Get to know the selection of the International Competition of the 18th IFFA Animator!

The competition selection committe of the 18th IFFA Animator have chosen 51 films that will participate in the International Short Film Competition. Among them you will see animated productions from 34 countries from Europe, Asia, North and South America. The big question is: which of film will receive the Grand Prix and thus gain a shortened path to the Oscar®?

Here are the 51 films that will be presented at the Animator Festival in 6 thematic sets:

1.《IN THE MIST》, dir. Renming Liu, China 2024

 On a foggy morning, a simple conversation between two anglers turns into a collective panic. The film explores the psychology of the mob in ambiguous situations. Through individual perspective of the group, finally show the group of irrational judgment theme. The group will distort the events they see, and there will be a phenomenon of mutual infection, so that the distortion of the event presents a consistency, and everyone in the group will show the same state. Even if the group sees the facts, it is like not seeing them, completely ignoring them, but integrating the distorted illusion with the real events. The distortion of an event by a group, which begins with the first distortion of an event by an individual, is also the beginning of the suggestion of contagion. Through the analysis of the mass effect, I discussed that in the fuzzy and uncertain situation, through the psychological distortion of the things seen by individuals, hallucinations would be generated and gradually infected to others, and finally show the irrational animation of the group. In the film, fog runs through the whole, fog is not only the fog in the real scene, but also the fog in the heart of the crowd. Through the fog, the real things are often hidden, people can not see the truth. There is also a fog in the heart of the crowd, usually seemingly rational, intelligent, dialectical, once it spreads, these things are hidden, everyone tends to be consistent.

Liu Renming – I am 23 years old. Chinese animation director. I have been selected for MONSTRA-Lisbon Animation Festival, Feinaki 2024 BeijingAnimation Week, Xiamen International Animation Festival, DIGITAL ART CHINA, 14thBeijingInternationalFilm Festival, Chinese Film Festival Hamburg, AuroraInternational Horror Film Festival 2025, CortoNero_noir short film competition, Golden Baklava Film Academy International StudentFilm Festival, That'sANIMATO! International Animation Film Student Awards, Living Skies StudentFilm Festival.

2. A Night at the Rest Area, dir. Saki Muramoto, Japan 2024

At a midnight highway rest area, the weary travelers each quietly relax their minds. A brief moment spent with complete strangers is lonely yet somehow comforting.

Saki Muramoto – Born in Japan, 1988. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Department of Animation in 2013. Now I'm working as a freelance animation director and illustrator.

3. Autokar, dir. Sylwia Szkiłądź, 2025

In the 1990s, 8-year-old Agata leaves Poland for Belgium. Her perspective transforms the migratory reality into an initiatory experience.

Sylwia Szkiłądź is a director of short animated films. She was born in 1987 in Podlaskie (in Poland), which she left at the age of 8 with her parents to live in Brussels. However, Podlaskie was and remains one of her most important artistic inspirations. Her film productions include: ‘Limaçon et caricoles’ (2012) co-directed with Nim Gamboa, ‘La Soupe aux fraises’ (2014) and ‘Le Renard minuscule’ (2015) co-directed with Aline Quertain. She works freelance on various forms of animation: video clips co-directed with Jessica Poon ‘The Skeleton band’, ‘The Midnight Secret socks party’, animations created with Marion Sellenet for the series ‘Les Chroniques végétales’. She shares her knowledge and experience of animation with children and adults by organising workshops in centres and schools. She currently lives and works in Belgium, France and Poland.

4. Body of a shadow, dir. Andrea Muñoz, Colombia 2023

While asleep, a woman is dragged from her town by a huge black mass and taken to the meadow of a group of wild women. In the strangeness of the untamed, she'll find herself awake.

Andrea Muñoz – Her main field of work and exploration resides in experimental animation and audiovisual languages. She worked as an animator in the short film “La Perra” directed by Carla Melo which had its international premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2023. In 2021 she received funding to direct her first animated short film “Cuerpo de esta sombra” which premiered at Tricky Women Tricky Realities. She worked as a Production Coordinator for DINAMITA ANIMACIÓN, and she is a member of Porosa Animación (artist collective focusing on the investigation, screening and production of experimental animation). She is part of the teaching group for the Diploma in Experimental Animation of Xavierian University.

5. BOX, dir. Aline Schoch, Switzerland 2024

In a regulated system, different figures live isolated from each other in their boxes. They draw, cut, fold and stack the paper boxes on top of each other. As the stacks get higher and higher and collapse, the figures find each other and discover life together.

Aline Schoch was born in Lucerne in 1996. After attending the preparatory course at the Lucerne School of Art and Design, she studied animation at the same school. Since 2020 she works as a freelance animator and is part of the sound design collective Noisy Neighbours.

6. Butterfly, dir. Suncana Brkulj, Croatia 2024

A community of garden creatures all contribute to the flow of life, using water from a fountain. When a butterfly gets stuck in the fountain, they’re faced with an unfamiliar situation.

Sunčana Brkulj (b. 1997) earned her MA in animation from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Her student films have been selected for screenings at prestigious festivals in Annecy, Ottawa, Zagreb, Stuttgart, and elsewhere, winning several awards. After graduating, Sunčana undertook a residency at Open Workshop in Viborg, where she made her first professional film, Butterfly.

7. Carrotica, dir. Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Germany 2024

A mother and son navigate their lust and loneliness in the queerest of ways. Winner of the Cristal for Best Graduation Short at Annecy International Animation Festival, Best Graduation Short Award at Animafest Zagreb, and Golden Horseman for best National Animated Short at Filmfest Dresden.

Daniel Sterlin-Altman (he/him) is a Canadian animation filmmaker based in Berlin. Specialising in stop-motion animation, Daniel is a storyteller with an eye for nuance and emotion. His work explores family, sexuality and identity through a range of camp, absurdity, comedy and realism. A Master's graduate of Filmuniversity Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Potsdam, Daniel has directed several independent short films as well as commissioned works that have screened at festivals around the world.

8. Compost, dir. Augusto Sinay, Matías Sinay, Argentina 2024

After a fatal accident, a greenhouse owner uses her husband's dead body to fertilize a new plant.

Augusto Sinay and Matías Sinay are two brothers born in Argentina who have been writing, directing, and producing films and narrative art for over 10 years. Together, they have created short films, feature films, music videos, documentaries, podcasts, and animated series.

9. Cycle or Bicycle, dir. Roxane Campoy, France 2024

Albert, 62, is crazy about cycling. Paulette, 65, loves biking. While Albert always wants to go faster, Paulette refuses. He gifts her an electric bicycle. But you’re born a bicyclist or a cyclist. The distinction is almost political. Albert soon realizes he has overstepped.

Roxane Campoy is a director and illustrator from France. She focuses on consistently achieving a harmonious mix of colors and composition in her work. She practices gouache to create illustrations full of life and vibrancy.

10. Dare to be Fabulous, dir. Zhen Zhou, Xinxin Qin, Carla Sampaio da Silva, Adam Meziane Philipps, Yangjia Chen, João Buosi, 2024

As to prove himself to his gangster father, Alessandro decides to rob a bar. What he wouldn’t expect is to meet another side of his father: Lady Victoria the drag queen.

João Buosi – I am a Brazilian animator recently graduated from the Master of Arts and Animated Filmmaking in Gobelins. I wish to be able to express myself through character animation and performance.

Carla Sampaio Da Silva – I am french italien and Portuguese recently graduate from Gobelins. I am specializing in 2D/3D animation and character design.

Qin Xinxin – A Chinese animation artist with 5 years’ experience. I specialize in character animation and have an interest in storyboarding. I'm passionate about creating, exploring various art styles, and enjoy working in teamwork.

Zhen Zhou is a storyboard  artist / 2d animator from China.

11. Dead weight, dir. Øyvind Tangseth, Norway 2024

Three men, on their way in a descending balloon over icy sea, need to get rid of some weight. After a vote, the two men throw the third man out of the basket, intent on saving their lives.

Øyvind Tangseth has his education in animation from Volda University College and has had a long career in the Norwegian Animation Business. He has been working at several different norwegian studios; Filmkameratene, Storm Studio, Qvisten, Bug, Creacon and NRK amongst others. He has had many different roles; he has worked with 3D animation, stop motion, lay-out, design and as animation supervisor in tv-series for children. Since 2013 he has mainly been working as a 2D animator, animation designer and director in Råsalt Studio, a studio co-funded with Trine Vallevik Håbjørg. The last film he directed “The captain, the pilot and the singer” (2014) was shown at multiple festivals around the world.

12. Dear Leo Sokolosky, dir. Weronika Szyma, Poland 2024

This poetic dialogue unfolds between a young girl and her deceased great-grandfather, intertwining images from a German town where he was sent to a work camp during World War II with a delicate narrative as the girl pens a letter. The past seamlessly blends with the present, and flashes of memory mix with moments of oblivion. Leo Sokolosky, the letter's intended recipient, is the ghost of her great-grandfather’s friend from the camp, serving as a mystical link between her world and his. The film explores questions about ideals in today’s world and expresses the longing for someone close who is no longer around.

Weronika Szyma – animation director. Born in 1996 in Warsaw, Poland. A graduate of Masters degree in Animation at The Polish National Film School in Łódź. Author of short films, including “Blue” (2023), “Once upon a time in Israel” (2021) and “Lushfulness” (2020). Her films were selected and awarded at numerous film festivals around the world. Working mostly in analog media. Her works concentrate on feminism, body, lingustics, cultures and world conflicts.

13. Dédé (Ancestor), dir. Yasmine Djedje-Fisher-Azoume, United Kingdom 2025

“Dédé (Ancestor)” delves into diasporic female identity through an exploration of Director/Animator's Bété ancestry, a tribe in central Ivory Coast. The film is a journey into the region’s feminine cosmology and folkloric traditions, guided by feminine icons such as tribal fertility carvings, masks, sculptures, mythological fables and deities. With a deliberately non-linear and abstract narrative, the film prominently features copper motifs, reflecting the traditional metalwork culture of the Ivory Coast, along with it’s other textural and material histories. By drawing upon the spiritual iconography of the Bété people and other tribal groups in the Ivory Coast, “Dédé” examines the divine female figure in West African sculpture. The film translates these forms, traditionally found in wooden and bronze sculptures, into animation through charcoal drawings and frame-by-frame relief engraving on copper.

Yasmine Djedje-Fisher-Azoume is a multidisciplinary animator, Filmmaker, and artist based in London. Her work blends digitally drawn 2D animation with traditional paper animation and analogue techniques, drawing thematic and aesthetic inspiration from her West African (Ivorian) heritage. Influences such as African wood carvings, bronze sculptures, ceremonial relics, and the rich textures and colors of textiles and traditional dress serve as the foundation for her evolving artistic practice. In 2025, Djedje-Fisher-Azoume won the Lodestar Award in the animation category, presented by Film London. She recently produced the short animated film Creekmouth (2024) in collaboration with Create London and the Creekmouth Preservation Society. Her previous work includes RAFTS (2023), a collaboration with Turner Prize-shortlisted artist Rory Pilgrim. In 2021, she was commissioned by the V&A to create an original animation for the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition. Djedje-Fisher-Azoume recently developed a short animated film as part of RAFTS (2023), a collaboration with the Turner Prize shortlisted artist Rory Pilgrim. In 2021, she was commissioned by the V&A to produce a new animation as part of the Alice: Curioser and Curioser exhibition.

14. DO SOMETHING, dir. Sofija Zivkovic, Germany 2024

A bloodcell has to go on a mission to see the brain and convince him to make their dehydrated body drink some water.

Sofija Zivkovic was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where she grew up and went to school. She has always felt love towards animation, drawings and films, which is why after graduating high school she interned at the company Kemnitzmares and after that the animation studio “Studio Film Bilder” for half a year each. She is currently studying at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and was a visiting scholar at the MFA Computer arts, School of Visual Arts in NYC for the fall semester in 2024.

15. Dragfox, dir. Lisa Ott, United Kingdom 2024

Sam's search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighbourhood fox. Together they embark on a magical journey to the attic to discover the surprising things they might have in common, and how to celebrate the ways in which they differ.

Lisa is a Swiss animation director based in London. They moved to the UK nine years ago to pursue a career in film and fell in love with stop-motion in the process. They studied Model Making before joining the puppet team at Mackinnon & Saunders, helping to create puppets to bring other people’s stories to life. Most recently they worked on projects like Oscar and Bafta-winning Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Netflix’s The House. Due to their wish to see more LGBTQIA+ stories being told in animation, they decided to take the leap into directing by attending the Directing Animation course at the National Film and Television School. There, Lisa was able to find like-minded creatives and directed their debut stop-motion short, Dragfox. Lisa’s work consistently deals with themes of belonging and their experience of growing up queer in a rural farming village, as well as a celebration of the differences within the LGBTQ+ community.

16. Duckville, dir. Bill Plympton, United States 2024

A dark fairy tale about a duck village that, in order to get tourists, fakes a wild monster attack to increase fame and sympathy. But, of course, everything goes wrong.

Bill Plympton is considered the King of Indie Animation, and is the first person to hand draw an entire animated feature film, The Tune. Bill moved to New York City from Portland, Oregon in 1968 and began his career creating cartoons for publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Lampoon, Playboy and Screw. In 1987, he was nominated for an Oscar® for his animated short Your Face. In 2005, Bill received another Oscar® nomination, this time for his short Guard Dog. Push Comes to Shove won the prestigious Cannes 1991 Prix du Jury; and in 2001, another short film, Eat, won the Grand Prize for Short Films in Cannes Critics' Week. After producing many shorts that appeared on MTV and Spike and Mike's, he turned his talent to feature films. Since 1991, he's made eleven feature films. Eight of them, The Tune, Mondo Plympton, I Married A Strange Person, Mutant Aliens, Hair High, Idiots and Angels, Cheatin', Revengeance, and Slide are all animated features. Bill Plympton has also collaborated with Madonna, Kanye West and Weird Al Yankovic in a number of music videos and book projects and he's created numerous commissioned ads for Geico, Trivial Pursuit, Ford, Mercedes, Nike and Taco Bell. In 2006, he received the Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award from The Annie Awards. He also animated eight opening “couch gags” for FOX-TV's “The Simpsons” and six “Trump Bites” shorts, which was #1 on the New York Times online, using real audio from Donald Trump. It won a 2019 Webby Award. He also won the National Cartoonist Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

17. Esca, dir. Felice Ronzon, France 2024

On a rainy day, two schoolgirls from opposite boarding schools meet. Under the immobile gaze of two giant statues, they begin to lose track of time, as the rain seems never to stop...

Felice Ronzon grew up near the mountains in the city of Grenoble, France. After earning a baccalaureate degree, Felice moved to another city, Clermont-Ferrand, to study animation near the volcano. For three years, Felice experimented in various creative mediums of course animation but also comics, illustration, and music. Music has always been a crucial part of their creative process. Felice studied guitar for eight years and was part of a rock band with friends. After three years, Felice obtained a bachelor's degree and chose to continue to study animation but in another country: in Belgium. where Felice recently completed a two-year master’s program in La Cambre in Brussels!

18. Green Lung, dir. Simon Hamlyn, United Kingdom 2024

In the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, workers turn towards nature to heal from the conditions of the mill. A hand-printed film about Britain’s first public park.

Simon Hamlyn is an artist-animator based in Bristol (UK) whose work is underpinned by experimental approaches and process-led exploration. He has taken particular interest in configuring various printmaking techniques for animation - developing hybrid processes which make viable new ways of working. He is interested in themes of history and society and is particularly fascinated by the complex mythologies behind our built environment.

19. HEY DAD, dir. WeiFan Wang, Taiwan 2024

I’ve practiced these words for 20 years now, but maybe being candid isn’t the best idea. I’m starting my countdown again, another 20 years. Maybe it might be the right time by then.

WeiFan Wang is an animation director based in Taipei and London. After he finished his animation study in Taipei National University of the Arts, he pursued further study at the Royal College of Art and started the experimentation with expanded animation. His films mainly inspired from his interpersonal relationships and once received the nominations such as Animafest Zagreb, Annecy International Animation Film Festival and ASIFA International Animation Day.

20. I died in Irpin, dir. Anastasiia Falileieva, Czech Republic 2024

24 February 2022 my boyfriend and I fled from Kyiv to Irpin. We spent 10 days in blockaded city and managed to escape with the last evacuation convoy. Time passed, but the feeling that I died in Irpin never left me since then. The film reconstructs this true story of survival through a personal and subjective lens.

Anastasiia Falileieva was born in 2000 in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. She studied stop-motion animation and directing at the Kiyv National I. Karpenko-Kary theatre, cinema and television University. Anastasiia is one of a very few stopmotion professionals left in the Ukrainian industry.

21. In My Head, dir. Irina Tempea, Canada 2024

In my head is an experimental short film about the disease I've had for just over seven years, multiple sclerosis: Through my magnetic resonance images, cervical slices and jerky sounds, everyday life unfolds. Life goes on. I'm fine, I'm not so fine. Today, I'm opening up about this tentacular disease. This film diary is part mourning, part sweetness.

Irina Tempea is a filmmaker and cultural worker of Romanian origin based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Her diary-like artistic practice revolves around the analog process she uses to reveal herself. She questions the materiality of film while filming her daily life and those close to her. She has just completed her first short film, IN MY HEAD, about her multiple sclerosis. She is currently working on her second film.

22. In Thousands Petals, dir. Louise Bongartz, Belgium 2024

A young married woman collects the sweet memories of her romance. On closer inspection, she leaves bits of herself behind...

Louise Bongartz obtained a master’s degree in stop-motion at the prestigious BAU Design College in Barcelona, and a master’s degree in animation at La Cambre. With her graduation film HEXED, Louise demonstrated her technical mastery by using wood as a material for puppets and sets, to offer the film a very special atmosphere. With En Mille Pétales, Louise shows her will to lead the experimentation of wood and paper even further by coming into direct contact with the material to extract an emotion.

23. it's just a whole, dir. Bianca Scali, Germany 2023

She knew this day would come and the choice she’d have to make. But as it finally comes, Maya cannot wrap her head around it. A mole - it’s so small, so insignificant, just a mark... How can it be so hard to part from it? Can Maya ever feel whole again when a bit of her is taken away?

Bianca Scali – Born in 1998 in Paris, Bianca Scali is an animation film directress who graduated in 2023 from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg with her diploma film “it’s just a whole”. Photography, digital and traditional animation, paper, textures or analog processes are some of the many medias Bianca Scali enjoys mixing in her films.

24. Keep Out, dir. Tan Lui Chan, Hong Kong 2024

Individuals live in tiny, isolated rooms away from the hazards of the outside world. They make a living through live video streaming, connecting with others in the virtual realm. Yet, on one fateful day, a chubby boy stumbles upon an unexpected secret.

Chan Tan Lui is an animator and illustrator living in the Czech Republic. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she has 5 years of experience in the design industry. Her curiosity about European art and culture led her to study animation at Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Pilsen since 2019. She is passionate about using animation as a means to convey her perspective on society to the public and as a medium to create.

25. LARVAL, dir. Alice Bloomfield, United Kingdom 2024

Living a lonely life of isolation, a girl dreams of luxury and beauty. She fantasises about possessing the looks of her celebrity idol and and winning the heart of her unrequited love, an oblivious worker at her local takeaway. In a surreal, dreamlike turn of events, featuring a moth-like spirit, she discovers that perhaps she should have been more careful what she wished for.

London based artist, Alice Bloomfield, embraces human emotion, sex and love through illustrated and animated works. Her linear, figurative style is reminiscent of manga with cool hues and rich compositions. Describing her art as “opulent, perturbing and sleazy”, she finds inspiration in tacky 70’s interiors and anything dark and mysterious. She has been signed as a Director to Black Dog Films since 2021 and worked on a number of projects with clients including Gucci, Rihanna, Marc Jacobs and Netflix.

26. Lights, Haze, dir. Tata Managadze, 2024

Utopian symbolic playgrounds from memories are interconnected through sharp, flickering lights. Lights, Haze is a poetic documentary that explores the ambivalence of memory through the real locations on the outskirts of Tbilisi. The film uses light as a central symbolic element to express the complexity of these reflections. Crafted with a blend of 2D frame-by-frame animation—both digital and analogue—the film weaves in a cyanotype sequence, where frames were printed using real light, adding an experimental and dreamlike quality to the narrative. The film emphasizes extreme subjectivity within the genre of animated documentary.

Tata Managadze – Born in 1997, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tata Managadze holds a BA in Media Arts from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and an MA in Animation from the RE:Anima Joint Masters program.

27. Little Shrew (Snowflake), dir. Kate Bush, United Kingdom 2024

A little shrew searches for Hope as she makes her way across a bombed-out city. The film is being used as part of a fund raiser for the War Child charity.

Kate Bush – There is no other artist in the world today quite like Kate Bush - Director, Musician, Vocalist, Screenwriter, Songwriter & Record Producer. She directed the highly acclaimed live show 'Before the Dawn’, and among her other directing credits are the majority of her music videos, including: The Grammy-nominated 'Running Up That Hill', the narrative driven ‘Cloudbusting’, 'Experiment IV’, and the Grammy-nominated film 'The Line, the Cross and the Curve’.

28. Long Distance, dir. Michael Frei, Switzerland 2024

A fly takes flight to meet a close friend.

Michael Frei, born in Appenzell in 1987, is a filmmaker and artist. His animated films won numerous awards at international festivals. Plug & Play (2015) and Kids (2019) were played by millions online. His interactive works are exhibited internationally and he is regularly invited to speak about his work. He is co-founder of Playables, a production company based in Zurich.

29. Matta and Matto, dir. Bianca Caderas, Kerstin Zemp, Switzerland 2023

In a dystopian world where touch is forbidden, Matta and Matto offer refuge to the lonely at Hotel Vaip. In the deceptive labyrinth of mind bending rooms at their transient hotel, deepest desires are fulfilled and surpassed, but this comes at a price.

Bianca Caderas (1990) from Basel and Kerstin Zemp (1993) from Lucerne, successfully completed their Bachelor in Animation 2D at the Lucerne School of Art & Design in 2017 with their short film “Living Like Heta” (co-directed with Isabella Luu). Their graduation film was shown at numerous animation festivals around the world, including SHORTSHORTS (Tokyo), Animafest (Zagreb) and Warsaw Film Festival. “Living Like Heta” received the High Swiss Risk Award at Fantoche 2017 and was awarded the Innerschweizer Filmpreis in 2019. Both moved abroad for several years after graduating: Bianca to Hamburg for her film studies and Kerstin worked in Ireland as a freelance illustrator and animator. In 2020, Bianca comple- ted her writer-director’s film “Jeroboam”, which was made in collaboration with Kerstin. “Matta and Matto” 2023 is their second short film, which they directed together.

30. Mee and Burd, dir. Greg McLeod, United Kingdom 2023

A post operative existential crisis inspires an animator to make a film about a post operative existential crisis.

Greg McLeod  draws things that stay still and things that move. Some of his animated films have won awards (BAFTA), some haven’t. He’s worked with many lovely people and organisations. Edgar Wright, Stewart Lee, Adam Buxton, Sara Pascoe also Disney, ITV, BBC, Aardman and Nickelodeon. He’s recently worked with his brother on a 40 x 7 minute episode series called ‘Circle Square’ for Milkshake C5, an idea they have designed, written and directed. They have also published 4 books in their ‘Knight Sir Louis’ series. Greg’s illustration encompasses experimental personal projects through to client work, product design, books and drawing on lollipop sticks to name a few. He won an award for the lollipop stick thing. He likes to keep busy. He also plays the drums.

31. Mont Noir, dir. Erika Haglund, Jean-Baptiste Peltier, France 2024

In Mont Noir, Marguerite has been experiencing three severe losses: her mother, her dog, then her nanny. She grew up alone, animals and nature as main fellows. She has been setting herself to become a writer.

Erika Haglund – Born in 1974, in France. Initially working as an editor, Erika Haglund has worked on the editing of many films, both fiction and documentary. At the same time, she has always written and directed her own films, most of which feature female characters questioning their place in the world. Currently, she is writing her first feature film, "Perla," with Benjamin Serero. She is also in post-production of "Boréales," a documentary feature in which she revisits the children from "Ces enfants sur mon chemin" who are now almost adults.

Jean-Baptiste Peltier – Born in 1990 in Paris, Jean-Baptiste Peltier is a director and creator of animated films. After completing a Diploma in animation cinema at ESAAT Roubaix, he joined the Arts Décoratifs de Paris in 2011, where he earned his Master’s degree in 2015. His graduation film "The first who saw the humpbacked camel" was shown at Annecy in 2016 and won the prize for best soundtrack at the Paris International Animation Film Festival (PIAFF) the same year. His personal work is focused on painting and on a sensitive approach to cinema and sound design.

32. Mother of Dawn, dir. Clara Trevisan, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Portugal 2024

In the void of night, a hungry creature looks for food and perpetuates an everyday cycle.

Clara Trevisan is brazilian a visual artist, based in Porto Alegre, whose work focuses mainly on animation and illustration. Her visual investigation focuses on the field of fantasy and the imaginary. In 2024, Clara finished a master's degree in the Re:Anima Joint Masters Programme with the short film Mãe da Manhã (Mother of Dawn), her first experience as filmmaker and with the stop motion technique.

33. My Mom, dir. Agnieszka Popińska, Poland 2024

This is going to be a film about my mom... or rather what I would like to tell her . A short humorous story about arguments, growing up and the relationship between mother and daughter.

Agnieszka Popińska – Animator and director of short films, born in 2001 in Wrocław, currently a student of Animation at the Film School in Łódź.

34. On Weary Wings Go By, dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg, Estonia 2024

A wintry poem about the Nordic nature. The sun moves low and days get shorter. Birds fly South, porcelain animals and insects hide from the freezing wind and snow. Only a small porcelain girl wanders the abandoned landscape with no way out.

Anu-Laura Tuttelberg graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2013 with an MA in Animation, specializing in stop-motion. Her graduation film Fly Mill won 20 prizes globally. Her first post-graduation film, On The Other Side Of The Woods, premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival and won 12 awards across 85 festivals. Winter in the Rainforest, the first in her nature trilogy, premiered at Annecy in 2019, winning 13 festival prizes and the Estonian Cultural Endowment Award. Anu-Laura, known for her set designs in stop-motion films, won the 2022 Estonian Film and TV Award for Best Production Design. She teaches animation at her alma mater.

35. Ordinary Life, dir. Yoriko Mizushiri, France, Japan 2025

Ordinary life repeats itself every day. The succession of moments that we repeat over and over again is never the same, and everything changes and wavers. The moment we touch something, our consciousness can go to a place that does not exist anywhere in the past, nor in the future. In an uncertain and fluctuating world, only the feeling of the body touching something, which exists only in this present reality, can be recognized as “now”. That moment is lovely.

Yoriko Mizushiri – Born in 1984. She creates animations that use body parts and everyday objects as motifs for tactile expression. In addition to making short films, she is also involved in the production of music videos, advertisements, and movies for installations. Her short films have been screened and awarded at festivals worldwide, including Anxious Body, completed in 2021, premiered in the Directors' Fortnight Competition at the 74th Cannes Film Festival and has won 15 international awards.

36. Pear Garden, dir. Shadab Shayegan, Germany 2024

Six years old Lily visits her grandmother after grandma had a mastectomy and doesn’t have breasts anymore. At night, Lily finds out that the shadow of grandma has the breasts, Lily follows her and tries to get the breasts back for her grandma.

Shadab Shayegan, born in Tehran, Iran. At 18, she moved to Vienna to study music composition at the University of Performing Arts. While experimenting with composing sounds, she discovered her interest in combining images with sounds, which led her to explore animation. This passion inspired her to join the Animation and Painting class at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. To further develop her skills, Shadab pursued Animation Directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany. There, she worked on her diploma film "Pear Garden," which was longlisted for BAFTA student award.

37. Percebes, dir. Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves, Portugal 2024

With the sea and the urban Algarve as a background, we follow a complete cycle of the life of a special shellfish called PERCEBES, goose barnacle. From their formation, to the dish, in this journey, we cross different contexts that allow us to better understand this region and those who live there.

Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, after graduating from the Fine Arts University of Lisbon, begin working in animation film in 2009. Since then, their paths have always been intertwined. They've been part of the technical teams on various films, directed together and separately, and recently started producing. They both believe in the power of collaboration. They are 2 of the 6 founding members of BAP- Animation Studio, a Cooperative of animation authors, which since 2013 has been their nest for developing and making films, along side other internationally recognised authors. Together they made the films Água Mole (2017) and Percebes (2024). Individually: Alexandra directed Elo (2020) and Laura directed Three Weeks in December (2012) and The Garbage Man (2022). These are films with a strong festival path as well as national and international recognition.

38. Pillow talks, dir. Amandine Vautrin, Belgium 2024

Discussions between Luna, a woman abused by her ex-boyfriend, and the men she sleeps with.

Amandine Vautrin – Drawing has been my medium of expression since childhood. Passionate about animation and the technical diversity it allows, I joined LaCambre in 2021 after studying art and teaching in France. Today, I use animated film as a tool for raising awareness through my personal experiences, feelings and emotions.

39. Radix, dir. Anne Breymann, Germany 2025

Two creatures meet on a tree. Their encounter goes deep down to the roots and beyond.

Anne Breymann is an artist, animation filmmaker and stop motion puppet fabricator based in Berlin. She invents phantasmagoric miniature worlds, bringing them to life in animation, sculpture and diorama art. Her animated short films have been screened and awarded at numerous film festivals around the world.

40. Shadows, dir. Rand Beiruty, Jordan 2024

At a crowded airport, Ahlam, a 14-year old mother, is running away from Baghdad, the only place she's ever known. As she fights the shadows lurking around her, she reflects on her journey to reclaim her life.

Rand Beiruty is a writer, director and co-founder of Shaghab Films, a production company based in Amman, Jordan. She holds a practice-based Ph.D. revolving around questions of representation and participatory filmmaking from Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Beiruty is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, Beirut Talents, Rotterdam Lab, Locarno Documentary School, ANIDOX:LAB, Film Leader Incubator Asia, Documentary Campus and Ji.hlava Academy. She has pitched her projects on international platforms and received awards from Tribeca Film Institute, Mifa Animation du Monde, Arab Cinema Center and European Network of Young Cinema among others. Her debut feature documentary TELL THEM ABOUT US was awarded best pitch at the Reception of German Film Schools and Haus Am See scholarship. The film celebrated its world premiere at CPH:DOX 2024 and received the ECFA Award for Best European Feature Documentary for Young Audience at the 64th Zlín International Film Festival.

41. Stale Smoke, dir. Arthur Jamain, France 2023

Can we say that we were sexually assaulted by our brother to our own mother? The obvious answer should be yes. However, few come out of the silence. The question we ask ourselves is “Why aren’t we talking about it?

Average student and good in mathematics, I continue to go to an engineering school. I stop halfway through the first year. I can't figure out where I'm going with these studies. I find myself working in moving and catering. My parents ask me to find a new school, I must make a choice. I'm going to an open day for assistant engineer. I enter the classroom and I understand that it will be impossible for me to resume this type of study. I needed to choose a radically different profession, and above all to make a choice that came from me. I'm getting into animation. Having never drawn except stick figures. I needed 2 years of refresher training at the Atelier de Sèvres School. I manage to join the ASA School after. Drawing does not become a passion, I find my way in stop motion. My internships taken in the 2nd year for “Canard” by Élie CHAPUIS and “Electra” by Daria KASHCHEEVA confirm this to me. So I naturally choose stop motion as a technique for my graduation film.

42. Still Here, dir. Gabriel Osorio, Ecuador 2024

Years after experiencing the loss of her brother, Zoe decides to open up to the last member of her family: Her father.

Gabriel Osorio is a 2D character artist and animator who graduated from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in 2024. His artistic career began with illustration. During his studies, he was most dedicated to perfecting his drawing technique and exploring traditional animation. His passion for telling stories through art led him to create his short film Still Here, which he made entirely from script to post-production.

43. Swifts, dir. Ada Napiórkowski, Estonia 2024

Like every year, the swifts are returning to their homes in the “sleeping districts.” But this year the humans are gone, leaving nothing but spirits.

Ada Napiórkowski is a Polish Animation Director based in Estonia. She started her creative journey as a Graphic Designer. In 2024, she graduated from a Master’s program in Animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts, shifting her focus towards animated film and cinema. Her artistic practice is process - driven, leaning towards experimentation. She's fascinated by textures and symbols, constantly looking for non-formulaic, yet compelling stories.

44. The Car that came back from the Sea, dir. Jadwiga Kowalska, Poland 2023

Full of exuberance and frivolousness, six friends drive to the Polish Baltic coast and back in a small, dented car. During their trip, their car and their country fall apart. Nevertheless, life goes on. Their journey is interfused with memories and snapshots from the past.

Jadwiga Kowalska – Born in 1982 in Bern, Switzerland. Joint Swiss and Polish citizenship. Jadwiga Kowalska studied animation and illustration at the HSLU (Hochschule Luzern, Kunst & Design) and the APS (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych) in Kraków. She has received numerous awards for her films and picture book, notably at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival and the Swiss Film Prize «Quartz 2009» for the best Animation Film for TÔT OU TARD (2008) and at the Locarno Film Festival for THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER (2016).

45. The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski, Canada 2025

In Montreal, at the dawn of the 20th century, a poor boy falls in love with a girl whose sorrow turns into pearls. He sells them to a ruthless pawnbroker, who hungers for more. Tempted by greed, the boy must choose between love and fortune. The choice could damn his soul. From the Oscar-nominated team of Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Madame Tutli-Putli), this meticulously crafted film is a testament to the magic of stop-motion animation. With handmade puppets, mesmerizing narration by Colm Feore and a haunting score by Patrick Watson, The Girl Who Cried Pearls is a timeless parable of desire, deception and the price of innocence.

Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Clyde Henry Productions) are award-winning writers, directors and animators. Their first film, Madame Tutli-Putli (NFB), was recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short (2007). Lavis and Szczerbowski went on to adapt Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! (NFB, Warner Brothers) and direct Meryl Streep in the film. In 2016, the duo were recognized with a nomination for Best Art Direction at the Canadian Screen Awards for their work on Guy Maddin’s feature The Forbidden Room. In 2017, 20 years of artistic creation was celebrated with retrospectives at the Cinémathèque Québécoise (Montreal) and the Annecy International Animation Festival in France. Then, in 2019, they created the VR film Gymnasia (Felix & Paul, NFB), a unique blend of virtual reality and stop-motion animation, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win numerous awards, including a Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience. Most recently, they collaborated with Montreal’s Compulsion Games and X-Box to direct a short stop-motion introduction to the game South of Midnight.

46. The mustached clown circus, dir. Ana Comes, Tomás Alzogaray Vanella, Paz Bloj, Argentina 2025

In a Latin American country, a child’s notebook recounts a series of horrifying events that happened at the Circus of the Big Moustache Clowns. Presented as a children's horror story, it narrates the way in which tricks and torture were performed at the circus. A tent filled with cynical and perverse acts where the Big Moustache Clowns amused themselves by making people disappear, accompanied by animal trainers and their creatures ready to terrorize young victims, or by performing death-defying stunts. In raw and simple language, the film recalls some of the events that occurred during Argentina's last military dictatorship, offering an intimate reflection on the country´s recent history.

Ana Comes is an independent filmmaker, animator, and workshop leader. She studied Film at the National University of Córdoba and honed her craft at the Cineclub La Quimera. Her works have been shown at national and international festivals, winning several awards and recognitions. She is the director of the studio Bicha Animación and is currently developing her first non-fiction feature film, Notas para prácticas incendiarias.

Tomas Alzogaray Vanella – Multidisciplinary artist and cultural manager (Argentina-Mexico). He studied Arts and Theatre at the National University of Córdoba. His work has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions at national and international festivals. He has worked as an art director in film, as a producer, set designer, actor, and theatre director. He has led artistic and educational projects related to art, politics, and mental health. He joyfully draws, produces, and coordinates the La Carpintería Cultural Center in Córdoba, Argentina.

Paz Bloj – A graduate in Film and TV from UNC, Paz Bloj works as Director of Art, Set Designer, and Environmental Designer in film, advertising, and animated fiction series. As a director and animator, she is known for her work using stop-motion techniques with particles. Among her animated projects are El Zeide (2010, INCAA), Desarma y Sangra (2015), Panic Point (2017), the series Leyendas a Contraluz (2012), Fauna (co-produced with Peru), and La Hora de las Piedras (2020, INCAA). She is currently directing the Bicha Animación studio.

47. The Weed's Gardener, dir. Assia Kovanova, Bulgaria 2025

Two old friends and neighbours (a gardener and a mole) in the wilderness, waiting for the wind, which will help them fulfil an absurd dream.

Assia Kovanova is an animated film director, screen writer, producer, Illustrator and designer. Born in Sofia, 1973. Graduated from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts with a M.A. in animation directing and specialized in Film & TV Cinematography. Conducted a series of lectures on animation design in the Varna Free University, Bulgaria. Illustrator and designer of various books and magazines. Member of ASIFA and the Union of Bulgarian Film Makers. Since 2011 she is an art director and designer of the World Festival of Animated Film – Varna.

48. Todos los futuros, dir. Bárbara Cerro, France 2024

On the planet Gasto, night is eternal. Todos los futuros chronicles the arrival and evolution of humanity on this fictional planet.

Bárbara Cerro is an Argentine filmmaker and animation director based in Buenos Aires. She graduated from UBA with a degree in Image and Sound Design, and studied Documentary Filmmaking. Her award-winning works have been featured in international festivals, including Berlinale, Annecy, and the Ottawa International Animation Festival. She is frequently invited as a jury member or speaker at various events like GLAS Animation and Ventana Sur. Barbara is also the founder and director of the annual BITBANG Animation, Video Games, and Digital Art Festival which takes place in Buenos Aires, since 2015.

49. Wildflower, dir. Carina Pierro Corso, Portugal 2023

A feeling of emptiness, a restless mind and two pieces of land. What is born from the void that unites them? “Wildflower” is a poetic essay about the undesirable, the lack of control and duality that seeks to explore the different possibilities of interaction between human beings and the uncontrollable side of nature.

Carina Pierro Corso is a visual artist, animator and director. She has a degree in Visual Arts from IA-UNICAMP* and did a master’s degree in Sound and Image with a specialization in animation at EA-UCP**. She is the director of the short film “tudo que fica na superfície morre” (2021), winner of the Prêmio Nacional da Animação in 2022, as “best student film”. She also created the animation “please touch / please touch”, shown as an artistic installation at Panorama #22 and Porto Femme 2023.

50. WINDOWS FROM THE SOUTH, dir. Eugen Bilankov, Croatia 2024

A movie about a breakup. The narrative develops through the author’s conversations with his long-time partner, and follows the contemplation of the end of a nine-year romantic relationship. The sound design of the film is constructed using documentary techniques, while animation illustrates the psychological and emotional spaces of these 'breakup' conversations. To depict the randomness of subconscious thoughts and emotional states, the author experiments with visuals that incorporate elements of the surreal, making the connections between frames associative. The film reflects on the dual purpose of the artistic endeavor: compressing and archiving a portion of personal history in the medium of film and using it as a form of therapeutic self-exploration and experimentation.

Eugen Bilankov, born in 1995, in Split. His artistic journey begins with participation in film workshops at the Cinema Club Split, after finishing high school. He graduated from the Arts Academy in Split, specializing in Film and Video, in 2017. He continued his education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, in the Animated Film department, graduating in 2023. He has been employed as a video creator since 2016.

51. Wormwood, dir. Matthieu Dupille, Binlin Xie, Alexander Vanderplank, Ninon Quemener, Philémon Martin, Chenhe Liu, 2024

 The day the radiation disappears, Simon rushes to the heart of the zone, taking his colleague Agathe with him, in the Hope of rediscovering a lost past.

Matthieu Dupille is an animated film director, graduated from Ensav la Cambre and the CRFA master’s degree from Gobelins Paris.

Binlin Xie – After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Binlin worked on illustrations, backgrounds, and animated ads for several studios while preparing portfolio for the Gobelins competition. In 2022, Binlin started pursuing a Master’s degree in Animation at Gobelins.

Alexander Vanderplank – Having grown up on the Isle of Man, Alexander pursued his animation bachelors in Scotland before moving to Paris for his masters at Gobelins Paris. Specializing in concept and background painting.

Ninon Quemener – After a literary baccalaureate, Ninon entered Dnmade at the Estienne school in 2d animation, specialized in documentary and illustration specialty. After graduation, she took her first steps in animation studio on sets and was admitted at Gobelins for a master's degree in design and production, which she completed in 2024.

Philémon Martin – After obtaining an applied arts baccalaureate from the Boulle School, Philémon enrolled in the Estienne School, where he studied 3D animation for three years. The following year, he worked in various studios as a 2D inbetweener and then as a 3D graphic designer. At the same time, he prepared for the Gobelins School entrance exam and was admitted to the master's program in animation film design and production in 2022.

Chenhe Liu is a storyboard artist and animator currently studying in MA Character animation & animation filmmaking at Gobelins Paris. He is from Shenzhen, China and base in Paris France.

These films will be joined by last additional film chosen by you! During Animator unscreened, the audience will decide which title will join the battle for the Grand Prix. Animator unscreened will be held between June 6 and 8 at the Muza Cinema.