There is no set definition for what counts as a short film, but anywhere up to around 40 minutes is typically classified as such. Shorts can be a great taster before a feature, a quick treat on their own, or can be played as part of a collection. They introduce characters, tell stories and make us feel a range of emotions in a matter of moments, and can be an ideal way to bring Literacy learning to life.
This list brings together some of our strongest and most-loved short films – both individual titles and packages – ranging from a couple of minutes to half an hour, from countries all over the world, in different styles and genres, and tackling a variety of subjects. From archive to silent film stars to modern animation, there are short films for every occasion.
Cert
Age group5–12
Duration24 mins
Charming animated tale about a young boy who finds a lost penguin on his doorstep and decides to row him home to the South Pole.
This 24-minute animation remains a hugely popular title on the Into Film catalogue. With narration from Jim Broadbent, this gentle story is about the lovely friendship between a boy and a penguin.
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Cert
Age group5–12
Duration27 mins
Animated tale of a clever little mouse who uses his wits to stop being eaten by the scary Gruffalo as he takes a walk through the woods.
Adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s much-loved children’s books have also long been popular with our members, whether it’s this, ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’, ‘Room on the Broom’ or ‘Stick Man’. Each contains memorable characters who go on exciting adventures, encountering warm, funny and kind creatures on the way.
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Cert
Age group8–15
Duration2 mins
Pixar’s hopping desk lamp logo appears for the first time in this humorous short about a baby lamp and his parent.
Featured on Volume 1 of the Pixar Short Films Collection, this was the second short film the company ever produced. It helped set the trend which would become the norm for all Pixar features by appearing before ‘Toy Story 2’, and features the studio’s lamp mascot.
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Cert
Age group5–12
Duration8 mins
A repair robot tries to fix his spaceship whilst chaos unfolds around them.
Not all Pixar shorts precede features in cinemas, however. All of the Pixar shorts which contain spin-off stories from features, such as ‘BURN-E’ – which is set in the ‘WALL-E’ universe – from Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 2, can be found on DVDs or Disney+.
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Cert
Age group5–12
Duration6 mins
A small, young bird must navigate the world of the beach and find food for itself.
One of the more recent Pixar shorts is ‘Piper’, found on Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 3, which shows how far the studio has come in terms of computer animation. Premiering alongside ‘Finding Dory’, this photorealistic short film about nature is one of their many Academy Award winners.
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Cert
Age group-
Duration192 mins
Collection of Lotte Reiniger's stunning depictions of popular fairy tales using her unique silhouette animation style.
Lotte Reiniger was an early pioneer of animated filmmaking, working in Germany at the start of the 20th century. Celebrated for her innovative silhouette animation technique, here she brings a collection of fairy tales to life like you’ve never seen them before.
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