Lights, Camera, Animation! This is LIAF’s annual showcase of the most dazzling animated student films selected from the best animation and film schools from all around the world. This is the first step on the animation ladder for these talented filmmakers, and the first time their wild and wonderful imaginations have been unleashed. Stop-motion, drawn animation, collage, cut-out, CGI, clay, ink and almost every other technique these animators can dream up are all on display here. 34 wondrous films in 3 hour-long programmes from the future stars of our animation universe.
Several of the filmmakers will be in attendance. Come along and help us celebrate this incredible work and to gain insights into their creative processes, inspirations, and the challenges they faced while bringing their visions to life.
This is the first of three student programmes at The Horse Hospital. Buy venue tickets for all 3 at a reduced price in our Triple Screening Special!
Visiting the Zoo – Maria Zilli, Italy
A glimpse into the lives of three characters who move through the city like animals in a zoo, gradually reconnecting with their primordial instincts – until they erupt in a final confrontation with real animals, breaking free from all social constraints.
2025 3’50 min
ISIA Urbino, Italy & ENSAD, France
The Panic Inside – Matthias Strasser, Germany, Switzerland
How does a chronic people-pleaser, who struggles to say no to his friends’ constant requests, finally learn to set boundaries, confidently say no, and reclaim his personal freedom?
2026 8’20 min
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Germany
走 (zǒu) – Hannah Wu, UK
An experimental animated short about language, meaning and moving through the world (one drawing at a time).
2025 3’30 min
Royal College of Art, UK
What’s Your Verdict? – Persephone Huynh Murphy, Anna Julia Paziewska, Marija Gajic, Switzerland
A man and a woman with contradicting recounts of a night out, compete on a televised court show to determine who is telling the truth.
2026 4’45 min
Hochschule Luzern – Design, Film und Kunst, Switzerland
About the Line – Ráhel Gáti, Hungary
A playful encounter in the forest takes a dark turn when Anna accidentally kills a rabbit, leaving her desperate to make amends. Her journey through grief and guilt awakens buried emotions, drawing her into the hidden traumas passed down through her family.
2026 6’40 min
MOME, Hungary
Hôtel les pieds dans l’eau – Maya Vriens, France
At the hotel Les pieds dans l’eau, Rosa, an exhausted chambermaid, dreams of escaping for a moment.
2025 5’55 min
EMCA, France
I’m Looking for Mr. Laser – Laura Boráros, Czech Republic
A short story about following in the footsteps of someone who may or may not exist, mapping the maze of imagination and illusions created by the mysterious Mr. Laser.
2025 6’40 min
FAMU, Czech Republic
Reaper – Cassandra Fenech, Cléa Fernandez Robles, Emilie Friess, Léa Gisbert, Morgane Jama, Aiden Mallet, Axel Pancioni, Émeline Vann La, France
After many years of garbage collecting, Oktave’s routine is upended when, one night, unsettling apparitions disturb his reality.
2025 4’45 min
Ecole des Nouvelles Images, France
– + – Sungha Hwang, South Korea
A current flows within a connection,only to become smoke and vanish in the end.
2026 4’15 min
Korea National University Of Arts, South Korea
If you buy an online ticket for this programme, this film is only viewable in the UK.
Bootstrapping for the Boobied – Stella Chen, USA
A young woman deep in burnout turns to an online self-help guru for wisdom on how to manage stress and a burgeoning attraction to her roommate.
2025 12’40 min
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
The Happy Pig Brand – Léo Bournas Milazzo, UK
Four young piglets go on a workplace visit with their school, getting a sneak peak into their possible future at ‘The Happy Pig Brand’.
2026 4’30 min
University of the West of England
Our Funding Partners
With Special Thanks to The Elf Factory, official sponsor of LIAF 2026.
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.
Venue
The Horse Hospital is a three tiered progressive arts venue in London providing an encompassing umbrella for the related media of film fashion, music and art. For more information about The Horse Hospital and how to get there, find out more.
Horse Hospital, Online
