This is the first of three 1 hour-long student programmes at The Horse Hospital.
Doors 7:45pm, Start 8pm
Tickets £8-10, or £13-16 for all three “Best of The Next” Screenings
Lights, Camera, Animation! This is LIAF’s annual showcase of the most dazzling animated student films selected from the best animation and film schools from all around the world. This is the first step on the animation ladder for these talented filmmakers, and the first time their wild and wonderful imaginations have been unleashed. Stop-motion, drawn animation, collage, cut-out, CGI, clay, ink and almost every other technique these animators can dream up are all on display here. 34 wondrous films in 3 hour-long programmes from the future stars of our animation universe.
Several of the filmmakers will be in attendance. Come along and help us celebrate this incredible work and to gain insights into their creative processes, inspirations, and the challenges they faced while bringing their visions to life.
Total running time: 61 mins
Please visit https://liaf.org.uk/ for more details
Each, All and Every
Overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of who he could become, Mr Rabbit retreats into his imagination, creating tiny versions of himself to explore every path. But when one possibility is lost through his own mistake, his boundless world of choices begins to unravel.
Hungary 2026 Dir: Nikoletta Veress 11’30
MOME, Hungary
Things that I Was Gathering
I am gathering things for my detained friends, who were protesting against the war — books, plush toys, food. Once, twice. Now the list never ends, and I am gathering my own things.
Portugal 2025 Dir: Ekaterina Zhuzhleva 6’30
Universidade Lusófona - Centro Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
Compost
A maggot emerges from an apple in search of new food.
France 2026 Dir: Erik Semashkin 2’20
University Paris 8, France
The Exchange
A sensory journey of a fox and an otter as they discover that their tastes in alcohol are fundamentally incompatible. They try to get close, swap drinks, hurt each other, and finally say goodbye.
UK, China 2026 Dir: Yuan Fern 2’10
University of The Arts London, UK
Pickled
All Edie has ever known is her Granny’s world, where they pickle everything around them, preserving their family history forever. But when Granny joins their ancestors, Edie has to decide if she’ll continue their tradition, or live for herself.
UK 2026 Dir: Fanny Prytherch Capu 8’40
National Film and TV School, UK
Inlands
An inner landscape in constant motion, where traces of the world around us summon the passage of time. Here, collective memory dissolves into personal nostalgia; places and moments drift beyond their concrete form, surrendering to a fluid, emotional logic.
Hungary 2026 Dir: Zsófia Fanni Pethő 5’05
MOME, Hungary
Michelle is Feeling Subpar
A lonely young chef in New York retreats into an obsessive pursuit of culinary perfection, using the kitchen to escape the awkwardness of starting over. But when a friendly neighbour reaches out, Michelle must decide whether to keep hiding behind her craft - or let someone in.
UK 2025 Dir: Aaliyah Hussain 4’00
Arts University at Bournemouth, UK
The Pit
Longing to be accepted, a disfigured little boy descends into a mysterious pit that promises improvement, but as his body transforms, he begins to lose the very self he set out to improve.
USA 2026 Dir: Yiru Deng 6’00
University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Houses
The emotional journey of creating a new home and the challenges that come with it.
Netherlands 2025 Dir: Paula Socías Villanueva 3’25
Avans University of applied sciences, Netherlands
When the Mountains Shook
The world that appears calm on the surface is, in fact, quietly changing. One day, a man as unshakable as a mountain fell because of a toothache.
Japan 2025 Dir: Daiyu Li 2’25
Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan
Left Handed
An unearthly creature falls into a playground, and falls some more.
USA 2026 Dir: April Leong 5’25
Rhode Island School of Design, USA
The Host
On her wedding day, a young bride notices a parasitised caterpillar and is drawn into a series of dark imaginings. As the ceremony unfolds, her fears of marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth begin to merge with memories of family trauma.
UK 2026 Dir: Xing Chen 3’15
London College of Communication, UK