Guests galore at Manchester Animation Festival

New guests from BFI, Nexus, Passion Pictures, Blue Zoo Animation, Golden Wolf and more – joining our roster of wonderful speakers for MAF 2025!

Join us at HOME at 17:30 on Thu 13 Nov for the BFI Short Form Animation Fund Showcase & Discussion. Enjoy a selection of the brilliant films supported by the BFI Short Form Animation Fund, followed by a discussion hosted by BFI’s Animation curator Jez Stewart. Learn about the experiences of selected filmmakers from the past two rounds, and grab some advice on the production process and writing the perfect funding application!

Join Blue Zoo Animation’s Storyboard Supervisor Lauren Auty on Thu 13 Nov at HOME for the IEA Storyboarding Workshop at 11:00 or 13:30 an exclusive insight into the art of visual storytelling for young audiences. Packed with creative tips, practical advice and an insight into her processes, this workshop is not to be missed.

The MAF Book Club is back with a selection of gorgeous talks and book signings, including Beryl with Joanna Quinn on Tue 11 Nov at 15:45. Skwigly Editor in chief Ben Mitchell and Dr. Laura-Beth Cowley will also be joining us on Tue 11 Nov at 18:00, talking all things risqué with their new book, Intimate Animation.  All of our cosy book events take place at Manchester Central Library.

LITTLE AMELIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN: A LOVE LETTER TO LIFE

Annecy Audience award winner, Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, directed by Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang and Maïlys Vallade will deliver a speech about their works.

From rain drops, to flowers, to white chocolate; there are a myriad of moments that make us who we are. In this feature, we chart the growth of a little girl becoming a little person: three year old Amelie opens her eyes to free will, curiosity and childlike joy against the stunning backdrop of 1960’s Japan.

Join us at HOME on Mon 10 Nov at 18:30, or Wed 12 Nov at 10:30, to see the world through Amelie’s eyes.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

EPIC GAMES

Epic Games  are changing the face of Animation with the playground that is Unreal Engine, an innovative new software with huge capabilities. We’re thrilled to have Epic’s support as a patron of Manchester Animation festival this year, and especially to learn more about the wild and wonderful possibilities of Unreal Engine!

Join us Thu 13 Nov  at 10:15 for Animating in Unreal: 2D, 3D, and Everything In Between. This talk explores how to build unique animation workflows, rig characters at every level of complexity and boost both creativity and efficiency. Solution Architects Ben Kidd and Stéphane Biava bring their wealth of knowledge in Virtual Production and Animation to MAF, and we couldn’t be happier to have them. Thanks, Epic!

ANGEL’S EGG ON THE BIG SCREEN

From Director Mamoru Oshii comes Angel’s Egg, the 1985 cult classic that came a decade before Ghost in the Shell.

Returning for its 40th anniversary, we are thrilled to have the Director-approved 4K re-release of 1985’s Angel’s Egg coming to MAF 2025. An early insight into the creative talents of writer-director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) and artist Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D), this cult classic science-fantasy anime is not to be missed.

KICKSTART YOUR ANIMATION CAREER

Join us at the Anthony Burgess Foundation on Mon 10 Nov for Animated Answers: Kick Start Your Animation Career and find all the tools you need to get your foot in the door.

Join Amy Adcock, Tito Olawole and recruiter Shelley Page for the ultimate rundown of how these professionals are navigating the animation industry. Think tricks, tips, hurdles they’ve faced and find out exactly how they got started.

MAF returns 9-13 November 2025.