Dreams & Ambitionshort films

The quiet engine that pulls people toward something bigger. Shorts that catch the push, the gamble, the wall.

Hand-picked· Curated· Free to watch
Filter by genre
Documentary
El Chapulin

After a decade in the U.S. and a fight with addiction, a man returns home to Mexico

15 min · heartwarming · meaningful
Documentary
Sometimes It’s Happened

An inspiring doc about an old man telling some of his stories

21 min · entertaining · inspiring
Sci-fi
Botching

A heist film. With Robots.

5 min · atmospheric · futuristic
Drama
Feige

A worker reads tarot, reflecting how work devoured him

4 min · atmospheric · dark
Thriller
Tudescends

A woman is offered a choice that could make her rich

5 min · cerebral · cinematic
Documentary
My Journey to Switzerland

A doc about a search that lead a young Spanish to Switzerland

4 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Documentary
The Afghan Plasterer

A short doc about an Afghan finding work and goals in Switzerland

5 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Sci-fi
Interstice

A teen genius travels back in time to uncover the mystery of his absent father

21 min · cinematic · mysterious
Documentary
The Tides That Bind

A doc about Clint who finds messages in bottles and tracks down the senders

22 min · heartwarming · nostalgic
Drama
Forgive Me

The ambition of a promising fighter becomes the cause of his heartbreak

7 min · emotional · intimate
Drama
The World Beyond Me

Trapped in Mumbai’s red-light district, a woman dreams of freedom

15 min · dark · emotional
Drama
Crack Shot

A former squash champ gets caught in a toxic father-son relationship

14 min · dark · intense
Drama
Tiny, Texas

A high school basketball prodigy hits a wall of expectations

12 min · cinematic · emotional
War
Hawker

A true story of WW1 fighter pilots at the dawn of Aviation Combat

23 min · epic · historical
Drama
Squeeze

A high school wrestling coach recruits an outsider, a student with Autism

20 min · cinematic · emotional
Romance
The Night We Called It A Day

Two ex-lovers reunite for one last gig, confronting past wounds and lingering desires

14 min · emotional · intimate
Comedy
The Infinite Alternate Realities of Larry Sherman

Larry volunteers to be sent to another dimension

12 min · comic · quirky
Documentary
The Leap Beneath

A tiny springtail embarks on a quest for survival beneath the forest floor

5 min · cinematic · entertaining
Dark Comedy
A Certain Method

A struggling actress kills at the audition of her life

13 min · gory · satirical
Dark Comedy
(Manic)quin

An unemployed Plan B junkie, has difficult conversations with a mannequin

14 min · quirky · thought-provoking
Comedy
Whore #4

An Eastern European actor fights against stereotypical casting

7 min · satirical · thought-provoking
Drama
The Unexpected Expectant Father

A grandfather struggles with his abandoned grandson

14 min · emotional · heartwarming
Sci-fi
Time Spent

A man struggling with the cost of living is offered an impossible choice

12 min · intense · mysterious
Documentary
To Be Enjoyed

The unlikely story of a musician experiencing a life-changing opportunity

17 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Documentary
Karma Khazi

An artists becomes a connoisseur of toilet doors

12 min · inspiring · reflective
Documentary
Tanagokoro

How a Japanese chef sparked a fish revolution in the UK

30 min · inspiring · reflective
Drama
Within These Walls

Two musicians delve into their feelings for each other

21 min · intimate · reflective
Comedy
Hangover Food: Vampire Influencer

Lee needs help to become the world’s first vampire influencer

28 min · entertaining · hilarious
Documentary
Plantman

The intimately captured story of a humble gardener

9 min · heartwarming · intimate
Comedy
Mayonnaise

A production assistant seeks advice from a sadistic producer

16 min · quirky · reflective
Thriller
Kompromat

A far-right politician under attack by mainstream media

6 min · controversial · political
Drama
Shadow Boxer

One man's fight to break out of his father's shadow

9 min · emotional · inspiring
Sci-fi
Darkside

An astronaut in search of a lost crew on an interstellar mission

10 min · cinematic · emotional
Documentary
Babyface

A super fun doc about a childhood dream of becoming a pro wrestler

6 min · entertaining · feel-good
Comedy
Road Rage!

A mad man is late for an interview in Cardiff and also stuck in a time loop

5 min · comic · hilarious
Comedy
Pop Down

A young woman feeling blue is visited by an alien who fancies a chat

9 min · comic · heartwarming
Documentary
Artificial Dreams

A documentary about a filmmaker's dilemma of being commercially successful

16 min · intimate · reflective
Documentary
The Simplicity of Happiness

An inspiring doc about finding happiness in yourself

10 min · inspiring · reflective
Animation
Cycling with Molly

A young woman recounts her spacey adventure in this animation

2 min · heartwarming · quirky
Comedy
British Graffiti

A graduate bullied by supermarket coworkers plans his revenge

13 min · entertaining · satirical
Dark Comedy
David French is a Piece of Shit and I Want Him Dead

Twins devise an evil plan to help their lead singer find new inspiration

11 min · dark · gory
Documentary
The Magicians… of the Merlin Magical Society

A doc that looks into the lives of a group of lovable magicians

28 min · entertaining · heartwarming
Comedy
Behind the Mask

A hilarious reflection on actors being the worst

10 min · hilarious · satirical
Documentary
Games of Survival

A doc about the annual survival games in Alaska

15 min · epic · heartwarming
Comedy
Annie Waits

A woman's story of lust, disappointment and waiting for 'The One'

8 min · entertaining · feel-good
Comedy
Man-tis!

A man wakes up as a mantis on the day of his job interview

10 min · comic · feel-good
For filmmakers

Have a short film?
Share it with the world.

Klipist is where short films find their audience. Hand-curated, independently run, watched in 190 countries. If you’ve made something great, we want to see it.

Submit your film

Dreams & Ambitionshort films

The quiet engine that pulls people toward something bigger. Shorts that catch the push, the gamble, the wall.

Hand-picked Curated Free to watch
Filter by genre
Documentary
El Chapulin

After a decade in the U.S. and a fight with addiction, a man returns home to Mexico

15 min · heartwarming · meaningful
Documentary
Sometimes It’s Happened

An inspiring doc about an old man telling some of his stories

21 min · entertaining · inspiring
Sci-fi
Botching

A heist film. With Robots.

5 min · atmospheric · futuristic
Drama
Feige

A worker reads tarot, reflecting how work devoured him

4 min · atmospheric · dark
Thriller
Tudescends

A woman is offered a choice that could make her rich

5 min · cerebral · cinematic
Documentary
My Journey to Switzerland

A doc about a search that lead a young Spanish to Switzerland

4 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Documentary
The Afghan Plasterer

A short doc about an Afghan finding work and goals in Switzerland

5 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Sci-fi
Interstice

A teen genius travels back in time to uncover the mystery of his absent father

21 min · cinematic · mysterious
Documentary
The Tides That Bind

A doc about Clint who finds messages in bottles and tracks down the senders

22 min · heartwarming · nostalgic
Drama
Forgive Me

The ambition of a promising fighter becomes the cause of his heartbreak

7 min · emotional · intimate
Drama
The World Beyond Me

Trapped in Mumbai’s red-light district, a woman dreams of freedom

15 min · dark · emotional
Drama
Crack Shot

A former squash champ gets caught in a toxic father-son relationship

14 min · dark · intense
Drama
Tiny, Texas

A high school basketball prodigy hits a wall of expectations

12 min · cinematic · emotional
War
Hawker

A true story of WW1 fighter pilots at the dawn of Aviation Combat

23 min · epic · historical
Drama
Squeeze

A high school wrestling coach recruits an outsider, a student with Autism

20 min · cinematic · emotional
Romance
The Night We Called It A Day

Two ex-lovers reunite for one last gig, confronting past wounds and lingering desires

14 min · emotional · intimate
Comedy
The Infinite Alternate Realities of Larry Sherman

Larry volunteers to be sent to another dimension

12 min · comic · quirky
Documentary
The Leap Beneath

A tiny springtail embarks on a quest for survival beneath the forest floor

5 min · cinematic · entertaining
Dark Comedy
A Certain Method

A struggling actress kills at the audition of her life

13 min · gory · satirical
Dark Comedy
(Manic)quin

An unemployed Plan B junkie, has difficult conversations with a mannequin

14 min · quirky · thought-provoking
Comedy
Whore #4

An Eastern European actor fights against stereotypical casting

7 min · satirical · thought-provoking
Drama
The Unexpected Expectant Father

A grandfather struggles with his abandoned grandson

14 min · emotional · heartwarming
Sci-fi
Time Spent

A man struggling with the cost of living is offered an impossible choice

12 min · intense · mysterious
Documentary
To Be Enjoyed

The unlikely story of a musician experiencing a life-changing opportunity

17 min · heartwarming · inspiring
Documentary
Karma Khazi

An artists becomes a connoisseur of toilet doors

12 min · inspiring · reflective
Documentary
Tanagokoro

How a Japanese chef sparked a fish revolution in the UK

30 min · inspiring · reflective
Drama
Within These Walls

Two musicians delve into their feelings for each other

21 min · intimate · reflective
Comedy
Hangover Food: Vampire Influencer

Lee needs help to become the world’s first vampire influencer

28 min · entertaining · hilarious
Documentary
Plantman

The intimately captured story of a humble gardener

9 min · heartwarming · intimate
Comedy
Mayonnaise

A production assistant seeks advice from a sadistic producer

16 min · quirky · reflective
Thriller
Kompromat

A far-right politician under attack by mainstream media

6 min · controversial · political
Drama
Shadow Boxer

One man's fight to break out of his father's shadow

9 min · emotional · inspiring
Sci-fi
Darkside

An astronaut in search of a lost crew on an interstellar mission

10 min · cinematic · emotional
Documentary
Babyface

A super fun doc about a childhood dream of becoming a pro wrestler

6 min · entertaining · feel-good
Comedy
Road Rage!

A mad man is late for an interview in Cardiff and also stuck in a time loop

5 min · comic · hilarious
Comedy
Pop Down

A young woman feeling blue is visited by an alien who fancies a chat

9 min · comic · heartwarming
Documentary
Artificial Dreams

A documentary about a filmmaker's dilemma of being commercially successful

16 min · intimate · reflective
Documentary
The Simplicity of Happiness

An inspiring doc about finding happiness in yourself

10 min · inspiring · reflective
Animation
Cycling with Molly

A young woman recounts her spacey adventure in this animation

2 min · heartwarming · quirky
Comedy
British Graffiti

A graduate bullied by supermarket coworkers plans his revenge

13 min · entertaining · satirical
Dark Comedy
David French is a Piece of Shit and I Want Him Dead

Twins devise an evil plan to help their lead singer find new inspiration

11 min · dark · gory
Documentary
The Magicians… of the Merlin Magical Society

A doc that looks into the lives of a group of lovable magicians

28 min · entertaining · heartwarming
Comedy
Behind the Mask

A hilarious reflection on actors being the worst

10 min · hilarious · satirical
Documentary
Games of Survival

A doc about the annual survival games in Alaska

15 min · epic · heartwarming
Comedy
Annie Waits

A woman's story of lust, disappointment and waiting for 'The One'

8 min · entertaining · feel-good
Comedy
Man-tis!

A man wakes up as a mantis on the day of his job interview

10 min · comic · feel-good
For filmmakers

Have a short film?
Share it with the world.

Klipist is where short films find their audience. Hand-curated, independently run, watched in 190 countries. If you’ve made something great, we want to see it.

Submit your film
Curator’s note

The best short films about dreams and ambition.

Ambition is a quiet engine, the thing that pulls people out of bed and toward something bigger than themselves. Short films are perfect for it, because they catch the single push, the audition, the gamble, the moment the dream meets the wall. The films below are hand-picked, complete, and free to watch. Stories about wanting more.

A Certain Method follows a struggling actress who kills at the audition of her life, and Babyface is a fun doc about a childhood dream of becoming a pro wrestler. Artificial Dreams sits with a filmmaker torn over the price of commercial success, while British Graffiti watches a bullied graduate plan his way out from under his supermarket coworkers.

The best short films about dreams and ambition know how much it costs to want something. Crack Shot traps a former squash champ in a toxic father-son relationship, and (Manic)quin follows an unemployed dreamer talking himself in circles with a mannequin. Our editors chose each one, and they stream free in 190 countries with nothing to sign up for. Press play and chase it.