The word is out – LIAF is back and we can’t wait to share these films with you!
Our programmers have been working away throughout lockdown by sifting through the 2,384 films that came our way this year. After much deliberation, head-scratching and tired eyes we have hand-picked 80 films from 31 countries to screen in competition – including our first-ever film from Kosovo! Of these spectacular films, 36 are UK premieres.
In this, our 18th festival, there will be a healthy mix of returning veteran animators to LIAF with their latest masterworks alongside many newcomers to the scene. Previous LIAF audience members will recognise names such as Joanna Quinn, Paul Bush, Michele and Uri Kranot, Sasha Svirsky, Claude Cloutier and Vladimir Leschiov returning with their latest films. And we are also as proud as Punch to be able to give a platform to first-time filmmakers and graduate animators. We are here to show that animation is the most imaginative of all art forms and when the handbrake is off anything can happen.
As ever the competition films will screen in 8 themed programmes such as the Abstract Showcase, Into the Dark, Animated Documentaries and From Absurd to Zany. Subject matter is as varied as ever but understandably, in these pandemic-times, several films tackle themes such as isolation, grief and loneliness. However, there are many other films that deal with hope and love and of course LIAF wouldn’t be LIAF without a healthy dose of surreality and general all-round bonkers-ness to mash up your brain.
We will also be screening our ever-popular and returning programmes the British Showcase, Music Videos, Late Night Bizarre, Best of the Next (student films) and kids and families programmes. Full line-ups to be announced soon, along with stills, synopses and trailers!
International Competition Programme Films List
A Bite of Bone Honami Yano, Japan
A Most Exquisite Man Jonas Taul, Estonia
Affairs of the Art Joanna Quinn, UK
All Those Sensations in My Belly Marko Djeska, Croatia
Anemone Temple Justyna Pazdan, Poland
Anxious Body Yoriko Mizushiri, Japan
Arka Natko Stipanicev, Croatia
Bad Seeds Claude Cloutier, Canada
Black Slide Uri Lotan, Israel
Butterfly Jam Shih-Yen Huang, France
Candela Marc Riba, Anna Solanas, Spain
Clara with a Mustache Ilir Blakcori, Kosovo
Co-ognition Przemysław Świda Poland
Coffin Yuanqing Cai, Nathan Crabot, Houzhi Huang, Mikolaj Janiw, Mandimby Lebon & Théo Tran Ngoc, France
Comeback Vladimir Leschiov, Latvia
Conversations with a Whale Anna Samo, Germany
Cradle Paul Muresan, Romania
Cucumbers Leonid Shmelkov, Russia/France
Cut it Out Inez Kristina, Denmark
Dad is Gone Pere Ginard, Spain
Darwin’s Notebook Georges Schwizgebel, Switzerland
Deep Water Anna Dudko, Ukraine
Dialogue Tak Him Chan, Hong Kong
Diseased and Disorderly Andrew & Eden Kötting, UK
Easter Eggs Nicolas Keppens, Belgium
Eating in the Dark Inari Sirola, UK
Endless Forms Most Beautiful Meredith Binnette, USA
Enough Andy Sowerby, UK
Face Recognition Martinus Klemet, Estonia
Firefighter Yulia Aronova, France
For Tashi Jiayue Cecilia Wu, Rebecca Ruige Xu, USA
Ghost Dogs Joe Cappa, USA
Good For You Kim Ilhyun, South Korea
Guard of Honour Edmunds Jansons, Latvia
Hand Ho Tsz Wing, Hong Kong
Have a Nice Dog! Jalal Maghout, Germany
Heart of the Nation Tribambuka (Anastasia Beltyukova) UK
Hide Daniel Benjamin Gray, Hungary/Canda
How to be at Home Andrea Dorfman, Canada
How to Lose Everything: A Field Guide Christa Couture & Bekky O’Neil, Canada
I’m Here Julia Orlik, Poland
In Nature Marcel Barelli, Switzerland
In the Shadow of the Pines Anne Koizumi, Canada
June Night Mike Maryniuk, Canada
Jung and Restless Joanna Priestley, USA
KKUM Kangmin Kim, South Korea/USA
Liza Bastien Dupriez, France
Louis’s Shoes Théo Jamin, KayuLeung, Marion Philippe & Jean Géraud Blanc, France
Memento Mori Paul O’Flanagan, Ireland
Mr Pete and the Iron Horse Kilian Vilim, Switzerland
Night Bus Joe Hsieh, Taiwan
No Leaders Please Joan Gratz, USA
Only A Child Simone Giampaolo, Switzerland
Orgiastic Hyper-Plastic Paul Bush, Denmark/UK
Para Meters Jon Gillie, UK
Peregrine Daniela Sherer, Israel
Postpartum Henriette Rietz, Germany
Real Life Rosalie Loncin, France
Sauna Security Nils Knoblich, Germany
Save Ralph Spencer Susser, UK
See Me Patty Stenger & Yvonne Kroese, Netherlands
Shell in Love Svilen Dimitrov, Bulgaria
Sisters Andrea Szelesová, Czech Republic
Soft and White Gina Kamentsky, USA
Something in the Garden Marcos Sanchez, Chile
Soup Karolin Twiddy, Germany
Steakhouse Spela Cadez Slovenia, Germany/France
The Chimney Swift Frédéric Schuld, Germany
The Clearing Dan Hope, UK
The Fourth Wall Mahboobeh Kalaee, Iran
The Hangman at Home Michelle & Uri Kranot, Denmark/France/Canada
The Torture Letters Jocie Juritz & Laurence Ralph, USA/UK
The Train Driver Zuniel Kim, Christian Wittmoser, Germany
Timeline Osbert Parker, UK
Trona Pinnacles Mathilde Parquet, France
Vadim on a Walk Sasha Svirsky, Russia
We Hope You Won’t Need to Come Back Anastazja Naumenko, Poland
What Resonates in Silence Marine Blin, France
Whisper Rustle Maureen Zent, USA
White Bat Dirk de Bruyn, Australia
