We are 9 weeks away until the UK’s largest, longest-running animation festival returns, screening at cinemas across London and online. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store this year – a veritable feast of the world’s best, grooviest, cooler-than-cool indie animation.
From November 22, over 10 days, we will be screening in-cinema at our regular venues: The Barbican, The Garden Cinema, Horse Hospital, The Puppet Theatre Barge and Close-Up Cinema, And for those unable to venture out to London, we’ll be repeating most screenings online on our streaming platform.
Most of our 25 programmes will be available to watch worldwide PLUS we present 7 FREE industry talks and discussions from the worlds’ leading practitioners giving insider access to the hottest topics of the year.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be drip-feeding more information.
But for now, here’s a taste of what to expect:
Boys go to jupiter – UK PREMIERE
It all kicks off on Friday November 22 at Barbican Cinema 1 with the UK Premiere of the sensational American indie animated feature film Boys Go To Jupiter, the debut feature from Julian Glander – a surreal coming-of-age story, brought to life in Glander’s trademark 3D visual style and sonic palette. The film follows a week in the life of a teenager in suburban Florida as he hustles through a series of bizarre gig economy errands. Featuring a voice cast of beloved oddball comedy stars and packed with heart, humour, and banger musical numbers. This is not to be missed!
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAMMES
83 of the world’s best animated shorts from 31 different countries screening in 8 competition programmes including Abstract Showcase, Animated Documentaries, Into the Dark, Stop-motion Panorama and From Absurd to Zany. Many of the filmmakers from the UK and around the world will join us live and online for post-screening talks and pre-screening introductions.
BRITISH SHOWCASE
14 more films in competition in the British Showcase – a comprehensive screening of the very best recently released British animation, including several premieres. Many of the talented filmmakers will be with us onstage to introduce their films which, as ever, will make for a very lively evening.
INDIE ANIMATED FEATURES
3 of the best, most recent indie animated features on the festival circuit.
We’ve already mentioned Boys go to Jupiter.
How about…
The Hyperboreans – a wild mix of theatre, science fiction, animation and fabulated biopic, with ideas emanating from Chile’s history, the occult, right-wing conspiracy theory, Jungian psychology, silent film and elsewhere. Directors Cristobal Leon and Joaquin Cocina pull it all together by virtue of their mastery of technique.
Pelikan Blue by Laszlo Csaki- Hungary’s first feature animated documentary takes viewers back to the post Iron Curtain era of the 1990s, when travel to Western Europe became exorbitantly expensive. This film explores the phenomenon of international train ticket forgery and three friends who devise an ingenious method for forging tickets, enabling them to offer affordable travel options to an entire generation yearning for freedom.
Our ever-popular regular programmes will be back…
LATE NIGHT BIZARRE
The most bonkers films from the world’s craziest animators.
BEST OF THE NEXT
33 films and 3 programmes of the best student films made in 2024 plucked from film-schools all over the world.
MUSIC VIDEO SESSION
Our annual collection of the hottest music videos from all over the world.
KIDS & FAMILIES
2 programmes for 0-7 year-olds and 8-15 year-olds. Films for the young but also the young at heart, with several laugh-out-loud moments alongside tales that tug on the heart-strings.
Plus… we have several very special programmes for 2024:
Figures in Focus 2024: Wanderlust
For this year’s programme, we are going on an adventure. The selected films examine the urge to explore the world, to travel, to feel the delight to roam. Hand-in-hand with this sense of wanderlust, is the restlessness felt by some – a need to escape a situation, or to return to places in their memories. Curated by Abigail Addison, Producer and Programmer.
Disrupting the Narrative 3: When Worlds Collide
Focusing on exciting British and international filmmakers who use a diverse range of live action and animation techniques to explore black, ethnically-diverse themes. Personal and political narratives are investigated beneath the microscopic eye of 10 Animation Directors with urgent tales to tell through metaphors and visual poems that bring ideas to life and add meaning to human stories in fresh ways. Co-curated by Osbert Parker, BAFTA and Emmy nominated Director.
Are You OK?
Animated shorts are a powerful medium for addressing mental health issues, offering a unique and often visually compelling way to explore complex emotions and inner struggles. These films vividly depict experiences like anxiety, depression, trauma and personal growth, often capturing the nuance of these conditions in ways that words alone cannot. Several of the filmmakers will be in attendance to talk about raising awareness about mental health, breaking down stigmas and encouraging conversations around emotional well-being.
Anfield Roads – Chris Shepherd
Much loved indie animator Chris Shepherd has spent the last four years working on his debut graphic novel ‘Anfield Road’ which will be released this October – a funny and poignant coming-of-age story set in Liverpool in 1989, the land of The La’s, the Hillsborough disaster and Findus Crispy Pancakes. Chris will join us onstage with Jez Stewart, author and curator at the BFI National Archive for a chat about his process, the book and anything else that comes to mind. The programme also includes a screening of some classic animated shorts that have been adapted from literary sources.
Magic in Marimekko: Dick Arnall, Animate and the Manipulated Moving Image
A Tribute to Dick Arnall, the hugely influential producer of many of Britain’s most important animators, and a key figure in Channel 4’s Animate! commissioning series in the 1990s and early 2000s, who would have been 80 this year. Several of the filmmakers will be in attendance for discussion after the screening. The event is conceived, curated and hosted by Gareth Evans, who worked editorially on Animate! with Dick.
FREE INDUSTRY EVENT
For those who are curious to hear from some of the most passionate and insightful industry experts talking about the most current and vital topics we have 7 completely FREE panel discussions taking place online over the weekend of 30 November/1 December. We’ll be looking into the minds of some of the most creative forces currently working in the field of animation.
BEST OF THE FEST
And finally, don’t forget our annual celebratory round-up at the Closing Night Gala screening of the Best of the Fest – where awards are given out to all the best films as voted for by our panels of expert judges and you, our wonderful audience members.
Ticket details and more information coming soon!
Leave a Reply