There are exactly 12,458 short films made every year. That number is a grossly inaccurate estimation, but the point is, there’s a hell of a lot of short films out there. The classic calling card for would-be career directors, the mistress keeping a feature filmmaker’s attention, the proof that a left field concept can work.  These brief motion pictures can pack an incredible punch, and in the world of the internet, they are everyday finding their place among the throne room of distraction entertainment that can be safely smuggled into a cubicle or a school desk. After watching close to 3,000 shorts this year, roughly 260 were chosen for our Short Film of the Day feature, so the idea of culling that list down to 12 seems both staggering and like something that violates the Eighth Amendment. The whole “Everyone’s a winner” schtick is something we all know isn’t true, but if you made it onto the site at all, you’ve got something that thousands of other movies don’t. With that in mind, here are the shorts that shined above and beyond those that survived the final cut. You’ll find a security team overwhelmed by monsters and sarcasm, two robots with immense humanity, a bit of comic book ultra-violence and a whole lot more.

Why Watch? This one is already making the rounds, and rightfully so because it’s a truly remarkable short movie. Caine is a bright young kid in East L.A. who went to work with his father at an auto parts store. To pass the time, this huge fan of arcades decided to build his own. Prepare to smile for 10 minutes straight and then smile the rest of the day. Then prepare to desperately want a Fun Pass. What will it cost? Only 10 wondrous minutes. Skip Work. You’ve Got Time For More Short Films.