The web is the perfect format for the short film. A single idea, exploited quickly, readily available at anytime for anyone who wants to see it. Then why do so many of them suck. You've seen the list of the movies at Ifilm and AtomFilms, how many student film projects about "the unbearable sadness of leaves" or a "Lesbian love story" that quickly turns to porn. How can you wade through to find the good stuff? Well, look no further. I've sorted through the muck to find some shining examples of short films on the web. Consider yourself warned.

(Note: Many of these films require a quick registration [Ifilm for example] and broadband connection. Sorry 28.8 users)

Non-Abductees Society http://www.scifi.com/exposure/frameup/non.html

Now THIS is what webflicks should be. It's short, It's simple, and it's hilarious. The flick follows a group of people who where never abducted by aliens, and feeling just a little left out. Plus any movie that includes the phrase "I love your big alien head" is a surefire winner.

Prelude to Eden http://www.scifi.com/exposure/frameup/prelude.html

Animation students are weird people. Trust me on this. Add to that a CANADIAN animator and you get things like Prelude To Eden. I'm not complaining, PtE is a fine little short about dueling' atoms. It looks like "Invader Zim" meets "The Iron Giant" with some Road Runner thrown in. Weird. Fun. Fuerid.

More http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_info/0,3699,68390,00.html

Bring on the serious stuff! I saw this before on a big screen, at the O'Plenty Shore Thing Animation festival and I liked it then. Normally a short flick about the nature of creativity and the hopeless emptiness of it all would be about as interesting as watching Sartre's corpse rot. But "More" pulls the "Ignmar Bergman meets claymation" off despite itself. A rare example of actual drama in webflicks. (Note: ignore iFilm's synposis about the film, it has college pretension written all over it)

50% Grey http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_info/0,3699,2419681,00.html

Gee. Another animation. Think I may be a little biased? 50% GRE is a funny little short about death, punishment, and violence. It uses the limitation of Computer animation to its benefit (the white room) and features expressive character animation. Plus, its Oscar-Nominated.

Paranoid http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_info/0,3699,2414601,00.html

Okay no more animation, but still keeping in the theme of horror, death and tragedy. Paranoid is based on the Steven King poem and tells the tale of a woman consumed with paranoid delusions. It is a visceral little flick, the actress portrays the woman's instability to a plum, and the set is a wonderful display of her fixations.