ANIMUZA | International Animation Day 2026 | ASIFA short film screening

In the program:

RAZOR/RAZORS (USA 2025, 04:39), directed by Griffin “The” Hansen

A man with a razor in his head reports the need for repair.

PRESSURE/PRESSURE (Brazil 2023, 02:21), directed by Che Marcheti

A woman is faced with emotions that she has been hiding for a long time and are one step away from overflowing them.

WHISPERS/SUSURROS (France 2025, 07:27), dir. Alexandra Pewinski, Marie Lombard, Florian Reignier, Emma Pluchard, Lisa Francillon and Alice Parmentier

From witch hunts in 17th-century Europe to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States in 2022, “Susurros” tells the story of two women who became pregnant even though they didn't want to. Separated by four centuries, Maria and Adeleida inevitably intertwine their fates. In the shadow of obscurantism, history repeats itself. Recipient of the ASIFA Student Award 2026.

HOW SMART ARE CROWS? /HOW SMART ARE CROWS? (Greece 2025, 04:36), dir. Irida Zhonga

In one of Aesop's fairy tales, a crow is looking for water. She sees the jug, but the water in it is out of her reach. So the bird begins to throw pebbles inside. One by one, they displace the water, so that the crow can quench its thirst. This is just one of many fascinating examples of raven intelligence. Katharina Brecht takes a look at what makes this bold and quick-witted family of songbirds so intelligent.

GUARACY (Brazil 2023, 12:08), directed by Eliete Della Violla, Daniel Bruson

The granddaughter delves into her relationship with her grandfather, a retired police officer who loves music, creating a living mosaic of feelings, doubts, and lived, told and imagined memories.

ECLIPSE/OUTSHINE (Taiwan 2026, 04:00), dir. Eliza Dorothy Russell Keating

One day a light goes out in one of the lighthouses. When a lantern replaces a light bulb with an even brighter one, it awakens a competitive spirit in his fellow lantern on the other side of the water. Soon the two get into an absurd duel, out-competing each other in increasingly elaborate lighting upgrades. In the heat of this rivalry, they seem to forget their original duties as lighthouse keepers...

HOW A RIVER IS BORN (Brazil 2025, 08:33), directed by Luma Flôres

Ayla wakes up in a mountainous landscape, surrounded only by vegetation and a river. Driven by curiosity and the desire to know this place, she embarks on a journey full of discovery and diving. By discovering where he is, he also discovers himself.

LAND OF NO MAN (Taiwan, USA 2026, 03:50), directed by Muling Tzai, Olivia Lin

A lonely capybara is asked by passing animals: “Don't you feel lonely?”

KABUKI (Brazil 2025, 14:37), directed by Tiago Minamisawa

Kabuki lives in a male body that he does not recognize. Without identity, it awakens the soul. In the impermanence of the material body, it transcends.

NADAL FEBRUARY/STILL FEBRUARY (Germany 2026, 09:37), dir. Anya Ryzhkova

A wolf-like character awakens in a world threatened by fire and decay. She feels that everything around her disappears, not understanding why — almost blind, unable to see the obvious. But he soon begins to see the truth: huge, destructive feet trample the world, setting everything on fire, dragging the past and future into darkness. In the end, she has only one thing left: to save herself.

Before You Gone (Taiwan 2026, 08:16), directed by Xie Cha-Ping

Today, one year after you left, I sit before you and tell you about the history of our family, as well as how much I miss you and what I regret. Emotions are intertwined with reality and memories here, leaving behind what has never been said. “Before You Gon” uses a personal narrative, combining authentic images with cartoon animation to capture emotions that are difficult to capture in memory alone.

<3 [LESS THAN THREE]/<3 [LESS THAN THREE] (Germany 2026, 02:35), dir. Petra Stipetić

A film about the struggle for belonging against all odds.

Under Water (Taiwan 2026, 15:10), directed by Jen-Hsiang Chuang

The emaciated and exhausted girls are trapped in a dark dungeon, where they constantly fall victim to violence from a terrifying creature. Supporting each other, they seek an escape route only to finally realize that the companions helping them on this journey were in fact reflections of themselves.

AND P.../HOLY CRAP! (Greece 2025, 04:37), directed by Taxiarchis Deligiannis, Vasilis Tsiouvaras

We look at modern Athens, Greece, where old buildings, offices, open-air cinemas, etc. are rapidly transforming into hotels and other tourist accommodation. The city is suffocated by countless crowds of tourists who gather in hotels, in different places, on beaches, in bars, restaurants, etc. There is a complete chaos that is deepening day by day. Suddenly, in various places of the city, smelly fumes in the form of clouds emanate from toilets and sewers, causing discomfort to people...