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 75outstanding 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.

Please visit liaf.org.uk for more details

Homemade Gatorade

A woman embarks on a late night road trip to deliver homemade Gatorade to a mysterious online buyer.

USA 2026 Dir: Carter Amelia Davis 9’05

What We Leave Behind

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.

Canada 2025 Dir: Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte 10’50

Melk

After Charel kills his mother’s favourite fish, he runs away from home. When he returns, determined to make amends, all hell breaks loose.

Belgium 2026 Dir: Filip Anthonissen 14’20

God is Shy

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.

France 2025 Dir: Jocelyn Charles 15’35

Dinner

Two lovers meet over a bizarre dining experience.

South Korea 2026 Dir: Haeji Jeong 5’00

The Quinta’s Ghost

A meditation on art, madness, and mortality, illustrated though the final years of Spanish master artist Francisco de Goya

Spain 2025 Dir: James A Castillo 17’10

Jelly Baddies

Jelly Baddies make new friends; Jelly Baddies having fun.

Canada 2026 Dir: Ivan Li 20’30