Shorts 8: Animation Roundup

A roundup of the best animated shorts from right here in Minnesota and across the globe.

Short films may contain mature content and may not be appropriate for all ages.

113 Words For You Today

Directors: Bo Qing Tang, Xiao Lan Zeng

United States, China. 2025. 13 min.
On a frozen planet where every word costs energy, a worker endures silence, storms, and solitude, saving his words for the one that matters most.

Ploo

Director: Jon Frickey

Germany. 2025. 15 min.

Ploo blends attributes of vector graphics and screen display technology with the human condition.

Stone of Destiny

Director: Julie Cerná

Czech Republic. 2025. 10 min.

On a path filled with mysterious encounters and hidden symbols, The Stone of Destiny is driven by a desire for freedom, but also by a fear of failure.

The Sun & The Wind

Directors: Soyeon Kim, Todd Hemker

MN Made. United States. 2025. 3 min.

Two cosmic rivals battle it out, only to realize that even the fiercest power can’t beat a small spark of warmth.

Homemade Gatorade

Director: Carter Amelia Davis

MN Made. United States. 2025. 9 min.

A woman embarks on a road trip to deliver homemade Gatorade to a mysterious online buyer.

More Than Happy

Director: Wei Keong Tan

Singapore. 2025. 7 min.

In a queer utopia, two couples sit in conversation at a restaurant, waiting for service that will never arrive.

Pinhole at the Edge of the Earth

Director: Julia Curry

MN Made. United States. 2025. 3 min.

The eye of a photographer negotiates her relationship with her artwork through the central character of “The Eye” – a physical representation of her desire to create.

Creator

Director: Natalia Poteryakhin

MN Made. United States. 2025. 4 min.

A little goddess makes mankind to enjoy her world... but starts to love their attention more than the universe she created.

The Man in the Mangroves Counts to Sleep
Directors: Donna Decker, Ralph Guggenheim, James A. Moorer

MN Made. United States. 2026. 16 min.

A homeless mathematician living in a mangrove swamp reflects on his past, his struggles, and his yearning. A poem inspired the voice-synthesized score and animation.

Tiny Little Journey

Director: Jinwoo Lee

Republic of Korea. 2025. 23 min.

An ant who has spent his entire life in the safety of his nest ventures out in search of paradise. But the world beyond is a harsh winter storm—nothing like what he had imagined.