Top 250 Most-Acclaimed Short Films of All Time

Top 250 Most-Acclaimed Short Films of All Time's icon

Created by mjf314.

Favorited 106 times, disliked 1 time, added to 114 watchlists.

I compiled this list from many different polls, lists, and awards, using a weighted point system to rank the shorts. I'm defining short as any film with a runtime of 45 minutes or less.

This list focuses more on animation than the Brief Encounters list. It includes many acclaimed animated shorts which are missing from Brief Encounters, most notably The Man Who Planted Trees and Ruka.

Missing from IMDb: The Magic Fox (1982) (it would've been ranked #132)

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  1. 206 -

    Arnulf Rainer

    1960, in 4 top lists Check
  2. 3 -

    Un chien andalou

    1929 — a.k.a. An Andalusian Dog, in 25 top lists Check
  3. 13 -

    Wavelength

    1967, in 9 top lists Check
  4. 109 -

    Blonde Cobra

    1963, in 2 top lists Check
  5. 129 -

    Adebar

    1957, in 2 top lists Check
  6. 90 -

    Mothlight

    1963, in 6 top lists Check
  7. 21 -

    Flaming Creatures

    1963, in 9 top lists Check
  8. 54 -

    The Music Box

    1932, in 9 top lists Check
  9. 138 -

    Schwechater

    1958, in 3 top lists Check
  10. 135 -

    Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs

    1943, in 2 top lists Check
  11. 5 -

    Meshes of the Afternoon

    1943, in 10 top lists Check
  12. 48 -

    Hold Me While I'm Naked

    1966, in 2 top lists Check
  13. 11 -

    Scorpio Rising

    1963, in 9 top lists Check
  14. 2 -

    La jetée

    1962 — a.k.a. La Jetée, in 19 top lists Check
  15. 6 -

    Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège

    1933 — a.k.a. Zero for Conduct, in 17 top lists Check
  16. 177 -

    The Flying Man

    1962, in 1 top list Check
  17. 14 -

    Le voyage dans la lune

    1902 — a.k.a. A Trip to the Moon, in 14 top lists Check
  18. 173 -

    Little Stabs at Happiness

    1960, in 3 top lists Check
  19. 95 -

    Invocation of My Demon Brother

    1969, in 3 top lists Check
  20. 103 -

    Moonbird

    1959, in 2 top lists Check
  21. 188 -

    Alone. Life Wastes Andy Hardy

    1998, in 1 top list Check
  22. 28 -

    Yozhik v tumane

    1975 — a.k.a. Hedgehog in the Fog, in 4 top lists Check
  23. 202 -

    Les jeux des anges

    1964 — a.k.a. The Games of Angels, in 3 top lists Check
  24. 37 -

    L'arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat

    1896 — a.k.a. The Arrival of a Train, in 13 top lists Check
  25. 1 -

    Sherlock Jr.

    1924, in 24 top lists Check
  26. 59 -

    The Big Snit

    1985, in 3 top lists Check
  27. 45 -

    Rose Hobart

    1936, in 6 top lists Check
  28. 51 -

    The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes

    1971, in 9 top lists Check
  29. 18 -

    Un chant d'amour

    1950 — a.k.a. A Song of Love, in 7 top lists Check
  30. 134 -

    Free Radicals

    1958, in 7 top lists Check
  31. 65 -

    The Great Train Robbery

    1903, in 11 top lists Check
  32. 50 -

    Steamboat Willie

    1928, in 3 top lists Check
  33. 131 -

    Unsere Afrikareise

    1966, in 3 top lists Check
  34. 204 -

    The Grandmother

    1970, in 1 top list Check
  35. 71 -

    The Heart of the World

    2000, in 4 top lists Check
  36. 16 -

    The Wrong Trousers

    1993, in 7 top lists Check
  37. 88 -

    Frank Film

    1973, in 2 top lists Check
  38. 120 -

    Superman

    1941, in 1 top list Check
  39. 124 -

    Window Water Baby Moving

    1959, in 7 top lists Check
  40. 212 -

    The Dead

    1960, in 3 top lists Check
  41. 68 -

    Lucifer Rising

    1972, in 3 top lists Check
  42. 137 -

    The Snowman

    1982, in 0 top lists Check
  43. 20 -

    What's Opera, Doc?

    1957, in 7 top lists Check
  44. 73 -

    A Colour Box

    1935, in 5 top lists Check
  45. 169 -

    Girls Night Out

    1987, in 1 top list Check
  46. 89 -

    Puce Moment

    1949, in 1 top list Check
  47. 108 -

    Anticipation of the Night

    1958, in 4 top lists Check
  48. 78 -

    Luxo Jr.

    1986, in 2 top lists Check
  49. 4 -

    Partie de campagne

    1946 — a.k.a. A Day in the Country, in 13 top lists Check
  50. 47 -

    Le ballon rouge

    1956 — a.k.a. The Red Balloon, in 11 top lists Check
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Last updated on Dec 31, 2011; source