Film & Television vocabulary · Genres and Storytelling
Short film
Meaning in film & television, with examples
/ˌʃɔːt ˈfɪlm/nounCore term
In film & television, short film means: A film that is much shorter than a feature, usually from a few minutes to about half an hour long.
In Turkish: kısa film, kısa metrajlı film
How it is used
Often just called a short. Most directors start with shorts and send them to film festivals. For the Academy Awards a short film runs 40 minutes or less, including credits. Common types: live-action short, animated short, documentary short.
Example sentences
Her short film won a prize at Clermont-Ferrand and opened doors for her first feature.
We have no budget, so let's make a short film first and test the idea.
Common collocations
make a short film
animated short film
short film festival
short film competition
Related terms
feature filmA full-length film made for cinema or streaming release, usually between about 80 minutes and three hours long.
film festivalAn event where new films are shown to audiences, critics and industry professionals, often with competitions, awards and markets.
animationThe technique of making drawings, models or computer images appear to move by showing a series of slightly different pictures one after another, and the films made this way.
documentaryA non-fiction film or programme that presents real people, events or places, often to inform, investigate or tell a true story.
