Independent animation is an art form that continues to thrive and develop as a breathtaking medley of styles, materials, techniques and production – from hand drawn, paint on glass, collage, sculpture, cut outs, puppets, abstract to some of the more interesting developments in CGI – all of which can be seen at this year’s LIAF.

We’ve emerged from under the pile of 2,700 entries to put together a series of screenings that showcase the best 97 new films from every corner of the world. They can be funny, dramatic, bizarre, subdued, scary or autobiographical. The one thing they have in common is that we think they’re the pick of the crop.

Eight international competition programmes plus our ever-popular British Showcase. Every technique, every genre, every style – this is your annual window into the international indie animation universe.

This programme features nine creepy, dystopian masterpieces alongside all manner of dark, scary, violent and spooky films.

Spooky forests and macabre landscapes are a recurring theme this year. Here you will find a strange hunter sacrificing his own body as food for the forest children, a Park Ranger following the trail of her dead brother in the woods and some vulnerable children on a mysterious island.

A livestreamed Screen Talk will follow the screening with filmmakers: Jennifer Alice Wright, Sarina Nihei & Sarah Benson.

Recommended age 15+