We have always had a special passion around here for documentary animation. LIAF probably shows more of this kind of work than any other generalist animation festival. It can be surprising to encounter resistance to the idea that there could even be such a thing as documentary animation. Surprising not just because animation is an obvious way to tell any kind of story but because documentary animation has been around from the earliest days of cinema. Just check out Winsor McCay’s 12-minute short ‘The Sinking of the Lusitania’ made in 1918.

Here are 10 of the best animated documentary films we have screened at LIAF over the years – big audience favourites with a few of our own personal choices. Together they form a compelling argument that animation can help the documentary form push boundaries and pose a network of challenging, existential questions.