96 films from 23 countries set for Cardiff Animation Festival screenings

The fifth Cardiff Animation Festival will be held on 25 – 28 April 2024 in Chapter, Cardiff with online events continuing to 12 May, including screenings of 96 short films made in 23 countries around the world.

As well as the animated short films, three major animated feature films will also receive highly anticipated-screenings, and some of the world’s leading animation artists will be in attendance to share their expertise.

There is also an opportunity to make your own film to be screened at the festival (provided you can create it in 48 hours).

’The best new films’

The theme for CAF24 is ‘treat’; audiences can treat themselves to Q&As, animation workshops, a free lunch and watch screenings in person or wherever suits them, online.

Early bird passes are now on sale on CAF’s website: www.cardiffanimation.com

Announcing the programme, Cardiff Animation Festival Producer Ellys Donovan said: “We live and breathe animated films, and the highlight of our year, every year, is sharing our pick of the best new films with audiences in Cardiff and online.

“We also aim to support our audience’s wellbeing, factoring in points to rest, enjoy meals together and socialise. Inspiring, world-class animation in an exciting, bustling festival – a treat for all audiences.”

The programme is set to include:

Screenings of 96 short films from 23 different countries, presented in nine shorts programmes; Peas in a Pod (films about friendship and relationships), Slice of Life (films that offer glimpses of day-to-day life), Home Grown (films made in Wales or by Welsh filmmakers), Pick ‘n Mix (an eclectic grab-bag of shorts), Love at First Bite (films about love and romance), Eat Your Words (speechless films) and Midnight Feast (films for audiences age 18+), family-friendly shorts and the Cardiff Animation Nights launch party. The full selection of short films can be found here.

Star voice cast

Feature film screenings including three films released in 2023; Spanish-French speechless tragicomedy and Academy Award-nominee Robot Dreams, which follows the friendship between a dog and a robot; Chicken for Linda, a French-Italian film about the precarious joys of childhood; and Kensuke’s Kingdom, a UK adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book of the same name, featuring the voices of Sally Hawkins, Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe and made in part in Wales. It tells the story of a young boy, shipwrecked on a remote island, who discovers he is not alone when he encounters a mysterious Japanese man who has lived there since the end of World War II. A Q&A with directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, art director Mike Shortenand and head of compositing Neil Martin will follow the screening.

Other events and screenings will include: masterclasses led by the artists behind some of the world’s best loved and most well-known animated films, including Welsh sound designer, composer and voice artist Phil Brookes, who will host a live foley session on stage; the annual Cardiff Animation Nights launch party at The Underdog bar in the city centre; One Bum Cinema Club, possibly the smallest cinema in the world, hugely popular with audiences at previous CAFs in Chapter’s foyer; Industry Day on Thursday 25 April, an industry-focused day of events inc. panel discussions, showcases, Q&As and keynote speeches; a Drawing & Walking Tour of Cardiff led by Cardiff-trained animator and illustrator Briar White; an animation exhibition curated by and held at Cardiff Umbrella; Quick Draw, a 48-hour animation challenge where all films created within 48 hours will be shown as part of the festival; plus relaxed and baby-friendly screenings.

Each event in the festival will be captioned and BSL interpreted.

Further announcements will be made soon and the rest of the tickets will be on sale in early March.