Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
2220 Arts + Archives, Los Angeles
LA Festival of Movies presents *Animation Today*, presented by Cartuna, with an introduction by guest curator Sean Buckelew. Six animated shorts. Many US premieres! Full lineup at: https://lafestivalofmovies.org/animation-today ∆ Animation is a special medium within the spectrum of filmmaking, an artistic avenue where truly anything is possible. It can be made collaboratively with big teams, and can adhere to traditional narrative filmmaking principles, or it can be made by a single person and truly eschew any rules. It can make manifest the imaginary while also showing its own handmade analogue craft in every frame. The independently produced animated short is a special format within the medium. The films in this program exist outside of the boundaries of the commercial industry, and genuinely function as art for art’s sake. They come from a diverse range of artists from all over the world (including the United States, where, without much support for the arts, it is incredibly difficult to create animated shorts), featuring a wide variety of techniques, from tactile stop motion made by veterans of the craft to cutting-edge 3D by young mavericks that are giving the big studios a run for their money. And beyond the medium, they are just unique, compelling films made by radical filmmakers. I'm incredibly excited to present these films to an LA audience. In a time when organic creative processes feel constantly challenged, it’s inspiring to remember what’s still possible. —Sean Buckelew, guest curator