As many 3D designers and artists know, Blender is where it’s at when it comes to some of the most powerful 3D creation suites out there. Plus it’s free and open-source! Used for tasks ranging from particle simulation to video editing, it can even be utilized to create entire films. Today, we’ll be looking at just that.
The Blender Institute, founded in 2007, is a branch of the Blender Foundation that focuses on developing 3D animated films made entirely with Blender. Thus far, the institute has produced 12 “open project” short films and is working on an official full-length animated feature; some of these short films have made our list.
Separate from the Blender Institute, some independent artists have also created short films either entirely or partially with Blender software. Many of these films have won numerous awards at film festivals and have received critical acclaim.
To help narrow down the selections of great Blender films, we used the following considerations:
- High-quality: All of these movies are sure to wow you with their excellent animation, plus intriguing storylines and characters.
- Appeal: Though they have varying target audiences, they can be enjoyed by diverse audiences.
- Easy to view: You can watch all of these films for free in the comfort of your own home.
Get ready to kick off a mini-movie marathon! Note that we’ve arranged films in alphabetical order, as there is no ranking between them.
Alike
In a world of sameness, what is it like to be different? Though this can be a heavy-handed topic and basis for dark utopian films, this short film keeps things light and sweet, as a father tries to teach his son the “right” way to be.
It features professional-level animation and an original soundtrack. Inspired by becoming fathers, the two directors of “Alike” worked with their team for more than four years to produce the movie. Using Blender, the animators created a “snapshot” script to see how timing and spacing would function within blocking.
This little movie has racked up an impressive amount of well-deserved awards, and it has over 12 million views on YouTube!
- Length: ~8 minutes
- Country of origin: Spain
- Year made: 2016
- Target audience: All ages
- Where to view it: YouTube
Coffee Run
One of the newer productions from the Blender Institute and created by an international team, this bittersweet film depicts a young woman running through her memories, fueled by coffee.
The first film made by Blender Institute that’s fully rendered with the Eevee engine, “Coffee Run” features a fast-paced soundtrack and slick animated style. It was inspired on a visual level by side-scrolling games; it has a video game feel to it that’s immediately recognizable. It’s worth checking out its excellent concept art as well.
- Length: ~3 minutes
- Country of origin: International team, Icelandic director
- Year made: 2020
- Target audience: Adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Cosmos Laundromat
A Blender Institute official production created by a Dutch team of Blender artists, “Cosmos Laundromat” is a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and humor. It’s intended to be a pilot of sorts for a possible feature-length film.
Receiving high praise from major commercial studios like Disney, ILM, and DreamWorks, it tells the story of Franck, a suicidal sheep, and his encounter with Victor, an eccentric salesman. Featuring beautiful scenery and elaborate character animation, this film has a highly professional feel.
Both the Blender Cloud website and the films’ official site contain a wealth of information about the making of the film as well as a gallery of film stills. Unlike many other Blender short films, “Cosmos Laundromat” does feature English-language dialogue, which makes it somewhat unique (as most other Blender movies tend to be wordless in nature).
- Length: ~12 minutes
- Country of origin: Netherlands
- Year made: 2015
- Target audience: Teens and adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Darrel
“Darrel” is a fun, quirky, wordless story with enjoyable music that’s appropriate for viewers of all ages. This short tells the tale of two chameleons waiting at a subway station for their train.
Blender was used for all aspects of production except for compositing (Natron was used for that task). The animation style is a good blend of realistic backgrounds and objects with larger-than-life cartoon characters.
Created by an independent team of artists in Spain, it has won eight awards thus far and is sure to put a smile on your face with its clever narrative and design.
- Length: ~3 minutes
- Country of origin: Spain
- Year made: 2016
- Target audience: All ages
- Where to view it: YouTube
Fatherhood
This very brief but absolutely charming film showcases a father and child robot pair, bonding over various interactions and linked by the basic plot of the little robot learning how to walk. It’s emotional and sweet with a well-matched soundtrack.
This short was created during the initial Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 for the Film Riot Stay at Home Challenge. Inspired by his infant son, this “Creative Manics” father made the short in Blender, utilized a render farm, then processed it in After Effects for the compositing. It placed in the top three films in the challenge!
The film required quite a bit of rigging, lighting and test renders. Just to add to the impressiveness, its creator produced the film as a one-person team in just one week!
- Length: ~1 minute
- Country of origin: USA
- Year made: 2020
- Target audience: Parents and sci-fi enthusiasts
- Where to view it: YouTube
Hammer, Nails, & Wood
This quirky and creative independent short film is made entirely in Blender 2.76 by two Canadian artists. The lead artist is a photographer by profession with a background in the film digital effects industry.
“Hammer, Nails & Wood” is a sweet-natured and wordless tale about a solitary yet crafty carpenter who lives alone in the countryside.
The movie took its creators roughly two months to make from start to finish. Featuring a clever remix of Edith Piaf’s “Je Ne Regrette Rien,” you can really see the artists’ passion for their craft; the creators have been longtime Blender users. It’s brief but definitely worth your while to take a look.
- Length: ~2 minutes
- Country of origin: Canada
- Year made: 2015
- Target audience: Appropriate for all ages, though aimed at adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Lighthouse
An absolutely lovely short, “Lighthouse” is a commissioned film from Liberty Mutual and was made by Promotion Studios both in the US and Australia. This emotionally moving story centers around the tale of a lighthouse keeper who faces an intense moment of rescue and fear.
The animation, rendering, and HD compositing were all done in Blender, while other elements like modeling and texturing were completed in various other programs such as ZBrush and Photoshop. Even though it’s a bit of an older piece, it’s well-loved by viewers and can’t help but leave you impressed by its lush visuals and production.
- Length: ~3 minutes
- Countries of origin: Australia, USA
- Year made: 2008
- Target audience: Adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Sintel
“Sintel” is an intense, fantastical, and heartbreaking tale about a girl named Sintel and her pet dragon Scales. Produced by the Blender Institute, it took nearly two years to produce from the start of production to completely finishing the project. In fact, Blender actually worked on improving its software to meet the film’s needs, transitioning into the Blender 2.5 edition during the making of the film (which as an update was also significant for the Blender community).
With an emotional soundtrack, inspiring graphics, and a well-paced story, this short movie could well be the foundation of a feature-length film. Note that there are some violent and scary scenes (including blood), so this would not be a good movie for children.
- Length: ~15 minutes
- Country of origin: International team, most based in the Netherlands
- Year made: 2010
- Target audience: Older teens and adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Spring
Another must-see film made with Blender, “Spring” is a relatively recent production that was created by the Blender Institute exclusively with Blender 2.7 and Blender 2.8 (the latter was utilized while still in beta version). It stands as one of the most critically acclaimed, most-viewed, and beloved films produced with Blender to date. Besides Blender, the animators used GIMP and Krita for additional image editing and painting.
Inspired by director Andreas Goralczyk’s German childhood, it tells the fantasy tale of a shepherd girl, her dog, and their subsequent encounter with magical spirits. With lush landscaping, realistic depictions of the natural world, and detailed character work, this short movie could be comparable with studio output from the likes of Pixar or Disney.
- Length: ~8 minutes
- Country of origin: International team, produced in the Netherlands
- Year made: 2019
- Target audience: Teens and adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
The Missing Scarf
This short is a dark existential comedy laced with interesting philosophical and psychological observations. Using low-poly character modeling, the film depicts the squirrel’s encounters with other animals in the forests. The well-designed 2D animation-style graphics are fun, and the crisp, brisk narration in English fits the story perfectly.
It’s the first 3D Blender film to be shortlisted by the Academy Awards (in 2014), a historic precedent for Blender filmmakers. Besides Blender, the animators used Adobe Flash to complete the film. “The Missing Scarf” was produced by an Irish film crew and narrated by the famed George Takei. It’s received a vast amount of well-deserved accolades and awards.
- Length: ~7 minutes
- Country of origin: Ireland
- Year made: 2013
- Target audience: Older teens and adults
- Where to view it: YouTube
Lead image source: Blender Cloud via YouTube
License: The text of "Blender Movies: 10 Must-See Movies Made with Blender" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.