Top 12 Animated Short Films Everyone Should Watch
Animated short films are proof that impactful stories don’t always need extended runtimes. In just a handful of minutes, these films can make you laugh, move you to tears, or take your breath away.
Whether through hand-drawn sketches, computer-generated wizardry, or more experimental forms of animation, these shorts pack an emotional punch that showcases the creativity and innovation that allows the medium to thrive despite the constraint of time. The best of them also sweat the audio details, from smart sound design to crisp dialogue captured in a professional voice recording studio.
If you’re someone who appreciates top adult animated series, top animated music videos, or even top animated ads, these animated short films are a corner of animation you shouldn’t miss!
This list covers the top 12 animated short films that everyone should watch. From Academy Award winners and cult classics, to hidden gems any animation lover needs to have on their list.
- Paperman
- World of Tomorrow
- The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
- Bao
- Kitbull
- More Than Happy
- Hair Love
- The Dam Keeper
- If Anything Happens I Love You
- Fox Fires
- La Maison en Petits Cubes
- Prologue
1. Paperman (2012)
Disney’s Paperman blends traditional and computer animation in a way that feels fresh, yet timeless. A woman’s ruby red lipstick stain is the only pop of colour present in the short, with the remainder of its runtime presented in black and white as it tells the story of a lonely office worker trying to connect with a stranger.
The film won Disney its first Oscar for Best Animated Short in decades, and is still the only black-and-white short to have done so. With no dialogue, the quiet romance and expressive style do all the heavy lifting, showcasing that sometimes the simplest visuals can carry the most heart.
2. World of Tomorrow (2015)
Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow is as strange as it is profound. The animated short follows a little girl who meets a clone of her future self, and through their surreal conversations, explores themes of memory, technology, and the fragility of human life.
The depth of the ideas explored is offset by Hertzfeldt’s minimalist stick-figure style, creating a product that, while simple to watch, encourages complex thought. It’s no wonder the film became a festival favorite and earned critical acclaim. If you want an animated short that will make you laugh, then stare into the void a little, World of Tomorrow might be the perfect pick.
3. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
Based on the illustrated book of the same name, this animated short brings the same gentle warmth of its predecessor to the screen. The story follows the titular boy as he befriends a mole, a fox, and a horse while wandering through the wilderness. Together they learn about kindness, belonging, and self-acceptance.
The film’s painterly style and impactful voiceover artists including the likes of Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne, and Tom Hollander, veer the film away from the overly sentimental, and elevates it to something tender and genuinely moving. The film wraps you in a blanket and reminds you of the beauty in the small moments.
4. Bao (2018)
Pixar’s Bao, directed by Domee Shi, is a touching tale that turns a dumpling into a metaphor for parenting. The story follows a Chinese mother whose handmade dumpling comes to life. She dutifully raises it, only for it to eventually grow up and leave her behind.
It’s a story that feels both personal and universal, exploring themes of love and the difficulty of letting go. Shi drew from her own cultural background and her relationship with her mother, and it lends the film a sense of authenticity. With its mix of humor, heartache, and plenty of food symbolism, Bao captures the bittersweet experience of parenthood in a unique light.
5. Kitbull (2019)
Another gem from Pixar, Kitbull tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a tiny, scrappy stray kitten and a mistreated pit bull. The kitten starts out wary, but slowly the two discover the comfort of companionship as they each become the other’s first friend.
The animation style is hand-drawn and charmingly rougher than Pixar’s usual polished 3D look, which lends the story a raw and emotional quality, something that allows Kitbull to deliver a gut punch of emotion despite its short runtime. It’s a reminder of how trust and kindness can flourish even in the most difficult circumstances, and why animation is such a powerful medium for telling stories about connection.
6. More Than Happy (2025)
Singapore-based animation studio CraveFX made history with More Than Happy, the first Singaporean animated short to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film showcases both the technical skill and heartfelt storytelling that Southeast Asian animation has to offer.
Combining a vibrant visual style with a narrative that’s warm, emotional, and distinctly regional in flavor, the short stays rooted in local culture while its themes are universal, allowing it to resonate on an international stage.
7. Hair Love (2019)
Hair Love is a short that celebrates Black family love, as we follow a father learning how to style his daughter’s natural hair. What starts as a moment of uncertainty turns into a touching display of care, patience, and resilience.
The animation is vibrant and expressive, but what really shines is the emotion, showcasing a mix of humor, tenderness, and pride that really resonates. Its Oscar win was a milestone for representation in animation and helped spark a larger conversation about diversity on screen. Hair Love shows that big messages can be carried by small stories, and it will leave you with a smile as warm as its characters.
8. The Dam Keeper (2014)
Created by former Pixar artists Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, The Dam Keeper is set in a town kept alive by a giant windmill dam that keeps out poisonous clouds. At the center of it all is Pig, a lonely young caretaker who faces bullying from classmates until a new friend, Fox, changes everything.
Everything about the film, even its website, is painterly and atmospheric, made up of thousands of hand-painted frames that create the feeling of a moving storybook. It’s both whimsical and somber, tackling themes of isolation, responsibility, and friendship in a way that both children and adults will be able to connect with.
9. If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)
Netflix’s If Anything Happens I Love You is a quiet but devastating exploration of grief. The short portrays two parents mourning the loss of their daughter after a school shooting, told through minimal dialogue and shadowy, haunting imagery.
In the short, the parents’ emotions are often conveyed through shadow versions of themselves that act out their suppressed grief. The animation style is not densely packed, but retains its impactShortly after its release, the film took off as a viral sensation, reaching millions of viewers and touching each one with its raw, painful honesty. Though it is not an easy watch, this short film is a stunning example of how animation can address deeply painful, real-world issues with sensitivity and artistry.
10. Fox Fires (2019)
Drawing from folklore, this short tells the story of a small fox who helps the moon light up the night sky. The narrative follows the fox as it watches other animals be chosen as zodiacs while the fox finds a new purpose, its tail glowing to create the Northern Lights.
The short is almost dreamlike, with its mythical subject matter and luminous visuals, it is reminiscent of the tales told from generations past. With its whimsical, poetic air, this animation is a folktale brought to life.
11. La Maison en Petits Cubes (2008)
Though the title might have you believing otherwise, Kunio Katō’s La Maison en Petits Cubes, or “The House of Small Cubes”, is a Japanese short that follows an elderly man diving through the flooded remains of his home to recover lost memories. Each level of the house reveals moments from his past, turning the short into a meditation on memory, aging, and loss.
The hand-drawn style and quiet pacing give the film a gentle, melancholic feel that won it the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, becoming the first Japanese work to do so. It’s the kind of animated short that doesn’t shout its message, instead allowing it to quietly sink into you, leaving a lasting impression long after the credits roll.
12. Prologue (2015)
Prologue is a visceral, hand-drawn short depicting a brutal battle between four soldiers. There is no dialogue or narration, simply stark, sketched imagery that captures violence in its rawest, most realistic form.
The short is intentionally difficult to watch, focusing not on exaggerated gore but on the unsettling brutality of combat. Animator Richard Williams, known for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, uses Prologue to push the boundaries of traditional animation in a way that can be seen as both beautiful and harrowing.
Conclusion
In a world of advancing technology and shortening attention spans, animated shorts hit a sweet spot in the animation world. They prove that storytelling isn’t about length – at its core, it’s a medium that allows us to connect emotionally as with Hair Love, showcase artistry as seen in Paperman, or reach new audiences as done by More Than Happy. Animated short films remind us how powerful animation can be in its purest form.
If this inspires you to explore more, check out our picks for the top animated explainer videos or explore our work as an animation studio.
Looking to create an animated short of your own? Contact CraveFX today and let us help bring your vision to life.
