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. 1 -

    Sherlock Jr.

    1924, in 24 top lists Check
  2. 2 -

    La jetée

    1962 — a.k.a. La Jetée, in 19 top lists Check
  3. 14 -

    Le voyage dans la lune

    1902 — a.k.a. A Trip to the Moon, in 14 top lists Check
  4. 3 -

    Un chien andalou

    1929 — a.k.a. An Andalusian Dog, in 25 top lists Check
  5. 16 -

    The Wrong Trousers

    1993, in 7 top lists Check
  6. 7 -

    Nuit et brouillard

    1956 — a.k.a. Night and Fog, in 17 top lists Check
  7. 9 -

    Duck Amuck

    1953, in 11 top lists Check
  8. 12 -

    L'homme qui plantait des arbres

    1987 — a.k.a. The Man Who Planted Trees, in 8 top lists Check
  9. 47 -

    Le ballon rouge

    1956 — a.k.a. The Red Balloon, in 11 top lists Check
  10. 164 -

    A Close Shave

    1995, in 2 top lists Check
  11. 5 -

    Meshes of the Afternoon

    1943, in 10 top lists Check
  12. 20 -

    What's Opera, Doc?

    1957, in 7 top lists Check
  13. 49 -

    One Froggy Evening

    1955, in 4 top lists Check
  14. 125 -

    Rabbit of Seville

    1950, in 2 top lists Check
  15. 28 -

    Yozhik v tumane

    1975 — a.k.a. Hedgehog in the Fog, in 4 top lists Check
  16. 137 -

    The Snowman

    1982, in 0 top lists Check
  17. 15 -

    Moznosti dialogu

    1983 — a.k.a. Dimensions of Dialogue, in 6 top lists Check
  18. 107 -

    Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century

    1953, in 3 top lists Check
  19. 65 -

    The Great Train Robbery

    1903, in 11 top lists Check
  20. 143 -

    Simón del desierto

    1965 — a.k.a. Simon of the Desert, in 5 top lists Check
  21. 74 -

    Balance

    1989, in 1 top list Check
  22. 6 -

    Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège

    1933 — a.k.a. Zero for Conduct, in 17 top lists Check
  23. 57 -

    Khaneh siah ast

    1963 — a.k.a. The House Is Black, in 13 top lists Check
  24. 43 -

    The Cat Concerto

    1947, in 4 top lists Check
  25. 71 -

    The Heart of the World

    2000, in 4 top lists Check
  26. 4 -

    Partie de campagne

    1946 — a.k.a. A Day in the Country, in 13 top lists Check
  27. 100 -

    Powers of Ten

    1977, in 3 top lists Check
  28. 64 -

    Cops

    1922, in 10 top lists Check
  29. 111 -

    The Skeleton Dance

    1929, in 2 top lists Check
  30. 184 -

    Harvie Krumpet

    2003, in 1 top list Check
  31. 245 -

    Feed the Kitty

    1952, in 2 top lists Check
  32. 34 -

    Neighbours

    1952, in 5 top lists Check
  33. 79 -

    La rivière du hibou

    1961 — a.k.a. Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, in 1 top list Check
  34. 50 -

    Steamboat Willie

    1928, in 3 top lists Check
  35. 8 -

    Skazka skazok

    1979 — a.k.a. The Tale of Tales, in 6 top lists Check
  36. 154 -

    Mest kinematograficheskogo operatora

    1912 — a.k.a. The Cameraman's Revenge, in 5 top lists Check
  37. 11 -

    Scorpio Rising

    1963, in 9 top lists Check
  38. 30 -

    Father and Daughter

    2000, in 3 top lists Check
  39. 158 -

    Ménilmontant

    1926, in 6 top lists Check
  40. 189 -

    Seven Up!

    1964, in 5 top lists Check
  41. 37 -

    L'arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat

    1896 — a.k.a. The Arrival of a Train, in 13 top lists Check
  42. 39 -

    Red Hot Riding Hood

    1943, in 5 top lists Check
  43. 194 -

    The Tell-Tale Heart

    1953, in 2 top lists Check
  44. 38 -

    The Old Mill

    1937, in 2 top lists Check
  45. 93 -

    The Old Man and the Sea

    1999, in 1 top list Check
  46. 112 -

    Der Fuehrer's Face

    1942, in 2 top lists Check
  47. 165 -

    À propos de Nice

    1930 — a.k.a. À Propos de Nice, in 9 top lists Check
  48. 31 -

    Tango

    1981, in 3 top lists Check
  49. 33 -

    Pas de deux

    1968, in 4 top lists Check
  50. 60 -

    Snow-White

    1933, in 4 top lists Check
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Last updated on Dec 31, 2011; source