The backbone of the whole LIAF mission. We’ve emerged from under the pile of more than 2,600 entries to put together a series of screenings that showcase the best 85 new films from every corner of the world. The one thing they have in common is that we think they’re the pick of the crop. This is your annual window into the international indie animation universe.

Some films need extra time to develop their themes, to grow and draw us more comprehensively into their worlds. This competition programme is dedicated to showcasing the best of these longer films. Five longer short films, five stunning stories.

Acid Rain
A young female hitchhiker meets up with a drug dealer and they head off in his van on a drug-fuelled trip to nowhere in particular.
Poland 2019 Dir Tomek Popakul 26 min

The Physics of Sorrow
A man sifts through memories from his youth in Bulgaria through his increasingly rootless adult years in Canada.
Canada 2019 Dir Theodore Ushev 27 min

Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days
From the filmmakers’ childhood memories, this film pays tribute to her Uncle Thomas, a humble but eccentric man, who had a simple and ordinary life.
Portugal/France/Canada 2019 Dir Regina Pessoa 13 min

Sweet Night
During the Himalayan winter, a bear struggles to sleep. When a white monkey suggests they go to eat some honey at his aunts, a beautiful winter night surrounds them.
Belgium 2019 Dir Lia Bertels 14 min

Daughter
Should you hide your pain? Withdraw into your inner world, full of longing for your father’s demonstrative love? Or should you be understanding and forgive before it is too late?
Czech Republic 2019 Dir Daria Kashcheeva 15 min

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