Shorts / Documentaries
by AvantPopArtist | created - 11 Feb 2014 | updated - 17 Mar 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Window Water Baby Moving (1959)
13 min | Documentary, Short
Stan Brakhage films the birth of his first child, Myrrena.
Director: Stan Brakhage | Stars: Stan Brakhage, Myrrena Schwegmann, Jane Wodening
Votes: 2,456
2. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
Not Rated | 14 min | Short, Fantasy, Mystery
A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.
Directors: Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid | Stars: Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid
Votes: 15,187
3. Mothlight (1963)
4 min | Short
A "found foliage" film composed of insects, leaves, and other detritus sandwiched between two strips of perforated tape.
Director: Stan Brakhage
Votes: 2,854
4. Cosmic Ray (1962)
4 min | Short
Experimental short uses Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" as accompaniment to constantly shifting collage of female nude, cartoons, and newsreels of atomic bomb explosions.
Director: Bruce Conner
Votes: 640
5. La Jetée (1962)
Not Rated | 28 min | Short, Drama, Romance
The story of a man forced to explore his memories in the wake of World War III's devastation, told through still images.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Étienne Becker, Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich
Votes: 37,025
6. Un chien andalou (1929)
Not Rated | 16 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí present 16 minutes of bizarre, surreal imagery.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Pierre Batcheff, Simone Mareuil, Luis Buñuel, Pancho Cossío
Votes: 53,763
7. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)
Not Rated | 43 min | Short, Biography, Drama
Karen Carpenter's battle with anorexia nervosa and the cultural influence of the Carpenters in the 70s.
Director: Todd Haynes | Stars: Merrill Gruver, Michael Edwards, Melissa Brown, Rob LaBelle
Votes: 3,327
8. Report (1967)
13 min | Short
A compilation of selected bits of archival footage put to a narration of news reports describing the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Director: Bruce Conner
Votes: 1,513
9. The Perfect Human (1968)
13 min | Short
An elegant and humorous film-in the guise of a serious anthropological treatise-spotlights "The Perfect Human," a model of the modern Dane created by our wishful thinking.
Director: Jørgen Leth | Stars: Majken Algren Nielsen, Claus Nissen, Jørgen Leth
Votes: 2,557
10. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Passed | 45 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.
Director: Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, Erwin Connelly
Votes: 56,863 | Gross: $0.98M
11. Ballet mécanique (1924)
19 min | Short
A pulsing, kaleidoscope of images set to an energetic soundtrack. A young women swings in a garden; a woman's face smiles. The rest is spinning cylinders, pistons, gears and turbines, ... See full summary »
Directors: Fernand Léger, Dudley Murphy | Stars: Kiki of Montparnasse, Fernand Léger, Dudley Murphy, Katherine Murphy
Votes: 3,293
12. Six Men Getting Sick (1967)
TV-PG | 4 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A short continuously looping animation of six grotesque human figures vomiting.
Director: David Lynch
Votes: 6,476
13. Absurd Encounter with Fear (1967)
2 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A man approaches a woman in a field.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Fisk, Peggy Reavey
Votes: 1,404
14. The Alphabet (1969)
TV-MA | 4 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A woman's dark and absurdist nightmare vision comprising a continuous recitation of the alphabet and bizarre living representations of each letter.
Director: David Lynch | Star: Peggy Reavey
Votes: 8,535
15. The Grandmother (1970)
Not Rated | 34 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A young boy plants some strange seeds and they grow into a grandmother.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Dorothy McGinnis, Richard White, Virginia Maitland, Robert Chadwick
Votes: 7,342
16. The Amputee (1974)
TV-MA | 9 min | Short, Comedy
A double leg amputated woman sits and writes a long meandering letter while her ineffective nurse attempts to attend to her stumps.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Catherine E. Coulson, David Lynch
Votes: 4,818
17. Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958)
15 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
Two men emerge from the sea onto the beach carrying a large wooden wardrobe with a mirror on its front. After the two men clean up and rejoice being in this new environment, they proceed to... See full summary »
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jakub Goldberg, Henryk Kluba, Andrzej Kondratiuk, Barbara Lass
Votes: 2,750
18. Le gros et le maigre (1961)
15 min | Short, Comedy, Music
A small and thin barefoot slave (played by Polanski) plays a flute and beats a drum to entertain his large master who rocks in a rocking chair in front of his mansion. The slave jumps and ... See full summary »
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: André Katelbach, Roman Polanski
Votes: 1,351
19. Theory of Achievement (1991)
Not Rated | 18 min | Comedy, Drama, Short
Affectionately examines the lives of a group of "young, middle-class, white, college-educated, unskilled, broke, drunk" Brooklynites who would love to make something of their lives -- assuming they can pay the rent first.
Director: Hal Hartley | Stars: Bob Gosse, Jessica Sager, Jeffrey Howard, Elina Löwensohn
Votes: 491
20. Ambition (1992)
Not Rated | 9 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
A day in the life of a young artist who longs for professional success and the attention of beautiful women, but who encounters only frustration and violence.
Director: Hal Hartley | Stars: George Feaster, Hannah Sullivan, Rick Groel, James McCauley
Votes: 503
21. God of Love (2010)
18 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
A lovestruck, lounge-singing darts champion finds his prayers answered--literally--when he mysteriously receives a box of love-inducing darts.
Director: Luke Matheny | Stars: Luke Matheny, Marian Brock, Christopher Hirsh, Emily Young
Votes: 1,917
22. Curfew (I) (2012)
19 min | Short, Drama
Having reached the lowest point in his life, a self-destructive man on the brink of demise receives an unexpected call from his estranged sister to look after her young daughter for the night. Could this be the beginning of a new reality?
Director: Shawn Christensen | Stars: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Kim Allen, Dana Segal
Votes: 7,046
23. A Girl's Own Story (1984)
27 min | Short, Drama
The awkwardness and confusion of burgeoning sexuality in teenage girls in a twisted and repressed suburban culture.
Director: Jane Campion | Stars: Gabrielle Shornegg, Geraldine Haywood, Marian Knight, John Godden
Votes: 873
24. Ryan (2004)
TV-PG | 14 min | Documentary, Animation, Short
The movie talks about the life of Ryan Larkin, a gifted Canadian animator of the late '60s and the early '70s.
Director: Chris Landreth | Stars: Ryan Larkin, Chris Landreth, Felicity Fanjoy, Derek Lamb
Votes: 2,997
25. Hotel Chevalier (2007)
R | 13 min | Short, Drama, Romance
A prologue of one heart-breaking history of love and the prologue of the travel told in The Darjeeling Limited (2007).
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Natalie Portman, Waris Ahluwalia, Michel Castejon
Votes: 36,088
26. Glory at Sea (2008)
25 min | Short, Adventure
A group of mourners and a man spat from the depths of Hades build a boat from the debris of New Orleans to rescue their lost loved ones trapped beneath the sea.
Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Geremy Jasper, Henry D. Coleman, Chloe Tillis, Chantise Colon
Votes: 453
27. Death to the Tinman (2007)
12 min | Short, Adventure, Comedy
Bill loves Jane and she loves him, but in this small town, many are jealous of Bill, especially the volunteer firefighters. Bill calls them cowards, puts out fires by himself, and doesn't ... See full summary »
Director: Ray Tintori | Stars: Jeff Delauter, Sophie Ellsberg, Lee Pender, Marvin Illman
Votes: 563
28. Vincent (1982)
G | 6 min | Animation, Short, Family
Young Vincent Malloy dreams of being just like Vincent Price and loses himself in macabre daydreams which annoys his mother.
Director: Tim Burton | Star: Vincent Price
Votes: 24,310
29. What's Opera, Doc? (1957)
Approved | 7 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Elmer Fudd is again hunting rabbits - only this time it's an opera. Wagner's Siegfried with Elmer as the titular hero and Bugs as Brunnhilde. They sing, they dance, they eat the scenery.
Director: Chuck Jones | Stars: Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan
Votes: 10,498
30. Camera (III) (2000)
6 min | Short, Drama
While a veteran actor laments the state of film and film acting, a group of young children sneak a Panavision camera into the apartment where the actor resides and decide to make a film with it.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Leslie Carlson, Marc Donato, Harrison Kane, Stephanie Sams
Votes: 1,969
31. Style Wars (1983 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 69 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary that exposes the rich growing subculture of hip-hop that was developing in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s, specifically focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing.
Director: Tony Silver | Stars: Demon, Kase 2, Eric Haze, D. 5
Votes: 3,296
32. American Movie (1999)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Comedy
Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt
Votes: 19,311 | Gross: $1.16M
33. Crumb (1994)
R | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Votes: 21,579 | Gross: $3.17M
34. Tarnation (2003)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8 film, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more - culled from nineteen years of his life.
Director: Jonathan Caouette | Stars: Jonathan Caouette, Renee Leblanc, Adolph Davis, Rosemary Davis
Votes: 6,709 | Gross: $0.59M
35. High School (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside Northeast High School as a fly on the wall to observe the teachers and how they interact with the students.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 2,233
36. The Filth and the Fury (2000)
R | 108 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Votes: 6,203 | Gross: $0.61M
37. Dig! (2004)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Anton Newcombe, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Joel Gion, Matt Hollywood
Votes: 6,687 | Gross: $0.13M
38. Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music
A mix of Dave Chappelle's sketch comedy and musical interludes, inspired in part by the 1973 documentary Wattstax.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Dave Chappelle, Yasiin Bey, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu
Votes: 9,623 | Gross: $11.72M
39. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,180 | Gross: $23.81M
40. 1 Giant Leap (2002)
76 min | Documentary, Music
Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman travelled for 7 months through all 5 continents, and recorded in over 50 locations to create the most inspiring film and album they could imagine. Their ... See full summary »
Directors: Duncan Bridgeman, Jamie Catto | Stars: Asha Bhosle, Whirimako Black, Tim Booth, Duncan Bridgeman
Votes: 406
41. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006–2007)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary
An examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Stars: Darleen Asevedo, Jay Asevedo, Shelton Shakespear Alexander, Lee Arnold
Votes: 4,821
42. Sigur Rós: Heima (2007)
97 min | Documentary, Music
In the summer of 2006, Sigur Rós returned home to play a series of free, unannounced concerts for the people of Iceland.
Director: Dean DeBlois | Stars: Amiina, Hildur Arsaelsdottir, Jon Thor Birgisson, Orri P. Dyrason
Votes: 8,333
43. Gonzo (2008)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, Joe Cairo, David Carlo
Votes: 8,499 | Gross: $1.25M
44. Lou Reed: Berlin (2007)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary, Music
Lou Reed's 2006 live concert performance of his 1973 concept album "Berlin", filmed over five nights at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York.
Director: Julian Schnabel | Stars: Lou Reed, Steve Hunter, Fernando Saunders, Tony Thunder Smith
Votes: 858 | Gross: $0.03M
45. The Five Obstructions (2003)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenges Jørgen Leth, the filmmaker behind The Perfect Human (1967), to remake his classic short under circumstances of increasing constraint.
Directors: Jørgen Leth, Lars von Trier | Stars: Claus Nissen, Majken Algren Nielsen, Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez, Jacqueline Arenal
Votes: 9,194 | Gross: $0.09M
46. The Betrayal (2008)
96 min | Documentary
The epic story of a family forced to emigrate from Laos after the chaos of the secret air war waged by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Kuras has spent the last 23 years chronicling the ... See full summary »
Directors: Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath | Star: Thavisouk Phrasavath
Votes: 456
47. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,789 | Gross: $3.29M
48. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,770 | Gross: $5.23M
49. Pina (2011)
PG | 103 min | Documentary, Music
A tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Pina Bausch, Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo, Ruth Amarante
Votes: 15,932 | Gross: $3.52M
50. F for Fake (1973)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
A documentary about fraud and fakery.
Directors: Orson Welles, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach | Stars: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, Elmyr de Hory
Votes: 18,273
51. Room 237 (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary
An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).
Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan
Votes: 23,105 | Gross: $0.26M
52. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)
R | 91 min | Documentary
A documentary that chronicles artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government.
Director: Alison Klayman | Stars: Ai Weiwei, Dan Ai, Lao Ai, Lee Ambrozy
Votes: 4,527 | Gross: $0.53M
53. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,856 | Gross: $3.97M
54. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, History
Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker.
Director: Göran Hugo Olsson | Stars: Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Abiodun Oyewole
Votes: 2,497 | Gross: $0.26M
55. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 108 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,395 | Gross: $0.21M
56. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,773 | Gross: $0.49M
57. The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012)
Not Rated | 136 min | Documentary
Philosopher Slavoj Zizek examines the hidden themes and existential questions asked by world renowned films.
Director: Sophie Fiennes | Star: Slavoj Zizek
Votes: 7,520 | Gross: $0.07M
58. Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Michel Gondry, Richard Feynman, Michèle Oshima
Votes: 3,674 | Gross: $0.13M
59. 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | Stars: Nick Cave, Susie Bick, Warren Ellis, Darian Leader
Votes: 11,966 | Gross: $0.28M
60. Cutie and the Boxer (2013)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
Director: Zach Heinzerling | Stars: Ushio Shinohara, Noriko Shinohara, Alex Shinohara, Ethan Cohen
Votes: 4,736 | Gross: $0.20M
61. The Fearless Freaks (2005)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the evolution of the Oklahoma band The Flaming Lips.
Director: Bradley Beesley | Stars: Bradley Beesley, Steve Burns, Dolly Coyne, Kenny Coyne
Votes: 1,145
62. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,371 | Gross: $2.07M
63. Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary
A documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Paul Haggis, Jason Beghe, Spanky Taylor, David Miscavige
Votes: 40,886
64. What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Nina Simone, Lisa Simone Kelly, Roger Nupie, Al Schackman
Votes: 14,815
65. Freakonomics (2010)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary
A collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki, Morgan Spurlock | Stars: James Ransone, Tempestt Bledsoe, Morgan Spurlock, Melvin Van Peebles
Votes: 7,731 | Gross: $0.10M
66. Brooklyn Boheme (2011)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
An intimate portrait of the black arts movement that exploded in Fort Greene from the mid 1980s through the 90s as told by writer, historian and Brooklyn resident Nelson George.
Directors: Nelson George, Diane Paragas | Stars: Rhonda F. Cowan, Spike Lee, Branford Marsalis, Rosie Perez
Votes: 120
67. Concerning Violence (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Drama, History
The most daring moments in the struggle for liberation from colonial rule.
Director: Göran Hugo Olsson | Stars: Lauryn Hill, Kati Outinen, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Gaetano Pagano
Votes: 793
68. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Filmmaker William Greaves auditioned acting students for a fictional drama, while simultaneously shooting the behind-the-scenes drama taking place.
Director: William Greaves | Stars: Patricia Ree Gilbert, Don Fellows, Jonathan Gordon, Bob Rosen
Votes: 2,510
69. Listen to Me Marlon (2015)
Unrated | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary that utilizes hundreds of hours of audio that Marlon Brando recorded over the course of his life to tell the screen legend's story.
Director: Stevan Riley | Stars: Marlon Brando, Stella Adler, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michael Borne
Votes: 7,913 | Gross: $0.43M
70. World of Tomorrow (2015)
G | 17 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A little girl is taken on a mind-bending tour of her distant future.
Director: Don Hertzfeldt | Stars: Julia Pott, Winona Mae, Sara Cushman
Votes: 10,311
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