Welcome to our annual deep-dive into the dark heart of animation. Enter a world of creepy, twisted and gloriously unsettling shorts where nightmares take shape, reality fractures and the strange turns sinister. Expect eerie encounters, savage surprises and images that stick with you long after the lights come up. Bring your darkest curiosity. Leave your comfort zone at the door.
Independent animation remains a dynamic and evolving art form, showcasing a stunning array of styles, materials, and techniques – from hand-drawn and paint-on-glass to collage, sculpture, cut-outs, puppetry, abstract forms, and innovative CGI. This year’s LIAF highlights the most diverse and exciting developments within this vibrant medium.
After sorting through a huge pile of 2,300 entries, we’ve curated a selection of 75 outstanding new films from 29 countries. These films range from humorous and dramatic to bizarre, subtle, frightening, and autobiographical. What they all share is our belief that they represent the best of the best. These 8 international competition programmes showcase a variety of techniques, genres, and styles. This is your annual glimpse into the vibrant world of international indie animation.
Several filmmakers will be in attendance to introduce their films at the start of the screening.
Homemade Gatorade – Carter Amelia Davis, USA
A woman embarks on a late night road trip to deliver homemade Gatorade to a mysterious online buyer.
2026 9’05 min
What We Leave Behind – Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte, Canada
Dan has a gaping hole in his neck that won’t heal. Why? He can’t remember, nor talk about it. Back in the sinister arena of his childhood, he must find the part of himself he once left behind that prevents him, now an adult, from being whole.
2025 10’50 min
If you buy an online ticket for this programme, this film is only viewable in the UK.
Melk – Filip Anthonissen, Belgium
After Charel kills his mother’s favourite fish, he runs away from home. When he returns, determined to make amends, all hell breaks loose.
2026 14’20 min
If you buy an online ticket for this programme, this film is only viewable in the UK.
God is Shy – Jocelyn Charles, France
During a train ride, Ariel and Paul pass the time sketching their deepest fears. Their game takes an unexpected turn when Gilda, a mysterious passenger, intrudes on their exchange. Yet, her relationship with fear seems far less innocent than their playful drawings.
2025 15’35 min
This film does not screen in our online programme.
Dinner – Haeji Jeong, South Korea
Two lovers meet over a bizarre dining experience.
2026 5’00 min
If you buy an online ticket for this programme, this film is only viewable in the UK.
The Quinta’s Ghost – James A Castillo, Spain
A meditation on art, madness, and mortality, illustrated though the final years of Spanish master artist Francisco de Goya
2025 17’10 min
Jelly Baddies – Ivan Li, Canada
Jelly Baddies make new friends; Jelly Baddies having fun.
2026 20’30 min
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
Opened in March 2022, The Garden Cinema screens repertory seasons and new releases from around the world. Being truly independent, they choose films that are worth seeing, films you’d be happy to see more than once. Films of all genres that are true to life, well made, that left us feeling better or wiser for having seen them. For more information about The Garden Cinema and how to get there, find out more.
Online, The Garden Cinema
