The backbone of the whole LIAF mission. Somehow we’ve emerged from under the pile of 2,550 entries with enough strength and wits intact to put together a series of programmes that showcase the best 100 or so new films. Six ‘general’ International Competition Programmes, our ever popular Abstract Showcase and Long Shorts programmes, plus the British Showcase. The films come in from every corner, they use every technique, they can be funny, dramatic, eye-popping, subdued, documentary or autobiographical. The one thing they have in common is that we think they’re the pick of the crop.
At Barbican book tickets
Somewhere (Nicolas Ménard, UK)
Man and machine. It’s a relationship that has to work to keep the mission on track. But it doesn’t always work perfectly, and there is a part of the real man that is out there – somewhere.
2013, 6’50
A Little Pond By The Great Wall (Dmitry Geller, Russia)
The story of a dreamer unafraid to contemplate the beauty of the world despite the difficult political situation. This film is dedicated to the life and memory of Te Wei, a Chinese animator.
2013, 6’40
Electric Soul (Joni Männistö, Finland)
An exquisitely confected circuit board boogie.
2013, 4’45
Baths (Tomek Ducki, Poland)
It’s another days at the baths. Nothing seems unusual until you start looking closely at the patterns, the lights and beneath the surfaces.
2013, 4’20
Bla (Martina Mestrovic, Croatia)
A film about the educational problems of our time. We are all flooded with unimportant information, losing contact with the important stuff.
2013, 7’50
L’île Noire (Nino Christen, Switzerland)
A siren call over a radio to a lonely, isolated watchman, foreshadows the arrival of a lorry loaded with dangerous freight that wants to enter the forest he is protecting.
2014, 6’30
Women’s Letters (Augusto Zanovello, France)
An endless warscape of battlefield horrors is leavened by the healing powers of a sea of letters swept in from over the horizon.
2013, 11’20
Ex Animo (Wojciech Wojtkowski, Poland)
A drawn animation of staggering imagination and audacious skill. An absolute thrill to watch and a feast for the eyes.
2013, 6’50
Kurgan (Igor Imhoff, Italy)
A hyper-realistic scene where two ghosts fight to the death. But how do ghosts die?
2013, 5’00
Wandering (Éléonore Goldberg, Canada)
The deep, misty memories of a woman exiled from a place that she cannot return to or systematically recall.
2013, 6’10
Lost Senses (Marcin Wasilewski, Poland)
>Cloud surfing in from the high heavens, a couple find an unusual sanctuary amidst the every changing landscape of a surreal floating island.
2013, 6’05
Coda (Alan Holly, Ireland)
A lost soul stumbles drunkenly through the city. In a park, Death finds him and shows him many things.
2014, 8’55
