Short film

A short film is a motion picture characterized by a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) provides a specific standard for this category. They define a short film as an original work lasting no more than 40 minutes. This measurement must include all the credits at the end of the film. Other organizations use different rules for their own classifications. For instance, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television allows 45 minutes for documentaries. For scripted narrative films, they allow a running time of up to 59 minutes.

Creating short films involves a specific set of economic and professional mechanisms. Many independent filmmakers produce these works with a low budget or even no budget at all. Funding often comes from film grants, nonprofit organizations, or private sponsors. Some creators use their own personal funds to complete their projects. These films serve as a vital platform for showcasing talent. Filmmakers use them to gain industry experience and secure funding for future projects. This funding might come from private investors, production companies, or major film studios.

Short films have existed in various forms and categories throughout history. In the United States, they were often called "short subjects" from the 1920s into the 1970s. This term usually applied to films confined to two 35 mm reels or less. Films consisting of three or four reels were known as "featurettes." Another common format was the adventure serial, which began in 1912. These serials typically consisted of 12 to 15 chapters. Each chapter lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. Every episode ended with a life-threatening situation to ensure audiences returned the following week.

The history of cinema shows a dramatic evolution in film length. In 1894, the first films were presented through Thomas Edison's kinetoscope. This device was designed for individual viewing only. At the very beginning of cinema, films were extremely short, sometimes lasting only a minute or less. It was not until the 1910s that films regularly exceeded ten minutes in length. By the 1920s, a single ticket purchased a varied program. This program included a main feature alongside supporting works like short comedies, travelogues, and newsreels. Animated cartoons also appeared primarily as short subjects during this era.

Economic shifts in the 1930s changed how films were distributed. During the Great Depression, studios began selling packages centered on a main feature and a cartoon. This change caused two-reel shorts to decline as a commercial category. The year 1938 was a major turning point for film comedies. Several major producers, such as Hal Roach and the Vitaphone studio, discontinued their short-subject productions that year. However, Columbia Pictures expanded its operations by launching a second two-reel-comedy unit in 1938. Theater managers later found it easier to include ten-minute, one-reel subjects in double-feature programs.

The rise of television significantly impacted the commercial live-action short film market. Most studios canceled their live-action series by 1956. While The Three Stooges continued making comedies until 1959, the medium shifted toward students and independent creators. Animated shorts had a longer life due to lower-cost limited animation techniques. This allowed them to find a "syndication afterlife" on television. For example, the Pink Panther was the last regular theatrical cartoon series, running from 1964 until 1980. Modern studios like Pixar have maintained the tradition by screening a short before each feature film since 1995.

Today, short films connect to many different digital and cultural systems. They are frequently screened at international film festivals to reach audiences. Many artists now use the internet, specifically sites like YouTube and Vimeo, to distribute their work. Curated platforms like Omeleto and Short of the Week also showcase these films. Large festivals like Tropfest, which started in Australia in 1993, have helped increase international popularity. Other long-standing festivals include Clermont-Ferrand in France and Tampere in Finland. Short films remain a vital space for unconventional techniques, such as Pixilation or narratives told without dialogue.