100+ Film Genres to Explore For Your Next Short Film

Film genres and sub-genres serve as essential categories that help audiences identify and understand the type of content they’re about to watch. This comprehensive list explores over 100 different genres and sub-genres, including a few examples.

Action

1. Martial Arts

• Combat-focused narratives featuring traditional fighting styles
• Example: “The Challenger” (2015) – A short film about a young martial artist facing her first competition

2. Military Action

• Focuses on armed forces and warfare
• Example: “Day of the Fight” (1951) – Stanley Kubrick’s first film

3. Spy/Espionage

• Stories involving secret agents and intelligence operations

4. Superhero

• Based on comic book characters or individuals with supernatural abilities

5. Disaster

• Natural or human-made catastrophes

6. Heist

• Complex theft or robbery narratives

Adventure

7. Exploration

• Journey-based narratives
• Example: “The Great Chase” (1962) – A dialogue-free adventure short

8. Survival

• Characters fighting against natural elements

9. Swashbuckler

• Historical adventure featuring sword fighting and romance

10. Lost World
    • Discovery of unknown places or civilizations

Comedy

11. Slapstick
    • Physical comedy
    • Example: “The Immigrant” (1917) – Charlie Chaplin short
12. Romantic Comedy
    • Love stories with humorous elements
13. Parody/Spoof
    • Satirical imitations of other genres
14. Black Comedy
    • Dark or taboo subjects treated humorously
15. Screwball Comedy
    • Fast-paced, witty dialogue and romance
16. Comedy of Manners
    • Satirizing social conventions
17. Comedy of Errors
    • Based on misunderstandings and mistaken identities

Drama

18. Historical Drama
    • Based on real historical events
    • Example: “An Irish Story” (2017) – Short film about Irish immigration
19. Biographical Drama
    • Life stories of real people
20. Medical Drama
    • Set in healthcare environments
21. Legal Drama
    • Focusing on law and justice systems
22. Political Drama
    • Government and political intrigue
23. Social Drama
    • Addressing societal issues
24. Domestic Drama
    • Family relationships and home life

Horror

25. Supernatural Horror
    • Ghost stories and paranormal events
    • Example: “Lights Out” (2013) – Short film that launched a feature franchise
26. Psychological Horror
    • Mental and emotional terror
27. Body Horror
    • Physical transformation and mutilation
28. Folk Horror
    • Based on rural traditions and folklore
29. Gothic Horror
    • Classic horror elements in historical settings
30. Found Footage
    • Presented as discovered video recordings
31. Slasher
    • Serial killer narratives

Science Fiction

32. Space Opera
    • Epic space adventures
33. Cyberpunk
    • High tech, low life futures
    • Example: “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB” (1967) – George Lucas student film
34. Post-Apocalyptic
    • After civilization’s collapse
35. Time Travel
    • Temporal manipulation stories
36. Biopunk
    • Biotechnology-focused futures
37. Hard Science Fiction
    • Scientifically accurate narratives
38. Alternate History
    • Changed historical events

Fantasy

39. High Fantasy
    • Complete fictional worlds
40. Urban Fantasy
    • Magical elements in modern settings
    • Example: “The Magic Portal” (1989) – Stop-motion animation
41. Dark Fantasy
    • Combining fantasy and horror elements
42. Sword and Sorcery
    • Heroic adventures with magic
43. Contemporary Fantasy
    • Magic in the real world
44. Mythological Fantasy
    • Based on ancient myths

Romance

45. Period Romance
    • Historical love stories
46. Contemporary Romance
    • Modern love stories
47. Tragic Romance
    • Doomed love affairs
48. Paranormal Romance
    • Supernatural love interests

Documentary

49. Nature Documentary
    • Wildlife and natural phenomena
50. Biographical Documentary
    • Life stories
    • Example: “The Lead Role” (2020) – Short doc about aspiring actors
51. Social Issue Documentary
    • Current affairs and problems
52. Historical Documentary
    • Past events and periods
53. Sports Documentary
    • Athletic achievements
54. Arts Documentary
    • Creative processes

Experimental

55. Abstract
    • Non-narrative visual experiences
    • Example: “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943) – Maya Deren’s surrealist short
56. Surrealist
    • Dream-like imagery
57. Structuralist
    • Form over content
58. Found Footage Art
    • Repurposed existing footage

Musical

59. Traditional Musical
    • Integrated songs and dance
60. Rock Musical
    • Contemporary music-based
61. Dance Film
    • Focus on choreography

Western

62. Classical Western
    • Traditional frontier stories
63. Spaghetti Western
    • Italian-style westerns
64. Contemporary Western
    • Modern frontier tales
65. Revisionist Western
    • Deconstructing genre tropes

Film Noir

66. Classic Noir
    • 1940s-50s crime dramas
67. Neo-Noir
    • Modern noir style
68. Tech-Noir
    • Combining noir with sci-fi

Thriller

69. Psychological Thriller
    • Mental manipulation
70. Crime Thriller
    • Criminal investigations
71. Political Thriller
    • Government conspiracies
72. Erotic Thriller
    • Sexual tension and danger
73. Medical Thriller
    • Healthcare-related suspense

Crime

74. Police Procedural
    • Law enforcement focus
75. Gangster Film
    • Organized crime
76. True Crime
    • Based on real cases
77. Prison Film
    • Incarceration stories

War

78. Anti-War
    • Opposing conflict
79. Combat Film
    • Battle-focused
80. Resistance Film
    • Fighting occupation
81. Home Front
    • Civilian wartime experience

Sports

82. Underdog Story
    • Unlikely champions
83. Biography
    • Athlete life stories
84. Team Sports
    • Group dynamics

Children’s

85. Family Animation
    • All-ages cartoons
86. Educational
    • Learning focus
87. Fantasy Adventure
    • Youth-oriented quests

Teen

88. Coming-of-Age
    • Growing up stories
89. High School Drama
    • Teen social life
90. Teen Horror
    • Youth-focused scares

Animation

91. Traditional Animation
    • Hand-drawn
92. Stop Motion
    • Frame-by-frame objects
93. CGI Animation
    • Computer graphics
94. Anime
    • Japanese animation style
95. Mixed Media
    • Combined techniques

Art House

96. New Wave
    • Experimental narratives
97. Minimalist
    • Stripped-down storytelling
98. Avant-Garde
    • Pushing boundaries

Mixed Genres

99. Horror Comedy
    • Blending scares and laughs
100. Action Comedy
     • Humor and excitement
101. Romantic Thriller
     • Love and danger
102. Science Fantasy
     • Science fiction and magic
103. Historical Fantasy
     • Magic in history

Modern Emerging Genres

104. Found Phone
     • Stories told through mobile devices
105. Social Media Horror
     • Digital platform fears
106. Virtual Reality
     • VR-specific narratives
107. Interactive Film
     • Audience choice-driven
108. Eco-Horror
     • Environmental threats
109. Pandemic
     • Disease outbreak stories
110. Climate Fiction
     • Climate change focus

This extensive list demonstrates the rich diversity of film genres, each offering unique storytelling opportunities and viewing experiences. As cinema evolves, new genres and hybrid forms emerge, further expanding the possibilities for creative expression in film.