Laughter has a way of making the impossibly uncomfortable a bit more bearable. These boundary-pushing storytellers used a spectrum of humor from the light and quirky to the dark and disturbing that had us both rolling on the floor and learning a little something new along the way.

Whilst many fans of short film love the format for its ability to make us laugh or cry, what often goes unrecognised is the power these bitesize stories hold to truly stimulate the mind. From a bloody pact with a dying wolf to the unveiling of an urban mystery, our Think nominees are the film that made us contemplate and debate throughout the last year.

How long should I make my short film? We attempt to answer this question by looking at statistics from short film festivals and our own database.

See how now established filmmakers used short filmmaking to hone their craft and begin to explore the styles and themes which we have come to associate with their names