Some of these technically aren’t scifi, and some weren’t necessarily first released in 2015, but here are some great mind-bending short films which I particularly enjoyed over the last year or so.
1. Infinite Horizon
Infinite Horizon from weareseventeen on Vimeo.
more science fact than science fiction, this short piece captures the feeling of awe and wonder that both scifi and real scientific exploration can evoke
2. Sundays
SUNDAYS from PostPanic on Vimeo.
a proof-of-concept short with some great visuals. according to the website they are currently working on a feature film version, which I really hope they manage to complete
3. UNCANNY VALLEY
UNCANNY VALLEY (2015) from 3DAR on Vimeo.
a brilliantly produced short about potential dangers of virtual reality
4. New Horizons
NEW HORIZONS [Extended Version] from Erik Wernquist on Vimeo.
after releasing his beautiful and inspiring short WANDERERS, Erik Wernquist was contacted by the National Space Society to produce this promotional video for NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto
5. Sputnik
Sputnik — a short film by Maxim Zhestkov from Zhestkov on Vimeo.
although completely alien and otherworldly, this simple but evocative CG short film still manages to feel very earthly
6. ZERO DAY
ZERO-DAY from beeple on Vimeo.
really more of a music video- cool scifi mech visuals and a dubsteppy track with news samples revolving around cyberwar
7. TIE Fighter
Star Wars fan film animated in an awesome 80s anime style by one guy over a period of 4 years(!)
8. SINGULARITY
SINGULARITY [short film] 2015 from The Bicycle Monarchy on Vimeo.
intense scifi military action short with a great gritty look
9. AMBITION
a short produced for the European Space Agency- a bit more self-congratulatory dialogue than story, but features Aidan Gillen (of Game of Thrones fame) and some cool vfx work
10. Time Trap
one of the few light-hearted pieces in this list, this live-action+CG short takes a unique time-traveling idea and uses it to great comedic effect
11. THE SHAMAN
THE SHAMAN – a mind-bending short by Marco Kalantari from Marco Kalantari on Vimeo.
a group of humans hiding in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by machines must rely on a shaman’s ability to journey into the spirit world to defeat their enemy
12. Polis
POLIS from Steven Ilous on Vimeo.
short but intriguing and well-produced “a young telepath… threatens to uncover a utopian society’s horrifying secrets”
13. The Looking Planet
charming and beautifully designed
14. IMMERSION
this one feels more like a very long trailer than a self-contained film, but nonetheless very intriguing and some great visuals
15. ANOMALY
ANOMALY from ANOMALY on Vimeo.
a sort of odd alternate history short “inspired by the traditional Christmas Nativity.” I’m not really sure what the film is trying to say, but I really appreciated the beautiful cinematography, poetic Terrence Malick-esqe style and the great soundtrack
honorable mention: One-Minute Time Machine
not really scifi except for the time travel element, but pretty darn funny
