Protector of Kanezaka Headline News

‘Overwatch 2’ Releases Animated Short for New Character Kiriko

The protector of Kanezaka's backstory is revealed in a surprisingly heartfelt nine-minute film displaying her flashy healing and teleportation abilities.

In 3D, CG, Digital Media, Games, People, Short Films | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Chillin and Grilla-in ANIMATIONWorld

Elizabeth Ito Embarks on a New Animation Mission with ‘Mall Stories’

The ‘City of Ghosts’ creator’s knack for capturing funny aspects of often mundane everyday life is on full display in her first of a hoped set of animated short film documentaries, ‘Atilla the Grilla,’ made with an Epic MegaGrant, about how her favorite Mongolian Grill eatery at the Burbank Town Center mall survived the pandemic.