Like childhood, animation is full of wonder and simple pleasures. This carefully chosen programme for our littlest and most special audience contains 11 of the best, most recent wonderful short animated films, full of joy, from all around the world. There’ll be talking animals, seriously fun adventures and wondrous tales to spark those little imaginations.
This programme contains several cheeky, loveable humans and animals in all sorts of mad, lively adventures. Penguins ice-skating, squirrels on a train, bark beetles, a boy who waters the clouds and another who loves baking breads and cakes for his friends and neighbours. All of this and more.
Adults can only come if they’re bringing a child, and children can only come along if accompanied by an adult.
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Clawlolo (The Genie) – Alexey Alexeev, Cyprus

Joe the Octopus finds an Aladdin’s lamp but throws it away. Eric the Crab tries to make a sound by rubbing it, and a Genie appears.
2024 3’20 min
Baking with Boris – Masa Avramovic, France/Switzerland/Croatia

Every morning, Boris the village baker makes a fresh batch of crusty bread and pastries for all his neighbours until… Achoo! He can’t stop sneezing. He has become allergic to flour. How will he manage to keep baking for everyone in the village?
2023 8’10 min
Hoofs on Skates – Ignas Meilunas, Lithuania

In a winter wonderland two friends are having a blast ice-skating on a frozen lake when suddenly a strange and unfamiliar world cracks open underneath them: now they must learn how to deal with the otherness, not letting the fear rule.
2024 12’25 min
This film is not included in our online programme
Rainboy – Barbara Brunner, Switzerland

The story of a boy who waters the clouds, but when he accidentally angers the sun, he teams up with the rain clouds to make the sun happy again.
2023 5’20 min
Forever Seven – Antje Heyn & Alexander Isert, Germany

A box is a box is a box. Sometimes though it’s just a matter of perspective to discover something completely different behind it.
2024 9’25 min
Finding Play – Dan Castro, UK

Timothy Quiche has forgotten how to play. Or has he? Maybe he’s just been looking in the wrong places. A short film about not overthinking things and rekindling the joys of play.
2024 3’25 min
The Girl with the Occupied Eyes – André Carrilho, Portugal

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who, even when out and about, was always distracted. Her eyes fixed on her phone, she didn’t notice the world around her or anyone who wanted to play.
2024 7’55 min
Writing Home – Eva Matejovičová, Czech Republic

A young bark beetle girl, meant to spend her days peacefully in the forest, finds her life turned upside down when a fire separates her from her family and leaves her stranded in a city where every danger looms giant-sized.
2024 12’05 min
One Track Mind – Faye Isherwood-Wallace, UK

Sophia the squirrel embarks on a journey of self-discovery, helping her navigate emotions of grief after the loss of a close friend.
2024 6’50 min
The Night Tunnel – Annechien Strouven, Belgium/France

After digging a tunnel on the beach two kids from different sides of the world meet each other. Together, they dig their way to the North Pole where they discover a magical way to go back home.
2024 9’00 min
Animanimusical – Julia Ocker, Germany

The Animanimals want to perform a big musical performance but somebody got the wrong notes.
2024 3’25 min
Our Funding Partners

With Special Thanks to the Arts Council England

Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery.
Our Award Partner

Karrot
Since 2008, the award-winning Karrot have been making top-notch animated content for TV and online streaming platforms. Karrot generously sponsors our Best Childrens’ Film awards.
Venue
The Barbican is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and education events. For more information about The Barbican and how to get there, find out more.
Barbican, Online