The backbone of the whole LIAF mission. We’ve emerged from under the pile of more than 2,600 entries to put together a series of screenings that showcase the best 85 new films from every corner of the world. The one thing they have in common is that we think they’re the pick of the crop. This is your annual window into the international indie animation universe.
A forest hermit’s anxiety about the state of nature and our place in it, a class of students attempting to answer the seemingly simple question: what is the opposite of a gun, a dazzling journey in one travelling shot through sport, religion, pornography, politics, finance and surveillance, and a hybrid animated documentary film based on a lateral thinking puzzle – some of the diverse, funny, moving and heartfelt stories explored in this compelling bunch of shorts.
At Barbican book tickets
Deepness of the Fry (August Niclasen, Denmark)
An absurd existential crisis disguised as a collage film. Living in a world where everything’s been said, felt and done before, can anyone truly be unique?
2019, 4min
My Generation (Ludovic Houplain, France)
A mysterious vehicle driving in reverse on a 6-lane highway through every great plague of our time: art, data, sports, religion, sex, politics and finance.
2018, 8min
Castle (Ryotaro Miyajima, Japan)
During the period of the ‘Provinces of War’ many lives were lost. A castle architect discovers the possible role of a tearoom as a place for warriors to regain humanity.
2019, 5min
Blieschow (Christoph Sarow, Germany)
Vast plains that seem to reach into the sky, colourful scenery and a red dog. This is how Tom experiences summer in Blieschow, his grandfather’s farm.
2019, 10min
The Opposites Game (Anna Samo, USA)
A classroom erupts into a war of words as students grapple with a seemingly simple prompt: what is the opposite of a gun?
2019, 5min
The Six (Xi Chen & Xu An, China)
A man, a woman and a crane, in six repeating scenes.
2019, 5min
The Flood is Coming (Gabriel Bohmer, Switzerland/UK)
A forest hermit tries to prepare for a flood, but he becomes distracted by his noisy neighbour – the hermit’s left eye.
2018, 9min
Ratio Between Two Volumes (Catarina Sobral, Portugal)
Everything in Mr Full’s days he finds fulfilling. He never forgets a memory or an emotion. On the contrary Mr Empty finds nothing to satisfy him – so he decides to go on a journey.
2018, 8min
There Were Four of Us (Cassie Shao, USA)
Four characters are trapped in a room as they try to figure out the reason behind a death.
2019, 7min
The Coin (Siqi Song, USA/China)
In the Chinese New Year, finding the hidden coin inside of dumplings means having a blessed year ahead. When a woman loses her years worth of coins on a train, her life in a new country begins with a search to find them.
2019, 7min
Muedra (Cesar Diaz Melendez, Spain)
Life can spring from anywhere, nature can behave strangely and days can last for minutes. Although everything is familiar to us, nothing is what it seems in this place.
2018, 9min
Albatross Soup (Winnie Cheung, USA)
A man gets off a boat. He walks into a restaurant and orders albatross soup. He takes one sip, pulls out a gun and shoots himself to death. So why did he kill himself?
2018, 7min
Candy Shop (Patrick Smith, USA)
Pills and capsules are choreographed into a cacophony of shape, colour and size, resulting in a satirical commentary about our infatuation with prescription drugs.
2019, 3min
