LIAF2023

The UK’s largest, longest-running animation festival–LIAF2023  is back and screening at cinemas across London and online for 10 days from Friday November 24th.

This year it’s our very special 20th anniversary celebration. Be prepared to feast your eyes on a sumptuous banquet of the world’s best, wildest and most awe-inspiring animated films. Over 10 days we will be screening across London at  the Barbican, the Garden Cinema, the Horse Hospital and the Puppet Theatre Barge and for those unable to venture out to London we’ll be repeating all screenings online on our streaming platform.

For the first time all 22 programmes will be available to watch online worldwide PLUS we present 6 FREE industry talks and discussions from 30 of the worlds’ leading practitioners giving insider access to the hottest topics of the year.

The beating heart of the festival is our 8 international competition programmes screening at the Garden Cinema here

We have watched almost 2,400 entries this year and after much soul-searching and deliberating here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

88 of the world’s best animated shorts from 41 different countries screening in 8 competition programmes including the Abstract Showcase, Animated Documentaries, Into the Dark and From Absurd to Zany programmes. Many of the filmmakers from the UK and around the world will join us live for post-screening talks and introductions.

14 more films are in competition on opening night at the Barbican in the British Showcase – a comprehensive screening of the very best recently released British animation, including several premieres. This is always one of our liveliest and most popular events with most of the talented filmmakers present and introducing their films from the stage.

Our opening night screening at the Barbican is a celebration of our 20th birthday with a special surprise collection of films from across the 2023 line-up as well as a tribute to the work of one of the most-loved and celebrated British animators – Paul Bush – who sadly passed away earlier this year. Alongside a screening of some of his iconic films we are also proud to have a panel of Paul’s friends and colleagues who will take to the Barbican stage to discuss Paul’s life and work.

This years Figures in Focus programme is entitled ‘Apocalyptic’ and is a cathartic selection of artists’ animated films that delve into our darkest fears and our greatest hopes. Figures in Focus was devised by Abigail Addison, in recognition of the under-representation of female and non-binary animators and their stories within the independent animation sector. Following the screening, a panel discussion will take place with Abigail and several of the featured filmmakers.

Disrupting the Narrative (Changing Mindsets, Expanding Voices) features exciting British and international filmmakers who use a diverse range of live action and animation techniques to explore black, ethnically-diverse themes and how we live in multicultural societies around the world today. After the screening filmmakers will take to the stage to discuss their work chaired by co-curator and BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Director Osbert Parker.

Details here

Two programmes of films for children and their families, one for 0-7 year-olds and  one for 8-15 year-olds – films for the young but also the young at heart with several laugh-out-loud moments alongside tales that tug at the heart-strings.

This years stop-motion panorama is living proof that tangible and physical stop-motion and puppet animation is alive and well and in rude health in the 21st century. We’ll be screening 8 little masterpieces celebrating this magical form at unique venue in Little Venice – the Puppet

The Horse Hospital, London’s greatest underground cinema and gallery, is home to 7 cult LIAF screenings including our much-loved and returning programmes:

• Late Night Bizarre
• Best of the Next
• Music video panorama

Plus as part of our birthday celebrations we have 3 very special programmes featuring 30 of the best horror, comedy and animated documentary films that have screened at LIAF over our 20 year history. These gems are big audience favourites with some of our own choices thrown in for good measure.

For those who are curious to hear from some of the most insightful industry experts talking about the most current and vital topics in animation we have 6 completely FREE panel discussions taking place online over the weekend of 2/3 December. We’ll be looking into the minds of some of the most creative forces currently working in the field of the animated documentary, discussing the intrinsic role of the Animation Producer and how do you get to become one, finding out whether animation can be a viable and satisfying career for people who are neurodiverse, looking back at the meteoric growth of the UK animation industry over the last 20 years and looking forward to how the next 20 years might develop in CGI, 3D and general technology.

Online industry discussions take place over the weekend of 2/3 December.

Even though they are free you will need to register to book a place.

And finally don’t forget our annual celebratory round-up at the Closing Night Gala screening of the Best of the Fest – where awards are given out to all the best films as voted by our panels of expert judges and you, our wonderful audience members.