Independent animation is an art form that continues to thrive and develop as a breathtaking medley of styles, materials, techniques and production – from hand drawn, paint on glass, collage, sculpture, cut outs, puppets, abstract to some of the more interesting developments in CGI – all of which can be seen at this year’s LIAF.
We’ve emerged from under the pile of 2,700 entries to put together a series of screenings that showcase the best 97 new films from every corner of the world. They can be funny, dramatic, bizarre, subdued, scary or autobiographical. The one thing they have in common is that we think they’re the pick of the crop.
Eight international competition programmes plus our ever-popular British Showcase. Every technique, every genre, every style – this is your annual window into the international indie animation universe.
This programme examines some big life moments as seen by a migrating goose reflecting on how he met his lovely wife, two delightful children speaking freely about their thoughts and fears, a young woman recounting her quest for perfection and happiness, and festival favourite Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s animal-sung songs of existential suffering.
A livestreamed Screen Talk will follow the screening with filmmakers: Bernardo Britto, Patrick Smith & John C Kelley.
ONLINE Pre-order tickets
My Exercise (Atsushi Wada, Japan)
Let’s do sit-ups.
UK premiere
2020, 3min
A Family that Steals Dogs (John C Kelley, USA)
Strange experiences lead a grieving artist to reconsider his identity and beliefs in this meditation on grief, family and mental illness.
European premiere
2020, 7min
Beyond Noh (Patrick Smith, USA)
3,475 individual masks from all over the world from fourteenth-century Japanese Noh theatre, to Mickey Mouse and Pokémon, and everywhere in-between.
2020, 4min
Hudson Geese (Bernardo Britto, USA)
A Canadian goose takes a moment to look back and remember his last migration while reflecting on his family.
2019, 6min
Opera (Erick Oh, South Korea/USA)
An epic reflection on human life filled with beauty and absurdity driven by the spirits of Bosch, Michelangelo, Botticelli and other Renaissance artists.
UK premiere
2020, 9min
And yet we’re not Superheroes (Lia Bertels, Belgium/France/Portugal)
Pocked-sized philosophers share their thoughts as they map their path to growing up.
2019, 12min
The Great Malaise (Catherine Lepage, Canada)
A young woman describes herself in the most favourable light possible but the visual narrative tells an entirely different story – the crippling burden of anxiety.
2019, 5min
Freeze Frame (Soetkin Verstegen, Belgium)
Figures cut blocks of ice into frozen animals out of a large area and transport them to a different place. An allegory of film projection reminiscent of the early days of cinema.
2019, 5min
Mascot (Leeha Kim, South Korea)
A fox wants to become a city mascot and studies at the Mascot training academy. He lives in a tiny house, juggles with part-time jobs, and takes out a loan to finance plastic surgery.
2019, 7min
Deux Oiseaux (Antoine Robert, France)
Jean, an eight-year-old boy, spends his holidays at his grandparents’ farm playing cruel games on the animals.
2019, 11min
Carrousel (Jasmine Elsen, Belgium/Czech Republic)
Rose grows up with her snails in the park. Their park. One day she is attacked by intruders. Or is it the other way around? A film about dehumanisation.
2020, 10min
Something to Remember (Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden)
A bittersweet look at life’s many challenges, albeit as experienced by furry, feathered, and slimy creatures who sound and feel all too human.
2019, 5min
