Each year we search for the finest panel of judges: educators, independent animators, producers, authors, curators and more. All are experts in their field and all possess an informed and exploratory eye for excellence in the animation world. This year we are honoured to welcome the following judges.
International Competition Programme and British Showcase Judges
Barnaby Templer
Barnaby is passionate about sound, fish, and fossils — three things that spark his curiosity and creativity in equal measure, however it was sound that captured his imagination and became the focus of his career. An alumnus of the National Film and Television School (NFTS), where he specialised in sound, he went on to continue his research on ancient acoustic spaces through a Fellowship at Norwich University of the Arts. During this time, he was also selected to attend the prestigious Jerzy Kucia Animation Workshop in Kraków. Barnaby is the co-founder and owner of Fonic, a post-production audio company that has crafted sound for more than a thousand animated episodes, short films, documentaries, commercials, and feature films. Most recently, Fonic designed the signature character sounds and foley for the new Harry Potter The Full-Cast Audio Editions audio books. For over 15 years, Barnaby has shared his expertise as a visiting lecturer in animation and sound at many institutions including the NFTS, hoping to inspire the next generation of storytellers and sound designers.
Natasza Cetner
Natasza is a Polish animator based in London and a Royal College of Art RCA Animation graduate. The main themes of her works are the absurdity of the world around us and the surreal, others works focus on conveying the unconscious and the anxiety of the insomniac mind. She loves to take inspiration from real-life stories and transform them into engaging short films and visuals. She is lately diving more into the world of animated documentaries and exploring more analogue solutions against the digital trends.
Mario Radev
Mario is a Bulgarian visual artist and filmmaker based in London. He works as director, animator, visual performer and educator. Mario creates intricate hand drawn world instilled with beauty, poetry and fantastical allegories. His short animated film [O] received a nomination for Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2018. Mario’s latest film [S] has won the Jean-Luc Xiberras Award at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024 and Best Abstract Film at London International Animation Festival.
Abstract Showcase Competition Judges
Beth Walker
Beth is a filmmaker, visual artist and researcher. Her work spans short films, projection installations and live visual performance. With a process-led approach, Beth combines material and digital processes to create bold, abstract visuals. She draws on a variety of experimental animation techniques, often working with organic or reactive materials at macro scale. Beth’s work has been shown in galleries, clubs and film festivals in the UK and internationally. She holds an MA in Animation from the Royal College of Art, with her graduation film Beneath premiering at LIAF before being selected for Annecy International Animation Festival. Beth is currently completing a PhD in Lisbon, researching the transformative potential of projected visuals in natural environments.
Jordan Buckner
Jordan is a filmmaker from the UK, born in a dead part of England, and making work about what that means. His films use CG animation and 2D painting to explore national decline – blending abstract visuals and narrative to capture the strangeness and melancholy of contemporary UK life. His work has been supported by the BBC, Arts Council and BFI through Animation 2018 and BBC New Creatives. Outside of his practice, Jordan lectures on the Animation programme at the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham.
Late Night Bizarre and Music Video Judges
Andrew Kelleher & Dave Anderson aka Dog and Rabbit
Andrew and Dave run a London based animation studio and make short films and commercials for TV, web and cinema. Recent work includes the multi-award winning short – The Darkweb Catbot, and an Oasis album covers film for the recent tour commissioned by Radio X. They are also developing an animated sketch show called The Incredible Noisebox and are bringing back their noughties classic Dog Judo.
Children’s Competition Judges
Lilith Silver & Reuben Carter
Lilith has been judging the LIAF Children’s films for 13 years and is now a seasoned veteran at the ripe old age of 18. Her current 3 favourite films are: Whale Rider (2002), City of God (2002) and Kramer vs Kramer (1979).
Reuben’s current 3 favourite films are: Eraserhead (1977), Autumn Sonata (1978) and Performance (1970)
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