Award-winning Sci-Fi animated shorts to watch on DUST

Some of the most fascinating and thought-provoking stories are often told through short films. And when it comes to science fiction, creators often rely on animation as a useful tool to overcome any challenges a live-action version would pose. So for today’s List hai to hit hai podcast, we take a look at some of the best animated sci-fi shorts available to stream on Dust.

Avarya

Set in the distant future, a man embarks on a journey in outer space to find a habitable planet with the help of a robot. But he soon finds himself trapped in his own spaceship after the robot confirms that he is unable to find any habitable planets. Avarya is a 3D-animated short film developed by Turkish 3D-artist Gökalp Gönen. The film is aimed at opening a discourse on human intelligence and its comparison to a self-aware AI.

Shehr e Tabassum

If you are a fan of dystopian sci-fi stories such as Blade Runner or George Orwell’s classic novel 1984, then this short film, Shehr e Tabassum, is an excellent choice to dive into. The short is set in 2071 Pakistan after the end of decades of civil war. In this new supposed ‘Utopia’, the citizens are mandated by law to always smile. As one would imagine, the law is ironically dystopian and totalitarian. The title of the 2D-animated short film translates to ‘City of Smiles’ and is directed by Arafat Mazhar.

Winston

Inspired by a story by Edger Allen Poe, Winston is a 2D-animated short created by Aram Sarkisian. The story tells the tale of a man named Winston who descends into paranoia and hysteria after he begins to suspect that someone is watching his every move 24 hours a day in his cabin during a snow-covered winter. The film offers excellent voice acting by the narrator and eerie music to provide more suspense and drama.

Love is Just a Death Away

Love is Just a Death Away is a multiple award-winning stop-motion animated short film by Bára Anna Stejskalová. The animation and the visuals are disturbing by design and it is a macabre plot device to provide the subtext to the story. The story is set in a large waste disposal dump and it ultimately narrates to the audience that love can be found even in the most disturbing of places.

NEUROSI5: Momento

This sci-fi short film is the only animated film created in the Japanese anime aesthetic. Created by Michael Coutto, the film is set in a futuristic dystopian society where the lines between reality and virtual reality are blurred. The film is a thought-provoking exploration of the very idea of reality through disturbing imagery and scenes.

High Score

High Score is a 2D-animated short set in a post-apocalyptic world. The plot revolves around a man who finds refuge in an arcade video game center. He uses one of the machines and leaves ‘Help’ as his username under the high score leaderboard table in the hopes that someone using a similar machine elsewhere will come across it. To his pleasant surprise, the next day he does find someone on the other side and they begin communicating through the arcade leaderboards.

Well thats the OTTplay List hai toh hit hai for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

Written by Ryan Gomez