World Animation Competition 1

Simple in style and beautifully drawn, this thoughtful animation poses the limits of human imagination. How do we live amongst others, and how far do we endeavour to fit in? An almost meditative short that will absorb and engross even once it’s over.

Yumi Joung | Korea, Republic of | 2024 | 7 mins | Yorkshire Premiere

Full of fun and frivolity, yet set against an unstable political backdrop, a group of friends journey to the Polish Baltic coast and back in a damaged car. Whilst on the road, their country fragments and their world changes. The youthfulness and freedom of their present interweaves with past memories.

Jadwiga Kowalska | Poland | | 11 mins | Premiere

A fantastical bunch of garden creatures all contribute to a peaceful harmonious existence, relying on the water from a fountain. After a butterfly gets into trouble, they must face up to the new challenges this brings. Wonderfully surreal and intricate, the creatures adapt to the change in their status quo.

Suncana Brkulj | Croatia | 2024 | 8 mins | Yorkshire Premiere

This aesthetically original short explores and subverts the gender roles society expects us to perform. A countess ogles butlers on the croquet lawn. A suffocated young protagonist finds herself imprisoned by society's rules and rigidity, perhaps excitement can be found outside the boundaries of the garden.

Elli Vuorinen | Finland | 2024 | 9 mins | Premiere

Canard follows the quiet life of a couple who raise ducks in a rural smallholding. They want a child of their own, but the weight of this expectation quickly morphs into a darker reality. Surreal events unfurl, and Director Elie Chapuis artfully presents anxieties real to those wanting a baby.

Elie CHAPUIS | Switzerland | 2023 | 9 mins | Premiere

This deeply personal animation expresses the intimacy, as well as the strength and emotional complexity found within the mother daughter relationship. Printed and sewn onto fabric, it presents a uniquely sensory story, which is accentuated by the accompanying soft and delicate sound design.

Yanqi Liang | China | 2023 | 7 mins | UK Premiere

Rising up against Man’s dominance of the world, a group of manta rays move to take back some control of Earth. A new age of flatness has arrived. This super cool fable of nature vs. consumerism merges bold colours and stunning visuals to draw viewers into the unfolding action.

Alice SAEY | France | 2024 | 17 mins | Premiere

Hurikán needs a beer, but the last keg at his favourite bar stall is almost finished, so he offers to hunt down another for the bartender he fancies. A slick, action-packed saga ensues, and will have you laughing out loud as Hurikán runs into trouble with all manner of locals.

Jan Saska | Czech Republic | 2024 | 13 mins | Premiere

A narrator endeavours to find the shortest thing in Tokyo, which turns out to be a single syllable spoken as a dying man’s last breath. This punchy short is a feat of technical artistry as the hunt takes us on a journey around the Japanese language through innovative, bold imagery

Koji Yamamura | Japan | 2024 | 5 mins | England Premiere

Three curious characters, Mary, Billybud and Fumbleton are performers in an 80s children’s TV show. Yet once the show's creator dies, the three of them are left to fend for themselves, turning to making their own increasingly desperate videos as their world unravels. Wacky and wonderful set-design enchants this tale.

Nina Gantz | Belgium | 2023 | 13 mins | Premiere