diff --git a/esphome/components/animation/__init__.py b/esphome/components/animation/__init__.py
index a7a955bead..dbfc82c891 100644
--- a/esphome/components/animation/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/animation/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,13 @@ import logging
 from esphome import automation, core
 from esphome.components import font
 import esphome.components.image as espImage
-from esphome.components.image import CONF_USE_TRANSPARENCY
+from esphome.components.image import (
+    CONF_USE_TRANSPARENCY,
+    LOCAL_SCHEMA,
+    WEB_SCHEMA,
+    SOURCE_WEB,
+    SOURCE_LOCAL,
+)
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
 import esphome.codegen as cg
 from esphome.const import (
@@ -13,6 +19,9 @@ from esphome.const import (
     CONF_REPEAT,
     CONF_RESIZE,
     CONF_TYPE,
+    CONF_SOURCE,
+    CONF_PATH,
+    CONF_URL,
 )
 from esphome.core import CORE, HexInt
 
@@ -43,6 +52,40 @@ SetFrameAction = animation_ns.class_(
     "AnimationSetFrameAction", automation.Action, cg.Parented.template(Animation_)
 )
 
+TYPED_FILE_SCHEMA = cv.typed_schema(
+    {
+        SOURCE_LOCAL: LOCAL_SCHEMA,
+        SOURCE_WEB: WEB_SCHEMA,
+    },
+    key=CONF_SOURCE,
+)
+
+
+def _file_schema(value):
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        return validate_file_shorthand(value)
+    return TYPED_FILE_SCHEMA(value)
+
+
+FILE_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(_file_schema)
+
+
+def validate_file_shorthand(value):
+    value = cv.string_strict(value)
+    if value.startswith("http://") or value.startswith("https://"):
+        return FILE_SCHEMA(
+            {
+                CONF_SOURCE: SOURCE_WEB,
+                CONF_URL: value,
+            }
+        )
+    return FILE_SCHEMA(
+        {
+            CONF_SOURCE: SOURCE_LOCAL,
+            CONF_PATH: value,
+        }
+    )
+
 
 def validate_cross_dependencies(config):
     """
@@ -67,7 +110,7 @@ ANIMATION_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
     cv.All(
         {
             cv.Required(CONF_ID): cv.declare_id(Animation_),
-            cv.Required(CONF_FILE): cv.file_,
+            cv.Required(CONF_FILE): FILE_SCHEMA,
             cv.Optional(CONF_RESIZE): cv.dimensions,
             cv.Optional(CONF_TYPE, default="BINARY"): cv.enum(
                 espImage.IMAGE_TYPE, upper=True
@@ -124,7 +167,11 @@ async def animation_action_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
 async def to_code(config):
     from PIL import Image
 
-    path = CORE.relative_config_path(config[CONF_FILE])
+    conf_file = config[CONF_FILE]
+    if conf_file[CONF_SOURCE] == SOURCE_LOCAL:
+        path = CORE.relative_config_path(conf_file[CONF_PATH])
+    elif conf_file[CONF_SOURCE] == SOURCE_WEB:
+        path = espImage.compute_local_image_path(conf_file).as_posix()
     try:
         image = Image.open(path)
     except Exception as e:
diff --git a/esphome/components/image/__init__.py b/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
index 73dc73aa45..b23ed3445a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/image/__init__.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def _compute_local_icon_path(value: dict) -> Path:
     return base_dir / f"{value[CONF_ICON]}.svg"
 
 
-def _compute_local_image_path(value: dict) -> Path:
+def compute_local_image_path(value: dict) -> Path:
     url = value[CONF_URL]
     h = hashlib.new("sha256")
     h.update(url.encode())
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def download_mdi(value):
 
 def download_image(value):
     url = value[CONF_URL]
-    path = _compute_local_image_path(value)
+    path = compute_local_image_path(value)
 
     download_content(url, path)
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ async def to_code(config):
         path = _compute_local_icon_path(conf_file).as_posix()
 
     elif conf_file[CONF_SOURCE] == SOURCE_WEB:
-        path = _compute_local_image_path(conf_file).as_posix()
+        path = compute_local_image_path(conf_file).as_posix()
 
     try:
         with open(path, "rb") as f: