Welcome to our annual deep-dive into the dark heart of animation. Here you will find films of ghosts, scary deceased dogs, insane monkeys, the horror of war and themes of revenge, suffering, and apprehension. Step in, take a seat, let’s turn out the light and get ready for our annual showcase of all manner of dark, creepy, violent and spooky films.

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 2,400 entries to put together a series of screenings that showcase the best 80 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. Every technique, every genre, every style – this is your annual window into the international indie animation universe.

Recommended age 15+