Long shorts Long shorts

In recent years, the landscape of short animated films has undergone a significant shift. Short animated films are increasingly stretching beyond the 20-minute mark. In fact, three of this year’s five Oscar-nominated shorts are 19-minutes or longer. This shift could be attributed to filmmakers responding to evolving audience expectations or exploring new storytelling possibilities that require more time to unfold.

By breaking away from the traditional constraints of shorter formats, creators can delve deeper into complex narratives and character development, which might be resonating more with modern viewers. Some are even nearing the 30-minute maximum runtime set by animation festivals like the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), of which I’m the artistic director. This shift reflects a growing ambition among filmmakers to explore more complex narratives and themes, challenging traditional boundaries.

Traditionally, films exceeding 20 minutes were relatively scarce, and only exceptional works justified such lengths. Yet recent examples like Tomek Popakul’s Acid Rain and Zima, Daria Kashcheeva’s Electra, and Kaspar Jancis’s Antipolis challenge this norm. Even veteran animators Priit and Olga Pärn ventured into this space with their awkwardly timed 32-minute piece Luna Rossa.

Cartoon Brew interviewed leading producers, distributors, educators, programmers, and filmmakers to gain a better understanding of this complex and potentially problematic trend.

The Festival Squeeze

“So what?,” some might ask about the rise of longer short films. One significant consequence is the reduced number of films accepted into festival competitions. At OIAF, the number of selected films has shown a downward trend. In 2014, the festival showcased 84 shorts. From 2015 onward, that number ranged between 56 and 68, dropping to a record-low 40 in 2023, the year Electra, Zima, and Antipolis competed. This decline is partly due to the rise of long shorts, which take up more programming slots.

The logistical challenges of accommodating longer films are not trivial. Festivals operate on tight schedules and budgets, making it difficult to simply add more screenings. Festivals are complex, resource-intensive endeavors, not events that can easily adapt to every shifting trend. For festivals already operating under financial and time constraints, programming longer films often comes at the cost of showcasing a wider variety of works, which impacts the diversity of voices and styles that audiences are exposed to.

Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy International Animation Festival, echoes these concerns. “If films continue to get longer, we may need to create subcategories or adjust programming limits,” he said. Jean points to the shrinking number of films selected for Annecy’s International Competition, which has steadily declined over the past decade. “From 2012 to 2014, we selected an average of 49 films per year. By 2024, that number had dropped to just 31,” he noted.

Daniel Šuljić, artistic director of Animafest Zagreb, shared a similar perspective. “At Animafest Zagreb, we increased our upper limit for shorts to 40 minutes, but that creates another issue: how do you deal with middle-length films? I’ve thought about it a lot — maybe shorts could have a limit of 17 minutes, and middle-length films could have their own category. But when I simulated the numbers from past years, one year we’d have three, four, or five great middle-length films, but another year we’d only have one or two. Maybe the solution is to lower the limit for shorts to 20 minutes maximum, with features starting at 45 minutes. Festivals can’t just add more screenings. We have budgets and, beyond that, there are only 24 hours in a day.”

In the Shadow of the Cypress
The Iranian short In the Shadow of the Cypress, currently nominated for an Academy Award, is 20 minutes long.
Technology’s Influence

The role of technology in this phenomenon is undeniable. Tomek Popakul, director of Zima, explained how advancements in 3d animation and motion capture enable filmmakers to extend runtimes without drastically increasing production costs. “Once you’ve invested in modeling characters and environments,” Popakul said, “it’s relatively flexible to add more seconds or new shots.” His use of motion capture allows for seamless looping of actions, enabling longer sequences with minimal additional effort.

Šuljić provided a historical perspective: “In the past, film was expensive, and every second counted. Directors at studios like Zagreb Film were very conscious not to prolong scenes unnecessarily. Now, with digital technology, it’s easier to leave a scene one or two seconds longer. But when you do that across the entire film, those seconds add up. By the end, you’ve got a film that’s 10-20% too long.”

Steven Subotnick, a filmmaker and teacher at Rhode Island School of Design, added, “Digital technology makes it easier to work in longer formats. In the old days of film, the medium was so much more expensive and cumbersome, which tended to limit screen time.”

Daria Kashcheeva, whose 27-minute film Electra emerged from the Czech Republic’s co-production and grant system, shed light on a different approach to production. “In Europe, or at least in the Czech Republic, the budgeting and production process differs,” she explained. “Here, it’s about securing as much funding as possible from various grants, film funds, and co-productions, rather than calculating the cost minute by minute.” This approach enables filmmakers to creatively work within their budget, allowing institutional support to facilitate more ambitious and longer projects.

Electra
Daria Kashcheeva’s 27-minute short Electra.
The Live-Action Effect

Some animators point to live-action cinema as a key influence on their narrative styles and runtimes. Popakul acknowledged that his films often mimic live-action storytelling, with their three-act structures, character arcs, and dramatic pacing. “For poetic or experimental films, 7-10 minutes can suffice,” he said. “But for psychologically deep characters and plot twists, you need more time.”

Kashcheeva, who is currently writing her first feature-length script, revealed how her love for live-action films shaped her storytelling instincts. “My brain is wired to follow the classic three-act structure,” she said, adding that her short films naturally expand into longer formats as a result. This evolution highlights how live-action conventions influence animation storytelling, encouraging deeper character development and more complex narratives.

Kaspar Jancis also reflected on the influence of live-action. His film Antipolis began as a live-action idea and retained a cinematic approach even after transitioning to stop-motion. “The decision to use ultra-realistic characters was inherited from the live-action project’s development,” he said.

Meanwhile, Subotnick, highlighted a different perspective: “Shorts are about concentration and visual communication,” he said, advocating for concise storytelling that leverages animation’s unique capabilities rather than mirroring live-action conventions. These contrasting influences demonstrate how animation can both borrow from and distinguish itself from live-action, expanding the medium’s narrative potential.

The crossover influence is not limited to individual filmmakers. Audiences themselves have become accustomed to live-action’s pacing and structure, which may contribute to the acceptance — and even expectation — of longer run times in animation. This shift in audience perception further encourages animators to adopt live-action conventions, blurring the line between the two mediums.

Antipolis
Kaspar Jancis’s 26-minute short Antipolis.
A Gateway to Features?

The ambition to transition into feature filmmaking may also be driving this trend. “If you gave filmmakers unlimited resources, most would choose to make a feature,” said Popakul. However, he also acknowledged the daunting effort required, noting that the long-short format may offer a practical middle ground.

Producers like Olivier Catherin confirm this ambition. “Developing longer narratives is a way for filmmakers to prepare for feature projects,” he said. In countries like France, where scriptwriting is essential for securing funding, the system inherently pushes filmmakers toward creating more elaborate works.

Kashcheeva, now transitioning to a feature project, illustrated how long shorts can serve as a training ground. “Currently, I’m writing the script for my first feature film, which will include both live-action and stop-motion elements,” she shared. This hybrid approach exemplifies how animators are leveraging their experiences with long shorts to bridge the gap to feature filmmaking.

Long shorts also provide an opportunity for filmmakers to develop and refine their storytelling skills without the immense pressure and stakes of a full-length feature. This stepping stone approach allows creators to test the waters of extended narratives, experiment with pacing, and explore deeper character development, which can ultimately strengthen their capabilities when they do transition to features.

Acid Rain
Tomek Popakul’s 26-minute short Acid Rain.
Challenges for Producers and Distributors

While longer shorts may be artistically fulfilling, offering filmmakers the opportunity to delve deeper into complex narratives and character development, they pose significant challenges for producers and distributors who must contend with tighter festival schedules and limited audience attention spans. Vanja Andrijević of Bonobostudio observed that programming long shorts in festivals is difficult. “A 20-minute film has to be exceptional to compete with two shorter films of equal quality,” she said. As a distributor, Andrijević often encourages filmmakers to trim their projects, emphasizing the importance of rhythm and pacing. “If a film can be shorter, why not?,” she asked.

Similarly, Luce Grosjean of Miyu Distribution warned that long shorts are harder to program and sell. “Every minute after 15 counts double,” she explained. Yet, for thematic programs, longer films can work if their quality justifies the runtime. Grosjean highlighted the importance of finding alternative niches for showcasing these works, such as curated programs focused on specific themes.

Catherin elabored on the complexities: “These larger projects are heavier to produce. They involve bigger teams, sometimes split across different studios — similar to a feature film. This makes the process much more complicated for producers. You need more money and more people. Sometimes, the project grows too large. Directors may not realize this — they just keep adding more. For example, a film might start at 13 minutes and grow to 16 minutes because they decide, ‘Oh, maybe it’s better with two or three more minutes.’ That kind of thing happens quite often.”

Christine Noël, executive producer of the Animation Unit at the National Film Board of Canada, observed: “For a while now, we’ve seen creators of director-driven animated shorts wanting to tell their stories through films with runtimes of more than 17 minutes; one example was Theodore Ushev’s The Physics of Sorrow back in 2019. While it hasn’t necessarily been a massive trend, we’re definitely still seeing it these days. Just recently, animators like Amanda Strong, with Inkwo for When the Starving Return, and Torill Kove, with Maybe Elephants, have felt the need to tell their stories in more elaborate ways. As a creative lab, we champion all forms of storytelling, and that might mean formal, visual, or narrative experimentation. Longer runtimes are also something we’re quite willing to explore, as long as their purpose is to deliver a meaningful experience for the viewer, not simply for convenience.”

Grosjean added that festivals like Annecy face increasing pressure to accommodate longer films without sacrificing variety. “Annecy selected only 40 films for the International Competition last year,” she noted. This reduction in slots underscores the competitive disadvantage of longer shorts, which may require festivals to explore new programming models, such as thematic blocks or dedicated categories for mid-length films.

Maybe Elephants
Torill Kove’s 17-minute film Maybe Elephants.
The Role of Education

Educators and festival directors agree that animation schools play a critical role in shaping filmmakers’ understanding of storytelling and pacing. Šuljić believes many films could benefit from tighter editing. “Some films could be 20-30% shorter,” he suggested. “In the past, filmmakers had to carefully consider each frame due to the high cost of production. Today, with digital tools making production easier and more affordable, there’s less pressure to keep things concise. This can result in films that feel drawn out or lack focus.”

Amy Kravitz, a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, noted that some students’ focus on verbal, script-driven animation reflects a misguided attempt to align with industry trends. “Students sometimes see longer films as a pathway to finding producers and deals,” she observed. Kravitz stresses the importance of nurturing students’ creative confidence and encouraging them to explore animation’s unique storytelling potential beyond conventional formats. “Animation doesn’t need to adhere to live-action rules,” she added, urging students to embrace the medium’s flexibility.

Magic Candies
The Japaese short Magic Candies, currently nominated for an Academy Award, is 21 minutes long.
The Future of Long Shorts

As festivals and filmmakers grapple with the implications of this trend, solutions remain elusive. Annecy’s Jean acknowledged the need for change. “If films continue to get longer, we may need to create subcategories or adjust programming limits,” he said. He suggests that introducing a dedicated category for mid-length films could help alleviate some of the pressure on programming while allowing these works to shine without overshadowing shorter entries.

Kravitz warned that the drive for longer works may “come from European producers as well as U.S. companies looking for ‘the next whatever’ series.” As a result, she said, “Students get caught between their confusion and their ambition — sometimes not really understanding the depth of the medium and its potential to move beyond all that into forms or practices they don’t have the confidence to imagine currently.”

Despite the challenges, long shorts offer unique opportunities for artistic exploration. Educator Subotnick emphasized the value of conciseness in short films, advocating for a return to animation’s roots in brevity and impact. However, there is also a growing recognition of the creative potential in long shorts.

Ultimately, the rise of long short films reflects a tension between creative ambition and practical constraints. Festivals, educators, and distributors will likely need to collaborate more closely to innovate programming strategies and establish clearer distinctions between short and mid-length formats. These adjustments could help maintain a balance between celebrating artistic ambition and addressing practical challenges. As the short animation landscape transforms, finding ways to combine narrative depth with brevity may lead to a redefinition of what a short film can achieve.

Beautiful Men
The European co-production Beautiful Men, currently nominated for an Academy Award, is 19 minutes long.

Pictured at top: Three of this year’s five Oscar-nominated shorts are 19-minutes or longer. From left to right, In the Shadow of the Cypress, Magic Candies, Beautiful Men.

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