The BAFTA Award for Best British Short Film is a film award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at the annual British Academy Film Awards. BAFTA is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, and video games (and formerly also for children's film and television). Since 1960, selected films have been awarded with the BAFTA award for Best Short Film at an annual ceremony.
In the following lists, the titles and names in bold with a gold background are the winners and recipients respectively; those not in bold are the nominees. The years given are those in which the films under consideration were released, not the year of the ceremony, which always takes place the following year.
Winners and nominees
1950s Year Film Recipient(s) Best Short Film Seven Cities of Antarctica Winston Hibler Rodin
1960s Year Film Recipient(s) High Journey Peter Baylis Return to Life John Krish Seawards the Great Ships Hilary Harris Terminus John Schlesinger Eyes of a Child Let My People Go Incident at Owl Creek (La Rivière du Hibou) Robert Enrico Lonely Boy Wolf Koenig, Roman Kroitor Pan Zoo Happy Anniversary Sailing Snow The War Game Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak John Feeney Mekong Muloorina 23 Skidoo Julian Biggs Rig Move Don Higgins One of Them is Brett Roger Graef 60 Cycles Jean-Claude Labrecque The War Game Peter Watkins A River Must Live Alan Pendry Sudden Summer Richard Taylor The Tortoise and the Hare Hugh Hudson Indus Waters Derek Williams Mafia No! John Irvin Opus Don Levy Rail Geoffrey Jones Not awarded Picture to Post Sarah Erulkar Barbican Robin Cantelon Birthday Franc Roddam A Test of Violence Stuart Cooper
1970s Year Film Recipient(s) The Shadow of Progress Derek Williams Blake Bill Mason The Gallery Philip Mark Law The Winds of Fogo Colin Low Alaska: The Great Land Derek Williams Big Horn Bill Schmalz The Long Memory John Phillips John Grierson Award (Short Film) Memorial History of the Motor Car The Tide of Traffic Caring for History Artistry in Tureens The Scene from Melbury House Without Due Care Location North Sea John Armstrong Acting in Turn Facets of Glass The Quiet Land Sea Area Forties John Armstrong Leaving Lily Graham Baker The Living Woodland Ronald Eastman Waiting On Weather Ron Granville Best Short Factual Film The End of the Road John Amstrong Energy in Perspective Peter De Normanville The Speed Sailors John Spencer Best Short Factual Film Not awarded Best Short Fictional Film Bead Game Ishu Patel The Chinese Word for House Kate Canning The Sand Castle Co Hoedeman Best Short Factual Film Hokusai: An Animated Sketchbook Tony White I'll Find a Way Beverly Shaffer Planet Water Derek Williams Sunday Muddy Sunday Lindsay Dale Best Short Fictional Film Not awarded Best Short Film Butch Minds the Baby Peter Webb Dilemma Clive Mitchell Dream Doll Bob Godfrey Mr. Pascal Alison De Vere
1980s Year Film Recipient(s) Sredni Vashtar Andrew Birkin Box On Lindsey Clennell The Dollar Bottom Roger Christian Possessions Andrew Bogle Recluse Bob Bentley Couples and Robbers Clare Peploe Towers of Babel Jonathan Lewis The Privilege Ian Knox Rating Notman Carlo Gébler The Rocking Horse Winner Robert Bierman A Shocking Accident James Scott Goodie Two Shoes Ian Emes The Crimson Permanent Assurance Terry Gilliam John Love John Davis Keep Off the Grass Paul Weiland The Dress Eva Sereny Killing Time Chris O'Reilly Samson and Delilah Mark Peploe Careless Talk Noella Smith One for My Baby Chris Fallon The Woman who Married Clark Gable Thaddeus O'Sullivan La Boule Simon Shore King's Christmas Graham Dixon Mohammed's Daughter Suri Krishnamma Night Movie Gur Heller Artisten Jonas Grimås D'Apres Maria Jean-Claude Robert Short and Curlies Mike Leigh Treacle Peter Chelsom Defence Counsel Sedov (Zashchitnik Sedov) Evgeny Tsymbal Cane Toads: An Unnatural History Mark Lewis The Unkindest Cut Jim Shields Water's Edge Suri Krishnamma The Candy Show Damian Jones, Peter Hewitt, David Freeman Carmelo Campo Ariel Piluso, Carlos Toscano, Gabriel Enis Tight Trousers Metin Hüseyin, Elaine Donnelly Uhloz Guy Jacques, Isabelle Groulleart
1990s Year Film Recipient(s) Say Good-bye Michele Carmada, John Roberts An der Grenze Max Linder, Michael Drexler Chicken Jo Shoop, Julian Nott Dear Rosie Peter Cattaneo, Barnaby Thompson The Harmfulness of Tobacco Nick Hamm, Bary Palin Breath of Life Navin Thapar Man Descending Neil Grieve, Ray Lorenz Trauma Gerhard Johannes Rekel Omnibus Anne Bennett, Sam Karmann Two Chimney Sweeps In A Singer's House (Deux Ramoneurs Chez Une Cantatrice) Michel Cauléa Heartsongs Caroline Hewitt, Sue Clayton Sense of History Mike Leigh, Simon Channing Williams Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life Ruth Kenley-Letts, Peter Capaldi A Small Deposit Eleanor Yule, Paul Holmes, Barry Ackroyd One Night Stand Bill Britten, Georgia Masters Syrup Paul Unwin, Anita Overland Zinky Boys Go Underground Paul Tickell, Tatianna Kennedy Lost Mojave Jonathan Cordish, Vladimir Perlovich Marooned Jonas Grimås, Andrea Calderwood That Sunday Damiano Vukotic, Dan Zeff It's Not Unusual Asmaa Pirzada, Kfir Yefet Cabbage Noelle Pickford, David Stewart Hello, Hello, Hello David Thewlis, Helen Booth, James Roberts The Last Post Ed Blum, Neris Thomas Majorettes In Space (Des Majorettes Dans L'Espace) Carole Scotta, David Fourier Butterfly Man Robin Macpherson, Barry Ackroyd Dual Balls Laurence Bowen, Dan Zeff Machinations Alice Beckmann, Ralph Seiler Everything Must Go (Tout Doit Disparaître) François Barat, Jean-Marc Moutout The Deadness of Dad Philippa Cousins, Mandy Sprague, Stephen Volk Crocodile Snap Joe Wright, James Greville Gasman Lynne Ramsay, Gavin Emerson Little Sisters Andy Goddard, Nic Muirson Home Morag McKinnon, Hannah Lewis, Colin McLaren Anthrakitis Sara Sugarman, Natasha Dack Eight Stephen Daldry, Jon Finn, Tim Clague In Memory of Dorothy Bennett Catherine McArthur, Martin Radich Who's My Favourite Girl Joern Utkilen, Kara Johnston, Adrian McDowall Bait Tom Shankland, Soledad Gatti-Pascual, Jane Harris Perdie Faye Gilbert, Rachel Shadick The Tale Of The Rat That Wrote Billy O'Brien, Ruth Kenley-Letts, Lisa-Marie Russo, Murilo Pasta
2000s Year Film Recipient(s) Shadowscan Gary Holding, Justine Leahy, Tinge Krishnan Je t'aime John Wayne Luke Morris, Toby MacDonald, Luke Ponte Going Down Tom Shankland, Soledad Gatti-Pascual, Jane Harris The Last Post Dominic Santana, Lee Santana Sweet James Pilkington, Rob Mercer About a Girl Brian Percival, Janey de Nordwall, Julie Rutterford Inferno Paul Kousoulides, Teun Hilte, Sharat Sardana The Red Peppers Dominic Santana, Lee Santana Skin Deep Yousaf Ali Khan, Andy Porter Tattoo Jules Williamson, Arabella Page Croft, Sara Putt, Jemma Field My Wrongs #8245–8249 & 117 Chris Morris, Mark Herbert Bouncer Michael Baig Clifford, Natasha Carlish, Sophie Morgan, Geoff Thompson Rank Andrew O'Connell, David Yates, Robbie McCallum Candy Bar Kid Shah Khan, Benjamin Johns Good Night Sun-Young Chun, Yoav Factor The Most Beautiful Man in the World Alicia Duffy, Hugh Welchman Brown Paper Bag Natasha Carlish, Mark Leveson, Michael Baig Clifford, Geoff Thompson Bye Child Andrew Bonner, Bernard MacLaverty Nits George Isaac, Harry Wootliff Sea Monsters Matt Delargy, Mark Walker, Raphael Smith Talking with Angels Yousaf Ali Khan, Michael Knowles, Janey de Nordwall The Banker Hattie Dalton, Kelly Broad Can't Stop Breathing Amy Neil, Ravinder Basra Elephant Boy Rene Mohandas, Durdana Shaikh Knitting a Love Song Debbie Ballin, Annie Watson Six Shooter Martin McDonagh, Mia Bays, Kenton Allen Antonio's Breakfast Daniel Mulloy, Amber Templemore-Finlayson, Daniel Mulloy Call Register Ed Roe, Kit Hawkins, Adam Tudhope Heavy Metal Drummer Toby MacDonald, Luke Morris, Amanda Boyle Heydar, An Afghan in Tehran Babak Jalali, Homayoun Assadian Lucky Avie Luthra, Bex Hopkins Do Not Erase Asitha Ameresekere Care Corinna Faith, Rachel Bailey, Tracy Bass, Corinna Faith Cubs Tom Harper, Lisa Williams Hikikomori Paul Wright, Karley Duffy Kissing, Tickling and Being Bored Jim McRoberts, David Smith Dog Altogether Paddy Considine, Diarmid Scrimshaw Hesitation Julien Berlan, Michelle Eastwood, Virginia Gilbert The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island James Griffiths, Charlie Henderson, Tim Key, Tom Basden Soft Simon Ellis, Jane Hooks The Stronger Lia Williams, Dan McCulloch, Frank McGuinness September Esther May Campbell, Stewart Le Marechal Kingsland #1: The Dreamer Tony Grisoni, Kate Ogborn Love You More Sam Taylor-Wood, Adrian Sturges, Patrick Marber Ralph Alex Winckler, Olivier Kaempfer Voyage d'Affaires (The Business Trip) Sean Ellis, Celine Quideau I Do Air James Bolton, Martina Amati Jade Daniel Elliott, Samm Haillay, Duane Hopkins Mixtape Luke Snellin, Luti Fagbenle Off Season Jacob Jaffke, Shrihari Sathe, Jonathan van Tulleken 14 Asitha Ameresekere
2010s Year Film Recipient(s) Until the River Runs Red Poss Kondeatis, Paul Wright Lin Piers Thompson, Simon Hessel, Mila Kirova Connect Beau Gordon, Samuel Abrahams Rite Michael Pearce, Ross McKenzie, Paul Welsh Turning Kat Armour-Brown, Alison Sterling, Karni Arieli, Saul Freed Pitch Black Heist John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn Chalk Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, Ilaria Bernardini Mwansa The Great Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet Only Sound Remains Arash Ashtiani Two & Two Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen Swimmer Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw The Curse Fyzal Boulifa Good Night Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir Tumult Rhianna Andrews, Johnny Barrington The Voorman Problem Lee Thomas, David Mitchell, Baldwin Li, Mark Gill Best British Short Film Room 8 James W. Griffiths, Sophie Venner Island Queen Ben Mallaby, Emma Hughes, Nat Luurtsema Keeping Up with the Joneses Michael Pearce, Megan Rubens, Selina Lim Orbit Ever After Jamie Magnus Stone, Chee-Lan Chan, Len Rowles Sea View Anna Duffield, Jane Linfoot Boogaloo and Graham Michael Lennox, Brian J. Falconer, Richard Irwin, Ronan Blaney Emotional Fusebox Rachel Tunnard, Paul Ashton, Michael Berliner The Kármán Line Oscar Sharp, Campbell Beaton, Dawn King, Tiernan Hanby Slap Michelangelo Fano, Islay Bell-Webb, Nick Rowland Three Brothers Matthieu de Braconier, Stephanie Paeplow, Aleem Khan Operator Rebecca Morgan, Caroline Bartleet Elephant Nick Helm, Esther Smith Mining Poems or Odes Jack Cocker, Callum Rice, Robert Fullerton Over Jörn Threlfall, Jeremy Bannister Samuel-613 Cheyenne Conway, Billy Lumby Home Daniel Mulloy, Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Scott O'Donnell Consumed Richard John Seymour Mouth of Hell Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanović, Allie Smith, Michael Wilson The Party Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill Standby Charlotte Regan, Jack Hannon Cowboy Dave Colin O'Toole, Mathias Gilay, Jonas Mortensen Aamir Vika Evdokimenko, Emma Stone, Oliver Shuster A Drowning Man Mahdi Fleifel, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Patrick Campbell Work Aneil Karia, Scott O'Donnell Wren Boys Harry Lighton, Sorcha Bacon, John Fitzpatrick 73 Cows Alex Lockwood Bachelor, 38 Angela Clarke The Blue Door Paul Taylor, Ben Clark, Megan Pugh The Field Sandhya Suri, Thomas Bidegain, Balthazar de Ganay Wale Barnaby Blackburn, Sophie Alexander, Catherine Slater, Edward Speleers Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) Carol Dysinger, Elena Andreicheva Azaar Myriam Raja, Nathanael Baring Goldfish Hector Dockrill, Harri Kamalanathan, Benedict Turnbull, Laura Dockrill Kamali Sasha Rainbow, Rosalind Croad The Trap Lena Headey, Anthony Fitzgerald
2020s