The National Animation Museum (NAM) today announced a new partnership with Google Arts & Culture (GAC), a Google nonprofit initiative and platform that makes the stories and knowledge of more than 3,000 cultural institutions from over 80 countries accessible to audiences around the world. As part of the partnership, NAM will develop digital stories and maintain a collection on the Google Arts & Culture platform.

NAM’s first Google Arts & Culture digital exhibition, Animating Play: 20 Years of IndieCade and Indie Video Games, celebrates and examines the history of independent video games and IndieCade, the premier independent game development festival and organization. Through archival images, stories, and other digital assets, the exhibition explores the people, ideas, games, and creative and artistic movements that have helped shape the independent video game community for the past twenty years.

Stephanie Barish, CEO and founder of IndieCade, said, “IndieCade has always celebrated independent creators and the new ideas they bring to games. Animation is essential to game making, bringing characters and worlds to life and shaping how players experience a game. This digital exhibition celebrates those creators and the history of the IndieCade community, and we’re thrilled to work with the National Animation Museum to share that story online.”

Eddie Newquist, CEO and founder of the National Animation Museum, added, “Digital access is a pivotal part of the National Animation Museum’s mission. Through these virtual projects, we can connect with audiences beyond the walls of a physical museum and create opportunities for discovery, education, and creativity. We’re excited to join Google Arts & Culture and kickstart our first digital exhibit with IndieCade to celebrate a remarkable community of independent artists and innovators.”

The partnership has drawn enthusiastic support from across the Southern California community. California State Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) shared, “The National Animation Museum is an exciting project taking shape here in California’s 44th District. Its new partnership with Google Arts & Culture is a great way to begin sharing that vision with audiences beyond Burbank, while helping inspire the next generation of animators, artists, and storytellers.”

The Google Arts & Culture partnership represents an important step in NAM’s effort to build its digital presence and establish partnerships that will support its long-term mission to celebrate the art and science of animation in all its forms.

NAM is currently in the planning phase for a permanent physical museum based in Southern California and is seeking development funding for Phase 2 of its project, scheduled to begin in 2027.

You can check out NAM’s Google Arts & Culture page here: artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-animation-museum.

You can also view their first published digital story here: artsandculture.google.com/story/HgWR76hBq7ZFIg

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Among the NFB projects now underway, which include feature-length documentaries, mid-length works and innovative digital series that explore contemporary Canadian realities through distinct and original creative voices – are three new animated shorts.

Animated shorts

Hostel la Vista
Director: Mochi Lin
Producer: Maral Mohammadian | English Animation Unit | 100% NFB

A decrepit Mile-End hostel in Montreal transforms into a microcosm of modern-day alienation, connection, courage and survival.

Polka
Director: Michèle Lemieux
Producer: Mélanie Boudreau Blanchard, Christine Noël | French Animation Unit | 100% NFB

An animated short film created using the legendary Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen, Polka invites us on a journey into the raw materials of a painted work, prompting us to reflect on its physicality.

Les Villes Inconnues des Mères Disparues
Director: Theodore Ushev
Producer: Mélanie Boudreau Blanchard, Christine Noël | French Animation Unit | 100% NFB

In a world where cities are named after the first mothers who settled there, a young adopted girl writes a postcard to her birth mother. She entrusts it to a postman, who sets out on an epic journey to find her.

For the full list of projects visit production.nfbonf.ca

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COSMONAUTS by Leo Černic – Part of Animation 1 screenings

Animation 1, screening on Saturday 26th September at 2.35pm, journeys from acidic oceans and intergalactic cruises to virtual dreamscapes and reflective neighbourhoods. Funny, surreal and moving, the ten films explore themes of art, science and community through extraordinary worlds and unexpected forms of human connection. The lineup includes Jack Wedge & Will Freudenheim’s dystopian epic Acid City and Aline Höchli’s award-winning comedy Caries.

On Sunday 27th September at 5.30pm, Animation 2 ventures into darker, more intimate territory. Traversing memory, identity and loss, these strange and soulful shorts blur the boundaries between reality and imagination, where a whisper becomes a haunting, a sketch becomes a confession and a spaceship becomes a place to grieve. Among the highlights are Bea Lema’s hand-embroidered El Cuerpo de Cristo, Sandra Desmazières’ César-winning Fille de l’Eau, and Jocelyn Charles’ acclaimed God Is Shy.

Animation also appears throughout the wider festival programme, showcasing the form’s versatility across genres and storytelling styles, with films that have competed at leading international festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Berlinale, Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno and Cannes. Selected work includes Max Hogg’s graduate short Illuminate (Student Film) and fleuryfontaine’s multi-media doc Soixante-Sept Millisecondes (Change).

As the roots of The Smalls, a global community of creatives, the festival champions emerging and established filmmakers and celebrates the imagination, diversity and artistic freedom of short film.

Tickets are on sale now, with every feature-length screening priced at £5. The full programme and ticket links can be found at thesmallsfilmfestival.com.

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Encounters Executive Director Dave Taylor-Matthews says:

This year’s programme is the clearest expression yet of what Encounters is. The UK’s longest running international short film competition sits at the heart of the festival, and around it we’re building a festival of breakthrough and discovery in every form, from a pulsating live performance reimagining last year’s phenomenal Cannes breakthrough Sirāt, to new partnerships with Crack, MUBI, Invada and Warp Records, to the creators redefining how films get made and seen, from a 360 dome screening to a nano budget British feature that stormed SXSW. With a strengthened board behind us and half this year’s programme never before seen in the UK, if you want to see where cinema is heading, Bristol in September is the place to be.

PLEASE (Dir. Anna Mantzaris, Image: Passion Paris/Apparat Filmproduktion/Miyu)

Animated Encounters returns with a showcase from cult US network Adult Swim, anchoring a future‑focused day of conversations, workshops and masterclasses exploring narrative, story and the evolving craft of animation. The strand opens with a keynote from Lucy Stone (Climate Spring), followed by a visual storytelling masterclass from Jay Clarke, Wes Anderson’s lead storyboard artist.

The International Animation Competition Programme includes new work by Don Hertzfeldt (Paper Trail), Anna Mantzaris (PLEASE), Theodore Ushev (Life with an Idiot), Anna Ginsburg (HAG), Emma Calder and Coco Cripps (House of Love), and Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (The Girl Who Cried Pearls). Documentary titles include Maryam Tafakory’s Daria’s Night Flowers and Elham Ehsas’ Forgotten Spaceman. Viral filmmaker Wesley Wang brings the international festival premiere of Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank, and BFI NETWORK South West showcases its newest cohort of regional animation writers. The Animated Encounters industry day also features collaborations with Animinspo and Bristol Animation Meetup (BAM).

House of Love (Dir. Emma Calder, Coco Cripps)

Animated Encounters International Competition

Animated Encounters 1

• Ducks, dir. AJ Jefferies (United Kingdom)
• Paper Daughter, dir. Cami Kwan (United States) UK Premiere
• Dollhouse Elephant, dir. Jenny Jokela (Finland)
• Adgwa-Ata, dir. Zsuzsanna Kreif (Hungary, France) UK Premiere
• Winter in March, dir. Natalya Mirzoyan (Estonia, Armenia, France, Belgium)
• The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God, dir. Jamie Hewlett, Max Taylor (United Kingdom)
• Ball Face, dir. Laurence Thérien (Canada, United Kingdom)

Animated Encounters 2

• Send Nudes, dir. David Sick (Germany)
• With Tapes and Toasts in the Car, dir. Kiana Naghshineh (Germany, France) UK Premiere
• The Death of the Fish, dir. Eva Lusbaronian (France) UK Premiere
• Paper Trail, dir. Don Hertzfeldt (United States)
• Gaïa, dir. Gwenola Heck (Germany) UK Premiere
• Happy New Year, dir. Radu Gaciu (Romania) World Premiere

Animated Encounters 3

• Other I, dir. Alina Popescu (France)
• Babyface, dir. Sacha Beeley (United Kingdom) UK Premiere
• Wavelength, dir. Kate Auster, Holly Warburton (United Kingdom)
• Once in a body, dir. María Cristina Pérez González (Colombia, United States)
• 9 Million Colors, dir. Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic, Norway, Germany)
• POOB, dir. AJ Jefferies (United Kingdom) UK Premiere
• Dog Alone, dir. Marta Reis Andrade (Portugal, France)
• The Girl Who Cried Pearls, dir. Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada)

Animated Encounters 4

• House of Love, dir. Emma Calder, Coco Cripps (United Kingdom)
• Death’s Peak, dir. Willy Fair (United Kingdom)
• Ultra Strong, dir. Catherine Lepage (Canada) UK Premiere
• Making a Mother, dir. Emily Downe (United Kingdom)
• Bisou Sauvage, dir. Bahij Jaroudi (Canada) UK Premiere
• Trading Cards, dir. Radheya Jang (Australia, United Kingdom)
• Meal Deal, dir. Niamh McArdle, Amy Mulcahy, Anaïs Kheir (United Kingdom)
• Just One Peek, dir. Mulan Fu (United States)
• HAG, dir. Anna Ginsburg (United Kingdom)

HAG (Dir. Anna Ginsburg, Image: Strange Beast/Passion Pictures)

Animated Encounters 5

• I Have a, dir. Rory Waudby-Tolley (United Kingdom)
• Bread Will Walk, dir. Alex Boya (Canada)
• Why Did Kai Stop Painting, dir. Hao Yu (Germany) World Premiere
• Future Of…, dir. Scott Coello (United Kingdom)
• On Saint Nicholas’ Eve, dir. Emy Mirel Ivașcă (Romania)
• Growing Stones, Flying Papers, dir. Roozbeh Gezerseh, Soraya Shamsi (Germany) UK Premiere
• A Pint of Bitter, dir. Conor Kehelly (Ireland, United Kingdom)

Animated Encounters 6

• Lost Touch, dir. Justine Klaiber (Switzerland)
• Ever Ending Summer, dir. Nikki Girod, Sylvia Jorde (Germany) UK Premiere
• Dance of The Spirits, dir. Andreea-Lorena Florea (United Kingdom)
• The Rossini Garden, dir. William Burger, Tara Rewal, Siméon Jacob, Odelia Laine, Garance
• I’m not sure, dir. Luisa Zürcher (Switzerland)
• Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank, dir. Wesley Wang (United States) International Premiere
• Life with an idiot, dir. Theodore Ushev (France)
• Please, dir. Anna Mantzaris (Sweden, France, Czech Republic, Norway, Finland)

Animation is also well-represented across the festival’s DepicT!, Late Lounge, Documentary, Kids Shorts (5+) and Kids Shorts (10+) screenings. The animation slate is further strengthened by a special screening of Aardman’s new Shaun the Sheep film, The Beast of Mossy Bottom, introduced by BAFTA‑winning producer Richard Beek, while Blue Zoo Co‑founder Tom Box presents the studio’s new manifesto outlining principles for healthy, child‑focused screen content. Together, these events highlight the strength of the UK’s animation landscape and Encounters’ role in championing both established and emerging talent.

Ultra Strong (Dir. Catherine Lepage, Image: NFB)

Across the wider programme, Encounters features the UK premieres of Saoirse Ronan’s Paper Plane, Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Revolution Against Death, Bill Morrison’s Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon, Jérémy Comte’s Brute and the English premiere of Paul Wright’s Mission, with Wright and star Rosy McEwen set to attend. Opening night will see the festival take over the planetarium at We The Curious for a special 360 dome screening, launching the week with cinema in the round.

Other leading industry figures include BAFTA‑winning casting director Isabella Odoffin, Documentary Film Council CEO Mandy Chang and Academy Award-winner Aneil Karia. Bad Wolf offers insights into talent development and HETV production, while Bristol‑based VFX studio Lux Aeterna breaks down the making of its sci‑fi short RENO.

The programme explores the future of film – from vertical formats to creator‑led pathways and new distribution models – with sessions on vertical drama (Jen Cooper, Marina Elderton, Noel Goodwin) and creator‑to‑filmmaker routes (Wesley Wang, David Levy, HaZ).

This year, Encounters also introduces screenPLAY, a new youth strand championing positive screen experiences across gaming, filmmaking, animation and digital creativity. The Industry Programme, which runs 23-25 September at Watershed and partner venues across Bristol, will see filmmakers, producers, commissioners and executives convene for talks, masterclasses and sector‑focused sessions.

The 31st edition of Encounters Film Festival runs 23-27 September across Watershed, Prospect Building, We The Curious and Wake The Tiger. The festival is supported by BFI Film Audience Network, the University of Bristol, UWE Bristol, Eventive, MUBI, the British Council and Aardman Animations, with partners including Crack Magazine, Warp Records, Simple Things, Invada and others.

Passes are available now.
For the full rundown of programme highlights including premieres, partnerships, guests and industry events, visit encounters.film

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The LFF will present a captivating and diverse programme of 251 features, shorts, series and immersive works from 88 countries playing across the 12 days of the festival. This includes 109 works made by female filmmakers (43% of the programme) and 33 World premieres.

Kristy Matheson, Artistic Director, BFI Festivals, said:

When this Festival first sprung to life 70 years ago, little more than a decade after the end of the Second World War, British society was in a period of rapid social change. Then, like now, we turn to artists to synthesise our times. And what a vision they have for us in 2026; tumults of the era live inside our programme, but so too do cinematic thrills, moral conundrums and a reoccurring exploration of care and community. If you find yourself in London, or across the UK, this October, the opportunity to experience worlds outside ourselves will be on offer. We hope you can join us.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive, BFI said:

This year, the blockbusters, the indie breakouts and the debuts have drawn audiences to cinemas in record numbers. A reminder that discovering a new film in a room of fellow fans is a thrill like nothing else. As our anticipation builds for LFF, we’re grateful to everyone who helps us fill screens across the UK: to our brilliant audiences, Members and Patrons; the visionary filmmakers and film teams who bring their work; our generous funders, sponsors and industry partners; and, of course, the excellent teams at the BFI.

LFF Animation Highlights

WILDWOOD, dir. Chris Butler (USA)
World Premiere
A forest inhabited by magical beings is the setting for this epic saga from stop motion masters LAIKA. When her baby brother is kidnapped by a large flock of crows, Prue hotfoots it to a local forest where a wondrous world of mystery and peril awaits. This breathtaking, hugely ambitious new film from LAIKA (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings) is a masterpiece of stop-motion storytelling on an epic scale and quite unlike anything you will have previously seen, with an all star cast including Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Mahershala Ali and Angela Bassett.

RAY GUNN, dir. Brad Bird (USA)
Brad Bird’s smart animated caper, set in in a futuristic world where humans and aliens co-exist, sees a private eye drawn into a murder investigation. In an alternate 1939, in the giant futuristic city of Metropia – a corrupt world where aliens are the dominant species – down-trodden PI Ray Gunn investigates a murder. But all is not what it seems. Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) delivers a film with a pitch-perfect script, stunning design and a voice cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Waits. It’s first-rate filmmaking for all ages.

IRON BOY, dir. Louis Clichy (France)
With its smooth, hand-painted style, Iron Boy is a warm, moving animation about an 11-year-old boy who is forced to rethink his outlook on the world when he receives a life-changing diagnosis. Louis Clichy’s precise, handsomely produced tales finds young Christophe the subject of ridicule at school due to his issues with posture that make him appear ‘wonky’. A solution is found in the form of an iron brace. At first, it makes him feel like a robot and places him at odds with his proud father who questions his future on the family farm. But then he discovers the possibility of a different life.

JULIAN, dir. Louise Bagnall (Ireland)
Cartoon Saloon’s heartfelt animated tale about a boy who is proud to be different is a surefire hit. Young Julian, a bright child with a love of bling and sparkles, is sent to Brooklyn to stay with his Dominican grandmother. It’s tough initially, but when he
learns about the forthcoming Mermaid Parade, something clicks – he is a mermaid! This flawless and uplifting film from LFF favourites Cartoon Saloon is a celebration of what it means to be young, different and loved.

A MIGHTY ADVENTURE, dir. Toe Yuen (Taiwan)
This lovingly created, dialogue-free animated tale follows a trio of insects who undertake an epic journey. A butterfly and a grasshopper are removed from the forest and taken to an apartment in the city. Here, they befriend a spider who tries to help them
on the long journey back home, which is fraught with dangerous challenges. This innovative, engrossing and dialogue-free animated adventure transports us into a familiar world, albeit from the microcosmic perspective of its protagonists.

MY FRIEND THE SUN, dir. Alejandra Pérez González (Mexico)
In this engrossing and brightly coloured animated triumph, a young girl is transported to the home of the Mexican gods and has to fight to find her way back home. Art obsessed Xóchitl discovers the mural she has painted at her home in Mexico City is a portal to Tollan, where the gods reside. Transported there, she is initially welcomed, even declared the Sixth Sun. It’s a move that angers a vengeful and dangerous rival and Xóchitl faces a struggle to return home. This glorious animation is rooted in the richness of Mexican culture and history.

FULL PROGRAMME AVAILABLE AT bfi.org.uk/lff

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© Sony Pictures Classics

Paprika is a harrowing film. Amongst its gorgeous animation, startlingly fluid opening credits sequence and surrealist set pieces is an unshakable angst that dances on my nerves whenever I watch it. Whenever Paprika ends, I feel like I’ve escaped something, not realising that my fight or flight response had been activated until the credits rolled. It’s a movie that’s paced like a comet, throwing intricate, complex paintings at the screen that barely give you time to process them fully. Paprika wants you to surrender yourself to its flow, but presents a world that you’re too scared to fully embrace. In this sense, Paprika is very much like real life.

Being the parting gift from the late master director Satoshi Kon, Paprika reads as his thesis on humanity. Paprika boasts the biggest scope out of Kon’s work. As much as that scope is used for things like the film’s signature epic parade and wobbly hallways, Kon made sure to weave a sense of claustrophobia into every frame. This dichotomy means that I’m never sat in awe of Paprika’s scale. Instead, that scale weighs on my shoulders. I feel scared to breathe lest I add to the pile of ideas on screen.

A lot of people interpret Paprika as a movie about the internet. The plot revolves around a group of scientists uncovering a mysterious virus infecting people’s dreams which causes them to go mad and commit suicide. Atsuko, a scientist working with a new device called the DC Mini that allows access to people’s dreams, uses her dream-world alter ego Paprika to investigate the issue.

The theory that Paprika acts as Kon’s commentary on the internet makes sense. Paprika is an avatar Atsuko uses in a space removed from the real world, there is a virus causing havoc and Paprika directly references the internet, calling it a dream-like space where suppressed emotions run free. Kon undeniably has a perspective on the internet, with it being a key device in the mental anguish depicted in Perfect Blue. However, I think that the internet is just a sidenote in what Kon is contemplating with Paprika – he is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things humans have invented, by the path left by the march of progress, and the internet is another truckload of stuff planted on top of humanity’s landfill.

© Sony Pictures Classics

Peering inside the dreams animated in Paprika lends a look into overstuffed, claustrophobic nightmares. The main scene we often return to is the parade, a marching line, not made of people, but of things. We see the Statue of Liberty walking alongside a bowling pin-looking duck and a whole manner of vaguely human-ish bodies that never quite take on a recognisable form, all while big band music blares and confetti dots the frame in endless supply. Kon seemingly invented a space for all of humanity’s ideas, inventions, history and thoughts to coexist, and it’s like being in hell.

Kon doesn’t gaze at the achievements of thousands of years of human civilization with awe and wonder, but with anxiety. Paprika reaches a singularity where the difference between the real world and dreams becomes unclear, as if Kon is wondering if there’s a real world under all of the rubble humanity has made. This can be interpreted as a personal conflict too, wondering if there’s a true self to be found underneath all of our personal reinventions. Kon even frames Paprika herself in multiple mirrors to reflect that divergence in personality. With the film, Kon seems to question whether or not it was a mistake to build on top of the foundations we’re born with, because maybe that’s where the ‘real’ world lies.

© Sony Pictures Classics

Paprika isn’t a film where Kon wags his finger or stares in horror at the inventions of others, but one where he implicates himself in the cultural claustrophobia we’re all living through. The final scene sees Toshimi, a detective working the case, go to the cinema to see a movie. As he arrives at the cinema, the camera passes over posters for Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers, Kon’s other movies.

If Paprika is a film about the noise humanity has brought upon the world, and that noise becoming so loud over thousands of years that a person can no longer sit with their own thoughts, then Kon’s movies are part of the problem. The ending isn’t a hopeful one about escaping the noise, it’s deeply pessimistic, concluding that there is no other option. There is nowhere to go that is untainted by human ideas, there is no thought you can have, park you can lie in, dream you can get lost in, that isn’t affected by a human invention. With no hope of escaping the inevitable march of progress, you might as well go and watch a good movie.

The post Paprika at 20 – the Inescapable March of Progress appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Get Animated London 26 will take place next week on the 8^th September 26 at the Knowledge Centre, British Library, London.

The confirmed speakers include: (Retail Panel) Julia Redman, Character.com – (Editing & Storyboards) Simone Giampaulo, Bev Maguire, Imo Rolfe, Rahul Dasgupta – (Film Panel) Helen Brunsdon, Neeraja Raj, Lupus Films, Magic Light Pictures – (Kids & Family) Ampere Analysis, 8 Lions, Triggerfish, Karrot Studios, CreativeUK – (The Fourm) Liquid Violet, Walker Books, Golden Wolf, Barclays Bank, Wheel In Motion and our Keynote from the new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

The program for this autumn afternoon tea conference at the British Library looks great. Our event supports the animation industry with a diverse set of panels planned, focusing on everything a creative would need to become future entrepreneurs, we are appreciative of the support from the panelists.

We also have a NEW membership that gives creative and executive account holders a profile to upload their artwork, giving more support to our global creative community, plus they get 10% off a ticket to our events.

Ryan Beaird, Event Director

Tickets are closing shortly and they can be bought at www.GetAnimated.uk/london26

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Image: MAKE

MAKE, a creative studio known for impactful animation and original storytelling, has officially opened applications for the 2026 MAKE Animation Thesis Grant. The annual program offers senior animation students funding, production resources, and promotional visibility to help bring their thesis films to life exactly as envisioned.

Launched in 2024, the grant was created to champion and spotlight emerging animation talent by directly funding original animated thesis projects. Open globally to senior-level students in BFA, BA, MFA, and MA programs in animation, digital art, or related fields, the grant is awarded based on treatment presentation and storytelling vision.

The MAKE Thesis Grant provides both financial backing and industry visibility, designed to elevate student films by removing barriers and amplifying bold creative voices. Winners not only receive direct cash funding, $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place in 2024, but also professional references, optional creative guidance, and ongoing exposure through MAKE’s social channels, blog, and press coverage.

We’re not just funding student films, we’re giving emerging animators the tools, confidence, and visibility to bring their stories to life and step into the industry with work they’re proud of. This award is open internationally, and I’m continually inspired by the creativity we see from around the world. The voices we help amplify today will be the ones defining the next era of animation.

-Danny Robashkin, Founder and Creative Director at MAKE

Impact of the Grant: 2025 Highlights

Last year’s winners showcased the creative range and originality of student animation worldwide:

• First Place – Stone Lions Don’t Roar by Le Hang Whalen
  An emotional story of two sisters taking place in a fantastical 16th century Vietnam.
• Second Place – Thiefish by Madhava Das Kinnicutt and Evelyn Grace Dale
  An allegorical tale of returning an ocean spirit to its natural habitat
• Third Place – Back To Bones by Ryan Koutras
  The humorous story of a resurrected knight and his squire, trying to find some peace.

How to Apply

Applications for the 2026 MAKE Thesis Grant are open from September 1st through November 4, 2026. Eligible applicants must be senior animation students actively working on their thesis film. Full eligibility requirements, application steps, and submission forms are available at makevisual.com/thesis-grant-info. Winners will be selected by the MAKE panel of judges and revealed on November 15, 2026.

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The trailer made its world premiere during a special Behind the Scenes with Aardman — ‘Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu panel at Pokémon XP, a major fan event held alongside the 2026 Pokémon World Championships. The celebration saw 50,000 fans take over San Francisco for a weekend of competitive play, fan experiences, parades, live performances and more.

During the session, Phil Rynda, Pokémon’s director of original animation, was joined by Aardman creatives Tom Parkinson (director), Nat McKay (creative director, IP development) and James Young (model making creative lead) to share new details on the making of the series. Fans in attendance were treated to brand-new production insights, behind-the-scenes imagery, puppet demonstrations and a closer look at how Aardman’s award-winning craft is bringing this new take on the Pokémon world to life.

It was also announced that Disney+ will be the exclusive worldwide streaming home for Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu. The platform recently welcomed Pokémon the Series: The Beginning for the first time, bringing Ash and Pikachu’s classic original adventures to audiences old and new.

©2026 Pokémon. ©1995 – 2026 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TM, ®Nintendo.

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Image: Aardman/StudioCanal/Sky/GKIDS

Skwigly presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ben Mitchell in conversation with Sarah Cox as part of our ongoing coverage dedicated to the Bristol animation scene in association with Bristol Animation Meetup (BAM).

Previously co-owner and director of the award-winning animation production company ArthurCox, Sarah Cox would also cultivate a relationship with Bristol’s Aardman Animations where she directed films including Don’t Let it all Unravel and The Itch of the Golden Nit. She currently holds the role of Chief Creative Director at Bristol’s Aardman Animations, where she also sits on the Board of Directors.

Her role sees her responsible for the development slate across Aardman, exec producing such projects as Robin Robin, Epic Adventures of Morph, Lloyd of the Flies, the Shaun the Sheep series Adventures from Mossy Bottom and special The Flight Before Christmas.

With the third Shaun the Sheep feature film The Beast of Mossy Bottom (Dir. Steve Cox/Matthew Walker) about to hit cinema screens this September, Skwigly were delighted to catch up with Sarah on her history, her current role at the studio, the value of Bristol as an animation locale and what makes Shaun the Sheep such an enduring franchise.

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom releases in UK and US cinemas September 18th. To see more of the work of Aardman visit aardman.com
Bristol Animation Meetup is an initiative of Skwigly Online Animation Magazine, Rumpus Animation and Sun & Moon Studios. For updates follow us on Instagram.

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Renowned Scottish animator and illustrator Rachel Bevan Baker and award-winning writer, filmmaker and teacher Anna Zaluczkowska selected the shortlist from 32 applications.

Flipside (Ana Stefaniak)

Powering a more inclusive future for UK cinema, this dedicated residency provides women and marginalised gendered animators with the space, support and resources to scale their ideas for animated features from concept to screen. Sea Change Animated Women is delivered by Screen Argyll and supported by the BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding.

Those taking part in the upcoming residency and the projects they will be developing are:

• Sarah Beeby (working with Louisa Wood) with Salty Fangs, the new film from the writer-director team behind the multi-award-winning animated short Gardening. When Unity Shoals’ most obedient mermaid helpfully posts a revolutionary manifesto, she gets into a LOT of trouble and falls in with the washed-up rebel who wrote it.
• Northern Ireland-based writer, director and animator Solène Guichard with Sunny Is Dead. When Sunny dies, she discovers the hard way that love can be forever.
• Lauren Orme – a Welsh writer and director specialising in 2D and mixed-media animation – with Swimming Lessons. Learning to become a mother while losing her own parent, a woman haunted by visions of drowning must learn to stay afloat.
• Graphic novelist and animator Sydney Padua – who most recently worked as a lead animator on Mufasa: The Lion King– with Lerhu. When floods destroy her island home at the end of the Ice Age, a young girl must learn to survive in the dense forests of ancient Britain.
• Honor Price, a BAFTA-nominated, London-based animation director known for her distinctive stop motion style, with Unhealthy Relationships. After his date abandons him and the feast he cooked for her, food-obsessed Harry creates his perfect woman from the contents of his fridge. The Lady in the Fridge becomes his perfect soulmate, but when a real lover comes along, Harry’s appetites, and his edible companion, spiral into a deliciously grotesque and manipulative love triangle.
• Animator and producer Ana Stefaniak, who has spent the last few years returning to her passion of narrative animation and storytelling following a commercial career, with Flipside. When flames devour everything and everyone Orphee knows and loves, the only way forward seems to be to move in with her estranged aunt and make friends with a ghost or two.

Swimming Lessons (Lauren Orme)

Sea Change Animated Women is delivered by Screen Argyll, who are based on the Hebridean island of Tiree, and supported by the BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery Good Cause funding.

The programme will take place over seven months through a mix of online group and one-to-one mentoring sessions, enhanced by a core seven-day residential development lab embedded alongside Screen Argyll’s annual Sea Change Film Festival on Tiree this September. The residency will culminate in a project showcase at the 2027 MOVE Summit, Scotland’s animation gathering.

Jen Skinner, Director, Sea Change Festival, said:

We were thrilled by the shortlist, which reflects the breadth and ambition of animation talent across the UK. It’s exciting to support such distinctive voices as they develop feature-length work, we are looking forward to supporting them on their journey and can’t wait to see the results.

Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said:

Screen Argyll has built a strong reputation for nurturing creative talent on the remote island of Tiree. We are delighted to support Sea Change Animated Women, which extends this work by creating a dedicated pathway for women and marginalised gendered creatives developing animated feature films. As one of the first BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund programmes focused on animation features, it offers vital early-development support, and we look forward to seeing the impact of the programme and the projects it helps bring to life.

Unhealthy Relationships (Honor Price)

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With Valentine’s Day on the way, the gang must uncover the truth behind ghostly apparitions and a swarm of strange creatures causing chaos around town.

Spun-off from the long-established Netflix hit series Stranger Things, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is animated by Flying Bark Productions and exec produced by Eric Robles, Matt and Ross Duffer (Upside Down Pictures), along with Hilary Leavitt , Shawn Levy (21 Laps), Dan Cohen and Eric Robles. Ian Graham serves as Co-EP.

Season 2 of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 comes to Netflix September 17, 2026

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Working with curators, historians, artists, current and former workers and volunteers, artists Kate Anderson, Kim Noce, and Saul Pankhurst, have made short animated films about working lives at three family firms: John Smedley at Lea Mills, packaging firm Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield, and steel manufacturer Stewarts & Lloyd Ltd in Corby.

We’ll see the films and find out more about this innovative collaboration between contemporary art and heritage.

WORK Records is produced by Derby based Animate Projects, working with heritage collections, Junction Arts in Chesterfield and Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire, the history team at the University of Derby, and Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

WORK Records is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and is also supported by Arts Council England.

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Flatworld and Friends 2024

September 5th marks the return of the beloved independent animation showcase: Flatworld and Friends! If you haven’t already heard of it, we played catch up with the creators and curators, Sol Triffitt and Sofia Negri, to discover the origins of Flatworld, how it’s come to celebrate the best in underground animation!

Flatworld and Friends isn’t just a screening of shorts. There are artist stalls, with prints and handmade items, a reel of curated loops making up the late-night visualiser. The night also includes live music and DJs so you might want to hang around until late. For the main event itself, a first-time experience plays out something like an evening on your friend’s sofa. Somebody is flipping channels, somebody is playing selector and has created the best playlist of animated gems; funny, absurd and experimental, maybe some sad ones too. The evening rolls into music and resembles a house party, all in all, a wicked blend of creativity!

Daniel Kehelly’s bumper

Short films are book-ended by animated idents. Imagine a parallel MTV reality, made to expand the cartoon universe that Sol has created with its iconic cast of characters. But why is Flatworld flat? And how do I become flat too?

You can grab yourself a ticket for the 5th September event at AMP studios, Old Kent Road and find out what it’s all about. Flatworld and Friends is officially in its fourth edition, though it’s changed quite a lot since its very first showing.

Sol describes how it all began with a simple idea of bringing people together. From the confines of a small Brixton flat, Sol invited other animators from uni, sharing each other’s work on a small screen. That was back in 2018 but it’s perhaps what makes Flatworld different to other events. Having this point of origin has given it a different kind of identity. It really does feel like a community of friends. Sol and Sofia are keen to keep it this way, and they find themselves straying from a traditional film festival experience that might involve Q&As, awards and formalized networking. Sofia joined forces with Sol in 2023, and they moved the event to a bigger venue in Deptford. With her experience in putting on events and parties which combined visual art and live music, she already knew she was drawn to this kind of work- and together they are stronger!

Sofia and Sol at the Flatworld and Friends All Star edition

The London event remains the Flatworld and Friends flagship, however Sofia and Sol have also
organized showcases in Bristol and Folkestone in the past- so keep an eye on their socials and
anticipate more to come!

You can stay up to date with future events on Flatworld and Friends’ Instagram page, view past event photos & films here, or get your tickets for the 5th September event here.

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Juul (Studio 100 Film)

Studio 100 Film expands its international slate with Juul, a visually striking CGI feature for young adults and adults from Belgian animation studio Fabrique Fantastique. The company will introduce the project to international buyers at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marking an exciting addition to its growing portfolio of premium animated features.

Set in the 1950s, Juul follows 17-year-old circus acrobat Juul, whose life changes forever after a tragic accident leaves her in a coma and declared brain-dead. Facing financial ruin, her magician father takes a desperate and morally complicated decision: he steals her body from the hospital and presents her as a “living puppet” to revive the failing circus. But Juul is still conscious, trapped inside a body she no longer controls. As her anger and resistance grow, her body begins to transform into porcelain, becoming a powerful symbol of her silent rebellion and her fight to reclaim her own identity.

Blending magical realism with emotionally rich storytelling, Juul explores themes of loss, resilience and hope through a distinctive visual style and an immersive cinematic experience. Created for young adult and adult audiences, the film reflects the growing demand for sophisticated, animated storytelling beyond the traditional family market.

Juul (Studio 100 Film)

Directed by Tom Van Gestel and written by An De Gruyter, the 90-minute feature is produced by Fabrique Fantastique (Belgium) in co-production with M.A.R.K.13 (Germany), Keplerfilm (The Netherlands), Mr Miyagi (Spain) and Avalon Films (Ireland). The English-language voice cast features Sir Lenny Henry, while five-time Grammy Award-winners Michael League and Bob Lanzetti of Snarky Puppy contribute to the original score. Currently in production, Juul is scheduled for delivery in Q4 2026, with Studio 100 Film handling worldwide sales, excluding Belgium, Germany, Spain and The Netherlands.

Juul represents the kind of ambitious animated storytelling we are increasingly looking to bring to international audiences. Its remarkable visual identity, emotional depth and universal themes demonstrate the creative breadth of animation today. We are excited to present the project to buyers at TIFF and to continue expanding our slate with distinctive, filmmaker-driven productions.

-Lorena Booth (Senior Manager Sales & Acquisitions, Studio 100 Film)

With Juul, Studio 100 Film continues to broaden its editorial vision, representing exceptional animated features that span both family entertainment and compelling stories for young adult and adult audiences.

Tom Van Gestel, Managing Director at Fabrique Fantastique added:

Juul is an incredibly precious project to me, both as its producer and director. For the past eight years, the development has been treated like a precious diamond carefully cut, shaped and polished into a multifaceted jewel, with every aspect crafted to shine. Juul dares to go where most animated films don’t. It tackles a dark, raw and difficult subject, but does so by keeping every character deeply human. At its heart, Juul is the story of a young girl who is constantly being pulled down by the world around her. Yet, no matter how hard she is pushed, she finds a way to fight back.

A story about learning to let go, the fierce bond between a father and daughter, and the right to independence and survival, Juul blends magic and misery into a fantasy that is by turns poetic and grim, anchored by a visual language that is at once wholly new and instantly recognizable.

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The 70 Deadly Sins of the 21st Century is a three-minute animated field guide to the darker, stranger, and more absurd corners of contemporary human behavior. The film invents seven contemporary sins, Scrolling, Lurking, Masking, Witnessing, Snapping, Curating, and Malblooming, and presents them as fictional species in a mock nature documentary. Narrated with complete scientific composure, it quietly condemns everything it observes. The Lurker simply watches. The Curator arranges its own corpse for other people’s eyes. Nobody is a villain. Each creature is simply doing what the feed trained it to do.

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In this exciting new partnership between BFI NETWORK South West & BlackFrame, we welcome creatives of all levels across animation, live action, and documentary filmmaking for a laid-back night of cross- industry networking.

Join us at Bristol’s iconic Watershed on Thurs 10th September 6-8pm for a drink, a chat and to connect with fellow Black & Global Majority creatives in the region.

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