Tired of movies? Five animated short films worth watching

Ever felt too tired or unwilling to watch an entire movie? Well, short films might just be your cup of tea. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits.”

Aside from entertain, many short films address day-today issues in society.

One per person

The 10 minute film created though computer-generated imagery (CGI) features two fast food workers, Nancy and Chuck. After seeing Nancy struggle in a salesmanship duel, Chuck offers her help not knowing the future implications on his job. The film by Traceback Studios builds up to an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Jubilee

As the queen heads for a horse-drawn carriage at Buckingham Palace, a sudden gust of wind blows her hat away. A determined guard and a playful dog embark on a mission to recover the hat which is blown around London. Created in 2017, Jubilee has won over six different animation awards.

The dog

A stray dog runs around town barking at strangers, seemingly beckoning them to follow. After several run-ins with human and even causing an accident, animal control are called in to deal with the animal. Only after the dog is killed do humans realise the noble mission that prompted its actions.

Kura

Hours before the General Election, a politician visits Integrity Centre where he’s informed of his probable arrest in connection to corruption scandals. Feeling threatened, the politician and his cronies bomb Integrity Centre and a star forensic accountant is killed. According to the creators, this Kenyan animated film sought to address corruption and election malpractice in the country.

“The short film is the core idea behind what is actually a much bigger action thriller story, which we did not have the resources to produce. But rather than shelve the idea altogether, we undertook to do what we could within the limitations of what we had and began production in January 2017,” a statement on the YouTube page reads.

Jonte and Kabudaa

Jonte and Kabudaa is a series of 2-dimension animation short films popular among Kenyans. In the latest episode released on May 15, Jonte and Kabudaaa sneak out of school but accidentally run into a teacher while attempting to sneak back in.