Two Ships Short Film (2025) Animated by McKinley Benson

Two Ships Short Film 2025: An animated shorts by McKinley Benson’s. A heartwarming tale of two vessels destined to meet at sea.

🚢💙 Two Ships Short Film (2025) — Animated Short Film by McKinley Benson

Love doesn’t always happen in grand gestures — sometimes it’s in the small, fleeting moments we steal from busy lives. Two Ships Short Film (2025) Animated Short Film, directed by McKinley Benson and co‑written with Mackenzie Benson, is a hand‑drawn 2D animated short about a couple navigating opposite schedules, trying to keep their relationship afloat in the spaces between.

🧭 Overview

• Genre: Animation · Romance · Slice‑of‑life 🎭
• Director: McKinley Benson 🎬
• Writer: Mackenzie Benson ✍️
• Runtime: ~7 minutes ⏱️
• Country: United States 🇺🇸
• Language: English (minimal dialogue)
• Release: 2025 (festival circuit)
• Style: Poetic · Minimalist · Intimate

Watch the Two Ships Short Film trailer:

📖 Story in Brief

• The Couple: Two partners deeply in love but caught in the grind of opposite work shifts.
• The Struggle: Their lives rarely overlap — one leaves as the other returns.
• The Moments: Shared breakfasts, late‑night texts, and brief touches become their lifeline.
• The Metaphor: Like “ships passing in the night,” their love survives in fragments.
• The Resolution: The film closes on a tender note — love isn’t about constant presence, but about choosing to show up, even in small ways.

Short Film Information

I. Specifications

• Genre: Animation, Drama, Romance
• Technique: 2D Frame-by-Frame Animation
• Runtime: 06:50
• Country: Portugal, United States
• Year: 2025
• Production Companies: COLA Animation, Room 330
• Distribution: Selected Films

II. Crew

• Director: McKinley Benson
• Writers: McKinley Benson, Mackenzie Benson
• Producers: Bruno Caetano, Mackenzie Benson
• Executive Producer: Jodi Benson
• Animation Director: Ala Nunu
• Animation Lead: Olga Branska
• Animators: Ana Iutes, Ala Nunu, Bofan Liu
• Coloring: Jakub Kaczmarek, David Mateus
• Art Director: Priya Kakati
• Background Design: Leah Chun
• Layouts: Priya Kakati
• Compositor: Luís Soares
• Music: Zach Pelham, Mason Palanti
• Sound Design: Jérémy Ben Ammar
• Editor: McKinley Benson

III. Awards and Selections

A. Awards

• Best Story — Animayo Film Festival*
• Director’s Choice Award — Thomas Edison Film Festival*
• Best Director — Via dei Corti Film Festival
• Best International Short Film — Quito International Film Festival
• Best Animated or Experimental Short — Gibara International Film Festival
• Audience Award and Honorable Mention — Charlotte Film Festival
• Audience Award — Animation Nights New York
• Best Screenplay — Almeria International Film Festival
• Ermanno Olmi Award — 3rd Prize

B. Key Selections (*indicates selection with award win)

• Sydney Film Festival*
• Guadalajara International Film Festival*
• HollyShorts Film Festival*
• Edmonton International Film Festival*
• Bengaluru International Short Film Festival*
• Lebu International Film Festival*
• Tehran International Short Film Festival*

C. Other Film Festival Selections

• Belalcázar International Film Festival
• Newport Beach Film Festival
• Kyiv International Film Festival ‘Molodist’
• Animafilm International Animation Festival
• Thessaloniki Animation Festival
• Animix Film Festival
• Weird Market
• Chaniartoon International Animation Festival
• Cortogenia International Short Film Festival
• Cortoons Film Festival
• Sedicicorto International Film Festival
• Vila-seca International Film Festival
• Banjaluka International Animated Film Festival
• Ànima Jove Fest
• Tindirindis International Animation Film Festival
• Galdar International Film Festival
• Butoni Film Fest
• Animalcoi Animation Festival
• Itaiópolis International Animation Festival
• Calibélula Animation Festival
• MonFilmFest
• Animaevka International Festival of Animation
• Ponferrada International Film Festival
• Up-and-Coming International Film Festival
• Exground Film Festival
• Almería International Film Festival
• Girona Film Festival
• Minsk International Film Festival
• Animacción International Animation Festival
• Multifest International Film Festival
• Festival Du Film D’Animation Pour La Jeunesse
• Piñel de Arriba Short Film Competition

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

• Hand‑drawn animation: Soft lines and warm palettes create intimacy.
• Visual poetry: Everyday objects — clocks, coffee cups, doorways — become symbols of longing.
• Silence as dialogue: Pauses and gestures carry more weight than words.
• Atmosphere: Gentle pacing mirrors the rhythm of real relationships.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

• Love in fragments: How relationships survive on small rituals.
• Time & distance: The challenge of modern schedules.
• Tender resilience: Choosing connection even when life pulls you apart.
• Universality: Speaks to anyone who’s balanced love with work, distance, or time.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

• 🎯 Relatable: Captures the reality of modern relationships.
• 🎨 Artistic style: Hand‑drawn visuals feel personal and timeless.
• 💬 Emotional honesty: Focuses on intimacy rather than spectacle.

Cons

• ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more of their story.
• 🌀 Minimal plot: Relies on mood and metaphor, not dramatic twists.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

Two Ships Short Film (twoshipsmovie.com) is a love letter to the quiet resilience of relationships. McKinley Benson shows us that intimacy isn’t about constant presence — it’s about cherishing the small, imperfect moments that keep love alive. It’s a short that feels like a whispered poem, reminding us that even when life turns lovers into “Two Ships Short Film,” they can still find ways to sail together.

🔍 Find More & Watch

• FilmFreeway listing — synopsis and festival details
• IMDb page for Two Ships Short Film — credits and release info