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Short films remind us that magic doesn’t need to be long, just loved — and funded. So, how do you fund your animated short?? We ask the givers and the takers how it works.
LIAF presents the 2025 UK Animation Industry Event – 5 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire, Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London and Babak Jani, Head of Skills at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 5 talks are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday December 6 and Sunday December 7.
Panellists
Moderator: Julian Scott
Julian Scott is a BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer. He has been developing, financing and co-producing feature films and television in the international arena for over 25 years. As animation consultant for Film London, his focus is on generating inward investment for London’s animation studios, by finding partners outside the UK seeking creative and financial soulmates and advising on the UK animation tax credits. Other areas of his work include tackling skills and creative gaps in the animation industry and lobbying to get proper recognition for animation in the UK creative sector and advising studios on business and creative development.
Helen Brunsden
With over thirty years of experience, Helen has worked extensively in the animation industry. Joining Aardman in 1993, she established herself within production and was approached by S4C to produce two ‘World Faith’ animated films. She then worked as a production co-ordinator on Wife of Bath, directed by Joanna Quinn and produced by Les Mills and Beryl Productions, which received an Academy Award nomination and a host of other awards at major International Animation Festivals. In March 2018, Helen became the Director of the British Animation Awards (BAA). Since 2019, Helen has worked as a production consultant for the BFI on the Short Film Animation Fund.
Iain Gardner
Iain is an award-winning filmmaker. His 2023 short film A Bear named Wojtek won a British Animation Award, was nominated for an Annie Award ® and was short-listed for the 2025 Academy Awards ®. Recently, he teamed up with Lupus Films to develop the pipeline for their proposed feature Kiki. He served as the Animation Programmer for the Edinburgh International Film Festival for a decade, curating the McLaren Award for Best British Animation. In 2014, Iain was the Artistic Director of McLaren 2014, celebrating the centenary of Scots-born animation pioneer Norman McLaren, who founded the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada.
Maggie Ellis
Maggie is a champion of independent talent in the film industry and has helped launch the careers of some of the UK's most talented film-makers and artists. Maggie has set up and run a number of commercial and publicly financed production schemes, in particular the London Production Fund and London Artists’ Film & Video Awards (LAFVA). For seven years she was Production Executive for Channel 4 and Arts Council England’s experimental animation scheme, animate! Since joining Film London as the first Head of Production, Maggie has commissioned hundreds of films from London’s new and emergent talent through a number of highly successful schemes including PULSE Digital Shorts, the London Borough Film Funds, the Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) and Microwave.
Short films remind us that magic doesn’t need to be long, just loved — and funded. So, how do you fund your animated short?? We ask the givers and the takers how it works.
LIAF presents the 2025 UK Animation Industry Event – 5 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire, Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London and Babak Jani, Head of Skills at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 5 talks are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday December 6 and Sunday December 7.
Panellists
Moderator: Julian Scott
Julian Scott is a BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer. He has been developing, financing and co-producing feature films and television in the international arena for over 25 years. As animation consultant for Film London, his focus is on generating inward investment for London’s animation studios, by finding partners outside the UK seeking creative and financial soulmates and advising on the UK animation tax credits. Other areas of his work include tackling skills and creative gaps in the animation industry and lobbying to get proper recognition for animation in the UK creative sector and advising studios on business and creative development.
Helen Brunsden
With over thirty years of experience, Helen has worked extensively in the animation industry. Joining Aardman in 1993, she established herself within production and was approached by S4C to produce two ‘World Faith’ animated films. She then worked as a production co-ordinator on Wife of Bath, directed by Joanna Quinn and produced by Les Mills and Beryl Productions, which received an Academy Award nomination and a host of other awards at major International Animation Festivals. In March 2018, Helen became the Director of the British Animation Awards (BAA). Since 2019, Helen has worked as a production consultant for the BFI on the Short Film Animation Fund.
Iain Gardner
Iain is an award-winning filmmaker. His 2023 short film A Bear named Wojtek won a British Animation Award, was nominated for an Annie Award ® and was short-listed for the 2025 Academy Awards ®. Recently, he teamed up with Lupus Films to develop the pipeline for their proposed feature Kiki. He served as the Animation Programmer for the Edinburgh International Film Festival for a decade, curating the McLaren Award for Best British Animation. In 2014, Iain was the Artistic Director of McLaren 2014, celebrating the centenary of Scots-born animation pioneer Norman McLaren, who founded the animation department of the National Film Board of Canada.
Maggie Ellis
Maggie is a champion of independent talent in the film industry and has helped launch the careers of some of the UK's most talented film-makers and artists. Maggie has set up and run a number of commercial and publicly financed production schemes, in particular the London Production Fund and London Artists’ Film & Video Awards (LAFVA). For seven years she was Production Executive for Channel 4 and Arts Council England’s experimental animation scheme, animate! Since joining Film London as the first Head of Production, Maggie has commissioned hundreds of films from London’s new and emergent talent through a number of highly successful schemes including PULSE Digital Shorts, the London Borough Film Funds, the Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) and Microwave.