This special compilation of short animated documentary and semi-autobiographical works is presented by Media Active Projects in partnership with Animate Projects and Film Hub Midlands. Special thanks go to our community curators, and to Dr Sally Pearce and the BFI’s Animation Curator Jez Stewart, who offered additional advice on the selection.

Many great Animate Projects films are included in the programme, such as DAWTA (Jessica Ashman), On Hannah Fields (Lewis Heriz), And Granny Would Dance (Maryam Mohajer) and I’m OK (Elizabeth Hobbs). See more information and full film listings on Media Active’s website.

Tour dates

• The Courtyard, Hereford (11 February 2026)
• Quad, Derby (12  February 2026)
• Moana, Oswestry (25 February 2026)
• TAPE, Conwy (26 February 2026)
• Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Ludlow (28 February 2026)
• COLONY Silk St, Manchester (19 March 2026)
• Warwick Arts Centre (25 & 26 April 2026)
• And more to be confirmed…

Trailer

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Kate Jessop (award winning animation director and Director of Brighton International Animation Festival) will be in conversation with Gina Kamentsky, Zohar Dvir, Daniel Sterlin-Altman and Erma Fiend.

Tuesday 17th February – 6pm – 7pm (UK time)
Follow this link to register

Speakers

Gina Kamentsky is an animator, kinetic sculptor, sound artist and educator based in Providence Rhode Island. Her anxious and joyful short films blast out at twenty-four frames per second searing eyeballs and sending waves of buzz and crackle into the ether.

Zohar Dvir is an award-winning animation director, creating animated work inspired by some of the bigger questions of philosophy and psychology. Her distinctive animation style is self-taught, and blends two and three-dimensional elements as well as a healthy dose of surrealism.

Daniel Sterlin-Altman (he/him) is multi-disciplinary filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany. Daniel has directed several independent short films as well as commissioned works that have earned the Cristal at Annecy Festival, Golden Horseman Award at Filmfest Dresden, and Best Student Film at Animafest Zagreb, among others. He collaborates with the intersectional queer collective, Critical Queer Solidarity, and animation workshops throughout Europe.

Erma Fiend (the artist persona of Lee Friend Roberts) is a 2x Collision Award-winning director of surreal, mixed-scale stop motion animation for television, web, and beyond. Evocative and visceral, Fiend’s unique style transcends genres, audiences, and form, featuring real people, sentient objects, and tactile environments.

Still: Zohar Dvir’s Mercury’s Retrograde

The post Accelerate Session: The Power of Animation to tell Queer Stories first appeared on Animate Projects.

Ben Faircloth, Eilidh Nicoll, and Mariana Leal have made films inspired by the Death Positive Movement. They developed their ideas through discussions with social anthropologist Dr Hannah Rumble. The films reflect on processing death anxiety, voicing personal grief communally, and queering funerary practice.

Follow this link to watch the films and share your feedback.

The post Mortal films now online first appeared on Animate Projects.

In Re-Mind, ordinarily rational biologist Al turns to the occult in a desperate act to win back her estranged partner. The ritual turns into a revelation when the summoned deity unearths the deep-rooted fluidity of Al’s identity and desire. 

Our collaborators on this project include artist, musician and writer Cosey Fanni Tutti who voices the deity All-Mind and will be composing the score, and our scientist Al is voiced by BAFTA nominated actor Maxine Peake (Words of War, Say Nothing, The Bisexual). The script has been co-written with Jon Ware (The Silt Verses, I Am In Eskew).

We first worked with Dominica on the enchanting Chado (2020) which combined digital animation and risograph printing to create a fantastical coming of age tale. Her cooperative project In the Garden: Giggles in the Greenery (2024) is touring the UK as part of Animate’s All that is solid screening programme in 2025. 

Re-Mind is a film by Dominica Harrison, co-written with Jon Ware, produced by Animate Projects, made with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.

Image: Re-Mind concept artwork by Dominica Harrison.

About Animate Projects

Animate supports artists to experiment, collaborate and produce bold animation projects. We are a catalyst for connection. We believe that artists’ animation empowers people to see their world differently.

Recent productions include: The Debutante by Elizabeth Hobbs, which was Oscar shortlisted and won Grand Prize at Bucheon International Animation Festival; and And Granny Would Dance by Maryam Mohajer, with awards including Best of Festival and Best Animation awards at Aesthetica Short Film Festival. Both films were supported by the BFI Short Form Animation Fund. Kris Hofmann’s VR experience Out of Nowhere premieres at Venice Immersive as part of the Venice International Film Festival 2025.

About the BFI Short Form Animation Fund    

The BFI Short Form Animation Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, invests in new, bold and ambitious animation projects. Supporting work that represents a significant advancement in the work of UK animators, the Fund has backed a diverse range of narrative short form projects, of up to 15 minutes in length.

Two rounds of applications for the Fund have seen the BFI support 20 new projects. Highlights to date have included Scale (Joseph Pierce) which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won number of prestigious awards including winner of Best Short Film Les Arcs European Film Festival; The Debutante (Elizabeth Hobbs), which won Best Animated Short Jury Award at SXSW and was Shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Oscar; Wild Summon (Karni Arieli and Saul Freed), nominated for the Short Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival and won Best Short Film at Oslo Short Film Festival; and Your Mountain is Waiting (Hannah Jacobs) which was nominated for a BAFTA.

Following the launch of the BFI’s new National Lottery funding strategy in April 2023, the Fund is currently being evaluated to help shape its future support for animation.

The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image.

Our mission is: 

• To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers 
• To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive 
• To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue 
• To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding 
• To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries 

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.  

The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE. 

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In celebration of this news we are sharing the film’s intriguing trailer for the first time:

On Thursday 30 October, Qianhui will be in conversation with producer Abigail Addison at a special behind-the-scenes event at Artcore in Derby. Book for this free event via this link.

Statue in the Garden is a film by Qianhui Yu, produced by Animate Projects, with the support of Film Hub Midlands as part of the BFI NETWORK, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

The post Statue in the Garden begins its festival tour first appeared on Animate Projects.

Artists Ben Faircloth, Eilidh Nicoll, and Mariana Leal have made films inspired by the Death Positive Movement. The works were developed through discussions with social anthropologist Dr Hannah Rumble. They reflect on how we might muse on death anxiety, voice personal grief communally, and queer funerary practice.

We’ll be premiering the films, and hearing from the artists and Dr Rumble about the inspirations and processes behind these new animations at this event.

Free event. Follow this link for details and to register.

Further events include:

• The Mortal artists will  be taking part in an online discussion as part of the Death, Dying & Disposal Conference at the University of Utrecht on 28 August, where the films will also be presented in their social hub space
• Screening and discussion event with local specialists working in end of life care and funerary practice, at Artcore, Derb, on 2 October. Follow this link for more information and to book tickets. 
• Screening and discussion event with the artists and Dr Rumble at Highgate Cemetery, London, on 7 October. Follow this link to book tickets.

Follow this link for more information about the films and the artists.

BSL interpretation will be provided at all events.

The events are supported by Arts Council England.

The post Mortal launch events first appeared on Animate Projects.

It is super to be working on our fifth short film with Lizzy, our last being the Oscar shortlisted The Debutante (2022). We are joined on this latest venture by our talented collaborators: editor Mark Jenkins and composer Hutch Demouilpied.

We also have the good fortune to be co-producing this short with renowned animation producers Phil Davies (Uncle Thomas, Accounting for the Days, Ride, Peppa Pig) and Fabian Driehorst co-founder of Fabian&Fred (Sultana’s Dream, Steakhouse, Baigal Nuur).

The post Sharing our latest collaboration with Elizabeth Hobbs first appeared on Animate Projects.

Out of Nowhere gently explores how preserving alluvial forests, marshes and wetlands can help us face the challenges of an ever angrier, unpredictable climate. The story is told through the eyes of Anna, a lifelong resident of Hallein in Austria, who is voiced by actor Saskia Reeves (Slow Horses, Luther). The experience flows from Anna’s first-hand experience of the devastating floods that hit Europe in 2021. In doing so, it considers how reconnecting with nature may be key to protecting ourselves going forward.

Kris Hofmann said: “Every other month we hear about yet another devastating extreme weather event — most recently in Texas, and close to home for me, with severe floods in Austria in 2021 and again in 2024. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, so it’s so important to remember that we have an ally in nature when it comes to mitigating the worst consequences of climate change. I’m really excited that the work will launch at Venice Immersive and I hope it sparks reflection — and maybe even action — on how we live with our rivers.”

The experience began development at the Biennale College Cinema VR Lab, attended by artist Kris Hofmann and producer Abigail Addison in 2023. Kris interviewed Hallein residents about the flood and their stories gave inspiration to the piece. Associate Professor Franz Essl (University of Vienna) provided scientific advice to the project. The screenplay was produced with German writer Ira Wedel. It features a score by British composer Elizabeth Purnell.

Out of Nowhere has been supported by the Vienna Business Agency, FFF Bayern and Apossible.

Notes to editors:

Social media – #outofnowherevr
Instagram: @misskrishofmann
@animateprojectsuk 

Credits:
Voice artists: Saskia Reeves and Howard Nightingall (English version), Martina Spitzer and Josef Stockreiter (German version)
Director & Producer: Kris Hofmann
Technical Director: Andreas Wuthe
Co-Producer: Richard Pusch at spec.Studio
Development Producer: Abigail Addison at Animate Projects
Screenplay: Ira Wedel
Music: Elizabeth Purnell
Sound Design and Engineering: Max Thomasberger
Scientific Consultants: Prof. Mag. Dr Franz Essl, Dipl.-Ing. Dr Peter Flödl
Production: Hofmann Studio & spec.Studio
Development production: Hofmann Studio and Animate Projects

Kris Hofmann: Lead Artist, Kris Hofmann has been working in animation since graduating from the RCA in London in 2010. Since 2018 her focus has been on the design of immersive experiences in Austria. Her first site-specific augmented reality experience, ‘The Bookworms’, directed and produced for the Austrian National Library, won the Austrian state prize for digitization in 2021. Since then, Kris designed a number of interactive experiences and education tools on a broad range of topics, from the female menstrual cycle to economic literacy and insect decline. krishofmann.co.uk

Andreas Wuthe: The technical lead of the project, Andreas Wuthe, is a full-stack developer with 25 years of programming experience, who has been active in game and app development for nearly two decades. He has worked on projects for Red Bull, Casinos Austria and international publishers like Electronic Arts and Ubisoft. Since teaming up with creative director Kris Hofmann, his focus has been on developing interactive XR experiences and integrating AI models into their projects and working process.

Elizabeth Purnell: A UK based composer and sound designer, celebrated for her music in a variety of genres. She works at many UK theatres, including the Liverpool Playhouse, Hackney Empire and the Tobacco Factory, Bristol. She is an Emmy nominated orchestral arranger and conductor for film and TV, recording with BBC orchestras and European ensembles. Credits include Samantha Moore’s Treasure, Black Mirror, Annihilation, and numerous David Attenborough documentaries. In 2020 she contributed to Bristol Old Vic’s ‘Sky Orchestra’ hot air balloon artwork. elizabethpurnell.com

Links:
Vienna Business Agency
FFF Bayern
Apossible
Biennale College Cinema Immersive

Supported by

Developed thanks to

The post Out of Nowhere to premiere at Venice Immersive first appeared on Animate Projects.

Each artist will undertake a period of research and development where they will engage broadly with the subject. They will be developing their ideas through discussions with Right to Roam’s Jon Moses.

Roam is our third commissioning programme aimed at early career animation artists. As with our previous projects PLANTING and Mortal, the Roam artists will each receive production and editorial support from Animate as they develop and produce a short animation. The films will be shown publicly and online from Summer 2026.

Follow this link for more information about the artists – https://animateprojects.org/portfolio/roam/.

The post Roam artists announced first appeared on Animate Projects.