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.
Persuasive, illustrative and able to get over abstract details in attractive and compelling ways, animation is the perfect tool to document someone’s vision of the truth.
This programme, dedicated to the documentary form, features several true life stories including three women’s love and affection towards an imprisoned serial killer, how communism affected many children’s lives in the Czech Republic, intimate discussions with five women on usually taboo subjects: weight, menstruation and menopause alongside two cracking tales as told by legendary music icons Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).
A livestreamed Screen Talk will follow the screening with filmmakers: Tom Hardiman, Glenn Kitson, Anna Benner & Eluned Zoe Aiano and Camila Kater.
ONLINE Pre-order tickets
Pitch Black Panacea (Tom Hardiman, UK)
An attempt to cure a pair of strangers of their lazy eyes leads to introspection, emotional realisations, and a whole lot of hallucinations.
2019, 8min
Just A Guy (Shoko Hara, Germany)
Three women share glimpses of their affection, attraction and relationship with Richard Ramirez, a serial killer and rapist they contacted after he had been convicted.
2020, 15min
The Salford Sioux (Glenn Kitson, UK)
The legendary Happy Monday’s Shaun Ryder tells the true story of when the Sioux First Nation tribe arrived in Salford.
UK premiere
2020, 4min
All Her Dying Lovers (Anna Benner & Eluned Zoe Aiano, Germany/Czech Republic)
A nurse, a Nazi and a fish: this is the incredible tale of a young Czech woman who, in the face of Nazi occupation, trumps the invaders with her unique form of resistance.
UK premiere
2020, 6min
Bathroom Privileges (Rupert Williams & Ellie Land, UK)
An exploration of the exclusion of marginalised communities from public toilets.
2019, 5min
White Paradise (Xavier Istasse, Belgium)
8-year-old Corentin was deliberately killed by his father in 2007. He recounts the last months and final moments of his life.
UK premiere
2019, 10min
The Gatekeepers (Elyse Kelly & Ala Nuna Leszynska, USA)
Today social-media companies such as Facebook and Twitter are the gatekeepers of meaningful freedom of speech. What does this mean for democracy?
UK premiere
2019, 3min
Forget Me Not (Adela Krizovenska, Czech Republic)
Despite 30 years of freedom and the fall of communism, children’s institutions in the Czech Republic still need reform.
UK premiere
2019, 7min
Grab My Hand: A Letter to my Dad (Camrus Johnson & Pedro Piccinini, USA)
A personal story of grief, those we look up to, and how the interactions we may deem insignificant can play a huge part in how we live our lives.
2019, 5min
Flesh (Camila Kater, Brazil/Spain)
Through intimate and personal stories, five women share their experiences in relation to the body, from childhood to old age.
2019, 12min
The Mystical Journey of Jimmy Pages ’59 Telecaster (Smith and Foulkes, UK)
When legendary guitarist Jimmy Page met the Fender Telecaster, rock history was made. A psychedelic tour shaped around Jimmy’s words on his relationship with the iconic guitar.
2019, 4min
