Discover 10 unforgettable Sundance Film Festival shorts on Vimeo, from animated stories to award-winning fiction, each a standout festival film that showcases emerging filmmakers supported by the Sundance Institute. These selections highlight the creative range of short film storytelling, including experimental, documentary, and animated gems.
Fauve
Creator: Jérémy Comte
Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with Mother Nature as the sole observer. Excellent cinematography and a shudder-inducing score emphasize the vastness of the physical space they're exploring, highlighting their isolation and portraying an environment that is cold, indifferent, and ultimately consuming." Fauve won the Sundance Special Jury Prize in 2018 and was later Oscar-nominated for its gripping visual storytelling.
Watch “Fauve” now →
Yearbook
Creator: Bernardo Britto
Categories: Animation, 2D, Comedy
On the brink of Earth’s destruction, a man is tasked with creating a definitive record of humanity before the world blows up. He scrambles through history, struggling to include the most notable people known to mankind into a complete list. The humor lies in the absurdity of burdening one person with capturing everything worth remembering. Britto’s endearingly introverted and introspective lead and charming animation style make this film a moving and classic all-timer. Yearbook won Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award for Animation.
Watch “Yearbook” now →
Thunder Road
Creator: Jim Cummings
Categories: Narrative, Comedy, Narrative Comedy
A police officer delivers an emotionally charged eulogy for his mother, only to descend into an avalanche of grief and vulnerability. The single-take performance turns heartbreak into awkwardness, making those witnessing in the pews (and probably you, too!) squirm in their seat. Director Jim Cummings also stars and gives the audience one heck of a raw (and funny) performance. Thunder Road won Sundance’s Short Film Grand Jury Prize in 2016 and sparked a successful feature adaptation.
Watch “Thunder Road” now →
Alone
Creator: Garrett Bradley (NY Times Op-Docs)
Categories: Documentary, People
Alone follows single mother Aloné Watts as she navigates life and love with her incarcerated partner, exposing the silent struggles of families affected by systemic incarceration in America. Garrett pairs intimate footage and narration to reveal layers of resilience and heartbreak among Aloné and her grieving family. It’s both a personal story and a broader statement about mass incarceration’s ripple effect and social inequality. Alone received Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award for Non-Fiction in 2017.
Watch “Alone” now →
Nevada
Creator: Emily Ann Hoffman
Categories: Animation, Stop Frame
During a romantic weekend getaway, a condom mishap leads a young couple to face the possibility of pregnancy. In this witty and intimate stop-motion short, they navigate the situation with honesty, humor, and care. Over playful yet thoughtful conversations, they imagine names for a future child, even christening their “baby” Nevada before raising a toast to say goodbye as Plan B enters the picture. With warmth and authenticity, the film captures the mix of responsibility, anxiety, and levity in moments of uncertainty, showing how love and humor can coexist with real-life decisions.
Watch “Nevada” now →
And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool
Creator: Makoto Nagahisa
In a quiet Japanese town, four teenage girls decide to release 400 goldfish into their school pool, fueled by a mix of boredom, rebellion, and curiosity. The film splinters into episodic chapters, each blending the absurd and the melancholic in vivid visuals. It’s a loose narrative that captures adolescent restlessness with poetic energy. Quirky, emotional, and memorable, it defies easy categorization. And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2017.
Watch “And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool” now →
The Shivering Truth Pilot
Creator: Vernon Chatman and Cat Solen for Adult Swim
Categories: Animation
The Shivering Truth Pilot takes the idea of the butterfly effect to surreal extremes. Through this stop-motion short film, we follow a scientist who uses butterfly wings to bend the world to his will, until the scheme collapses into grotesque absurdity. When love, chaos, and human-made butterflies collide in Bali, the story careens into nightmare logic that’s both disturbing and nonsensical. We absolutely love the twisted minds behind this Adult Swim series, writer Vernon Chatman and animator Cat Solen.
Watch “The Shivering Truth Pilot” now →
I Think This Is Closest to How the Footage Looked
Creator: Yuval Hameiri & Michal Vaknin
Categories: Documentary, People, Experimental, Fresh Ideas
A man struggles to recreate the memory of his mother’s final moments using simple household objects, crafting a vulnerable and haunting account of what’s been lost. I Think This Is Closest to How the Footage Looked is incredibly effective, minimalist storytelling, and a film often cited as a Vimeo curation team favorite. It won Sundance’s Short Film Jury Award for Non-Fiction in 2014 and made its online debut as a New York Times Op-Doc.
Watch “I Think This Is Closest to How the Footage Looked” now →
Brotherhood
Creator: Meryam Joobeur
In rural Tunisia, a shepherd’s life is upended when his eldest son returns from Syria with a young bride, prompting suspicion and tension in their closely knit family. As the family grapples with old loyalties and unspoken fears, simmering emotions rise beneath a veneer of silence. The film is rich in atmosphere — dusty landscapes, tense glances, and shared grief — painting a subtle picture of fractured trust. Dialogue is sparse, allowing silence and setting to speak volumes. Brotherhood won Vimeo’s Best of the Year Award in the Drama category in 2019 and was later nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Watch “Brotherhood” now →
Lucia, Before and After
Creator: Anu Valia
After traveling hundreds of miles alone, Lucia waits out a mandatory 24-hour period before her abortion can proceed, spending the time in a clinic waiting room, framed in austerity and quiet dread. Vignettes capture her solitude through lingering shots and understated realism. The one-shot opening echoes cinematic greats while maintaining emotional intimacy. The ordinary nature of her surroundings heightens the social weight of her choice. Lucia, Before and After won Sundance’s US Fiction Jury Prize for its compassionate and restrained storytelling.
Watch “Lucia, Before and After” now →
Vimeo is your destination for festival-worthy films, documentaries, and more
Vimeo is your portal to Sundance’s most powerful short films, each redefining what short storytelling can achieve. From poetic visual tales to emotional reckonings, this collection captures the heartbeat of independent cinema today.
