July 19, 2022
Student short films are often the best way to learn about filmmaking and get started in the industry. Some of the best filmmakers started out by making lower-budget student films that had glimpses of the style they would become famous for years later. Watching student films is a great way to discover up-and-coming talent, and it can also expose you to unique, original stories. Here are some student films that stand out from the rest. This list is in no particular order.
Jonathan Rowan was studying film production at Loyola Marymount University when he created Man Down as his thesis film. The film is an emotional exploration of police brutality. Through its unique perspective on officer morality, it shines light on very real injustices faced by many communities across America. Man Down follows an officer of color after a racially charged shooting of an unarmed teenager. The officer must decide whether to stand on the side of the law or seek justice for his community.
Read More: A Reveel Exclusive Interview With Filmmaker Jonathan Rowan
Madeleine Rorke is an animator, artist and illustrator who studied animation at the Victorian College of the Arts. Her third year film “The White Nightingale” was nominated for best animated film at the Cannes International Independent Film Festival. The White Nightingale follows a young woman who wants nothing more than to be a ballet dancer in the next big production “The White Nightingale”. However, getting the role will be harder than she thought when her family and personal responsibilities put extra weight on her shoulders.
Liam Fahy attended Ireland’s Institute of Art, Film, and Technology from 2015 to 2019. He graduated with honors and created multiple award winning animated short films. How To Rob a Witch is one of his most popular. The story is a short fantasy heist about a brother and sister who rob a witch’s house hidden beneath a wishing well deep in the woods.
Another Liam Fahy student film, Mourning Murder is a creative one minute short film about a group of crows holding a funeral for a dead friend.
Elaine Artemieff created this short film using stop motion animation while she was a student at the University of Wales. Titled “The Lingers Home”, the stop motion animated short offers a magical look into the characters who appear as the lights go off.
A team of four students came together to create this short animated film in only four months. Angie Chong Woon Ching, Chris Lee Jian Siang, Calvin Seng Chin Hong, and Kalana Muththettuwage had different skills that they applied to the short film, Dragon Blood. The film takes place in a world where dragons are sacred creatures and their blood can cure all illnesses. A courageous boy sets off on a journey far from home to find a cure for his ill mother, despite risking his own life.
These students at the University of Derby spent their last year creating a short film that takes place during the American Civil War. The film is set in 1864 when a confederate soldier deserts his camp following a traumatic event, and leaves to join the Union. Feeling betrayed and angered, his older brother pursues him into the wilderness.
Guro Kjensli Johansen and Frida Bogen Lauritzen were two recent grads from an animation school when they decided to create the short film Beloved. The short is about a young girl who stumbles upon an elderly woman carrying groceries in the snow and offers to help only to realize that she’s not the only lonely one. Beloved is a sweet and heartwarming story with beautiful animation.
Kathleen Gleeson was a student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts when she made the short film Snowdrifters. The film takes place in a land of humans and dinosaurs, where a girl and her raptor go out in search of herbs for a sick partner. In their hunt for flowers, the raptor accidentally spooks a baby hornface, and inadvertently sets off a chain of events that keeps putting the girl and the raptor between the baby and its fiercely protective parents. The short film doesn’t overstay its welcome and is a delightful watch from start to finish.
Roots was a group project created in 12 weeks by Sacha Rossi, Adriano Lorusso-Favia, Alexy Muller, David Klein, and Arno De Regge. The film is about deforestation in a fantasy forest. The story follows a friendly tree spirit as it makes its escape from the woodcutters. Roots has beautiful animation and a simple but effective story.
Kenny Ko was a student at Sheridan College where he studied animation and created the short film Wolf’s Child. The film is about a father who sacrifices himself to save his 9 month old son from a wolf attack, only for another wolf to take the orphan child as his own. Wolf’s Child is short but has a twist at the end that you won’t expect.
Dima Taran was a student in his 3rd year of college when he created the short film Laniakea. A Laniakea is a supercluster that contains our galaxy and 100,000 nearby galaxies, which inspired Taran to create a short animated film. The short is about a futuristic space explorer who can travel at superluminal speeds and has hopes to find extraterrestrial life, but as of yet, has not succeeded in finding anything.
The Backwater Gospel is a widely praised, award winning animation because of its unique visual style and the dark story that goes along with it. The film was created by Bo Mathorne in 2011 while he was in the acclaimed university, The Animation Workshop. The Backwater Gospel is one of the most memorable student films for its layered storytelling and unforgettable visuals. The film tells the story of a town that is cursed by regular visits of The Undertaker (death), leading to one day when the town decides to help death along.
What if we are alone in the universe? This question is at the core of the short film Laniakea. Originally created as a college project by Dima Taran, the film went on to take on a life of its own when it found an audience online with nearly 800,000 views in one year. The beautifully […]
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Sometimes the best stories aren’t the longest, they are the shortest. Short films have perfected the art of telling a captivating story in just a few minutes and animated shorts are some of the most enjoyable short film experiences. Animated short films can take us to new worlds full of human creativity or they can […]
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Most, if not all, children had night terrors growing up. Some would hide under the covers. Others would yell for their parents. Kid-version Jason Ragosta, screenwriter and director, decided to make a deal with his monsters where he would bring them to life through drawing and in exchange they would protect him. Years later, Jason […]
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“There’s always a Filipino somewhere” is a well-known fact, and it’s true even in streaming platforms. Of course we have some right here in Reveel. From the adrenaline-infused streets of Manila to the sun-kissed beaches of Maui, Filipinos offer up their kaleidoscope of stories that resonate with emotional depth, unexpected thrills, and quirky humor. Ready […]
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Superman has been a career-defining role for many actors, dating back to Christopher Reeve’s iconic portrayal. Now, David Corenswet steps into the cape as the latest actor to embody the Man of Steel. But wait, who’s this David guy? Where on Earth (or beyond) did he come from? Get ready because we’re about to take […]
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Are you in the mood for a chillingly good time but not quite ready to dive under the covers at the slightest creak of a floorboard? Then you’re in luck! Our carefully curated selection keeps the thrill without sending the chills down your spine. Prepare to enter the realm of suspense and psychological twists with […]
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Phantom of the Opera meets K-pop? Now that’s a mash-up we didn’t know we needed! “Phantom: The Musical” is coming onto the scene, giving the classic tale a fresh story. This adaptation combines the opera with cinematic elements to create a distinct experience. To better understand this unique production, we reached out to Eddie Aronoff, […]
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In the heart of Los Angeles, where cultures collide and dreams are forged, a young Asian American director is leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape. Hon Hoang, a Vietnamese American artist armed with a psychology degree from UCLA, wields his camera like a poet’s pen, capturing the profound depths of the human experience […]
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Family has a lot of different meanings. It can transcend blood and forge a bond through commitment along with choice. Kenneth R. Frank, a writer and director, delves into this profound concept through his feature film, Family Obligations. With a desire to explore the intricacies of familial obligations, he invites us on a journey of […]
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Oh man, remember that little dude from Life of Pi? The one stranded on that lifeboat with the tiger? Well, let me tell you, that kid is all grown up now and still as talented (if not more!) as he was then. Suraj Sharma, the former child star, is now in his 30s. Let’s catch […]
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