The best entries for The International 12 short film contest

Dota 2

8 Oct

Otomo

The International 12 short film contest is underway. Participants submit their 90-second short story hoping the community votes for their film as the best entry. The short film contest winner gets their movie aired at The International 12 (TI12), along with a cash prize of USD 25,000.

We went through every entry for this year's contest and compiled a list of our favorites based on the action, animation, and story for you to check out and vote on.

The five best entries for The International 12 short film contest

Time Surge

In this short film, Spirit Breaker gets buffed to max movement speed thanks to his allies. He then charges Dragon Knight and the impact of the attack sends him to another dimension.

Spirit Breaker witnesses the evolution of Dota 2. From the introduction of talents in patch 7.00, The addition of multiple heroes, and even the latest map updates such as Tormentors are highlighted.

It's a beautifully animated walk down memory lane. Perhaps the only knock against the video is that it is too similar to what we saw in Riyadh Masters 2023.

Ultimate Hero

You gotta feel bad for lane creeps in Dota 2. Their only job is to keep spawning every 30 seconds and march forward until they get slaughtered. It's an endless cycle of violence that almost brings a tear to my eye, almost.

Yet sometimes it is these common foot soldiers who decide which team wins. Wars are not won by powerful heroes but by the actions of the common creep.

Well not really, but they do in Ultimate Hero.

A lone Radiant creep has to go through a Dire army in order to secure the last hit on the enemy throne. Our hero not only takes down several enemy creeps, but he also goes toe-to-toe with enemy heroes as well.

I'm a sucker for a story in which a lone person must overcome overwhelming opposition in order to succeed and Ultimate Hero depicts that struggle perfectly.

The Miracle

Amer "Miracle-" Al-Barkawi is one of the most iconic players in Dota 2 history and the focus of this short film.

The events in "The Miracle" are based on a match between Alliance and Team Liquid in DreamLeague Season 6. In that game, Miracle was able to perform several incredible plays in a row, such as dodging Warlock's ultimate and baiting his enemies with Manta Style.

"The Miracle" brings an amazing play in Dota 2 history to life, with great animation, tense music, and a stylish approach to storytelling.

Dota Allstars

The Anime industry continues to grow at a remarkable pace. Whether you like romance, drama, or action, there is an anime out there for you.

It's no surprise to see an entry in this list with an anime approach, as two Dota 2 teams face off in a style similar to 90's anime openings.

We see each member of the two teams face off against their rival, with a piece of simple but wonderfully suitable music to match.

Finish Pls

Is there anything more depressing than a one-sided game of Dota 2 that takes forever to end? That's exactly the story of "Finish Pls".

The funniest entry on this list features the Radiant team getting completely stomped, as Sniper, the main character, grows increasingly more and more agitated.

"Finish Pls" has plenty of hilarious references, whether it's popular memes or inside jokes about a certain hero's head size.

With wonderful sound effects, a relatable story, and fantastic humor, "Finish Pls" is well worth your time, so what are you waiting for? go watch it and all the other entries on this list.

Featured Image Source: Valve