When it comes to short films, the 2010s was probably the most notable decade in the history of the genre. The number of short films we got to see this decade was record-breaking, and their quality was nothing short of astonishing. It would not be wrong to say that this has got a lot to do with the technological leap we have taken in the last decade. As we stepped into 2010, the digital revolution was settling, and even the young filmmakers had access to the best technology required to execute their ideas. Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo also played an instrumental role in encouraging filmmakers to take this route. The improvement in the quality of story and production has also made film festivals and awards events take more interest in the short film genre, and it has now become a major part of those events.

A short film can be as short as a minute long or as lengthy as 40 minutes. Generally, people tell short stories because they are looking to entertain people or want to share a story with morals. The short films we got to witness in this last decade were so well made that we can learn a lot of life lessons from them. Below I have mentioned a few of the award-winning shorts of the last decade. Also, if you want to keep up with the latest short films, you can learn more about that by visiting Discover Film.

The Phone Call

Sally Hawkins was brilliant in the academy award-winning best picture The Shape of Water and rightly deserved the best actress nomination. But if her performance in that movie floored you, then wait till you see what she has got for you in the 2013 short called Phone Call. The 22-minute short film follows the story of a shy lady Heather who works in a helpline call center. Heather’s life changes forever when she receives a call from an unknown man who claims to have taken pills to commit suicide. Sally Hawkins’s performance of this shy woman Heather trying to save a person’s life is what got this short the academy award for best picture in 2015. It is a movie that you should not miss out on at any cost.

The Neighbors’ Window

This 20-minute long masterpiece might be one of the most recent additions in the list but is also one of the best. The Neighbors’ Window is a film created and directed by Marshall Curry, which follows the story of middle-aged woman Alli (played by Maria Dizzia), who lives with her young children. The life of Alli changes dramatically as she starts to observe the life of a young, free-spirited couple that has just moved across the street recently. The story is told through the eyes of both the neighbors and shows as that sometimes we only see what we want to see. The breathtaking cinematography and the interpretive story is what earned this film the academy award at the recent Oscars.

The Silent Child

Another film that is worthy of getting a mention in our list is the 2017 short The Silent Child. The story of this short is set in rural England and is inspired by real-life events. It focuses on a four-year-old deaf girl Libby (played by Maisie Sly), who lives with her middle-class family in rural England and spends her life in silence. Libby’s view of the world starts to change as a caring social worker enters her life and teaches her the gift of communication. This heartfelt short did not just melt the heart of its audience, but it also earned it the academy award for best short at Oscar 2018.

Helium

If we are talking about the heartfelt shorts of the last decade, we cannot just leave the Helium out of our list. The 23 minute short was released in 2013 and follows the life of a young boy Alfred (played by Pelle Falk Krusbæk) who is dying from a terminal disease and is spending his last days in the hospital. Alfred finds some comfort in the hospital when he befriends a janitor named Enzo (played by Casper Crump), who tells him the story about Helium, a magical world where Alfred can go after his death. The heartfelt, well-acted and well written Danish short wasn’t just praised by the critics, but it also got the academy award for best short at the Oscars 2014. If you are a fan of stories that follows unlikely friendships then this short is a perfect watch for you.

Mindenki

Mindenki is a 25-minute short musical drama that will blow your mind and will make you appreciate this art with a surprising ending. The short tells the story of an award-winning school choir and a young girl who has just recently joined them. The story takes a strange turn as the young girl discovers the ugly secret behind the fame of the choir. The short is set in Budapest in the ’90s, and the cinematography is breathtaking. If you like a great story with excellent performances and a mystery, then you should not miss out on this Hungarian drama. Mindenki was praised highly by the film industry and was recognized as the best short during the 89th annual academy awards.

Stutterer

Stutterer is a very light-hearted and yet tragic story about a lonely man whose head is crystal clear, and all his thoughts make sense. But when it comes to speaking, he can’t put his thoughts into words and often stutters while talking. The story follows the typographer Greenwood (played by Matthew Needham), who finds it hard to communicate with people and stammers often while talking. Greenwood spends most of his time using Facebook and has a flourishing relationship with a girl. But he is afraid of meeting her in person as he fears that he will not be able to communicate with her without stammering. Stutterer is not a sob story but a tale about a man struggling with a hurdle in hist. The film won the academy award for best short at the 88th anniversary of the Oscars