Pictoplasma Animation FEST
2026
Pictoplasma Berlin 2026 extends its film selection and presents 85+ international animated shorts on 3 screens in 6 curated programmes – bringing more than ever mind-bending character visuals, ingenious storytelling and superb psychedelic eye candy to the big screen.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
●●Programme 1
# Animation is not a Genre
Thursday, May 7, 2026
silent green, Gerichtstr. 35 /// Underground Hall
Tomoaki Baba – Prime
2025 / JP / 3’58”
Hoji Tsuchiya
The sheriff of a small rural town investigates strange cases of disappearing people – leaving only their clothes behind.
Mr. Ogre’s Castle
2025 / US / 5’29’’
Maxime Chudeau
While teenagers break into a luxurious villa, a CCTV camera operator calls ready to inform the police – discovering that the owner has something else in mind to spoil the party…
TV or the Disturbance on Forest Hill Road
2025 / CH / 14’00’’
Frederic Siegel
When police officers arrive to investigate a noise complaint, they find themselves in a disarray of blended worlds and must face off against fictional characters come to life.
Un peu plus d'action
2025 / FR / 1’00’’
Alexis Beaumont
During a protest, two law enforcement teams face off on the field.
In the Beginning
2026 / PT, ES, PL / 11’07”
Ala Nunu
A spaceprobe called beresheet, legless birds of paradise, hamster cull and humanity trying to make the world make sense.
The Midnight Watch
2026 / UK / 1’00”
Jon Dunleavy
Close your eyes, go to sleep, the midnight witch is on the creep.
Fury
2025 / ES / 4’00’’
Choche Hurtado
Two twin sisters hate each other, because they remind each other of themselves – and where they come from.
Lost Touch
2025 / CH / 12’00’’
Justine Klaiber
The sole survivor on a damaged spaceship, torn between the past and the future, struggles with grief and isolation.
Kriill - Other I
2025 / FR / 2’56’’
Alina Popescu
A young girl offers gifts of devotion to an otherworldly deity, soon escalating into brutal sacrifices of her body.
The Tragedy of Madame Esther, An Unfortunate Incident, A Long Way Home
2019-2022 / IL / 0’30’’
Anat Efrati
A burst of story fragments unfolding through rhythm, sound, humor, and composition.
Fried!
2025 / UK / 10’00’’
Lizzie Watts
Driving home from a mysterious, aging nuclear facility, Dev becomes stranded at an isolated emu farm run by old mystic lesbians.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
●●PROGRAMME 2
WE GLITCH SO EASILY
Friday, May 8, 2025
silent green, Gerichtstr. 35 /// Underground Hall
I Have A
2025 / UK / 4’00’’
Rory Waudby-Tolley
A man lists the things that he has.
Existential Greg
2025 / UK / 9’27’’
Will Anderson
A cat goes on a journey toward spiritual enlightenment.
Fit Check, Uppies, XYZ
2025 / US / 3’00’’
Kyle Brooks
3 shorts about 3 men with 3 problems.
Misophonia
2025 / MT / 2’00’’
Michelle Gruppetta
Risograph animated project inspired by an aural disorder to distress the viewer through combined soundscapes and visuals.
Off-Time
2025 / US-JP-UA / 10’00’’
Nata Metlukh
A data engineer rushes through life, believing multitasking saves time — but it only creates chaos.
Potlems
2025 / DK / 4’00’’
Alberto Allegri Rodríguez
3D mini-opera set in a town of ever-smiling porcelain children – until one is created with a fatal flaw.
The 12 Inch Pianist
2025 / US / 7’28’’
Lucas Ansel
What begins as a bar joke quickly unravels into a darkly funny, unexpected story about self-acceptance, desire, and queer identity.
Street Race
2025 / US, DK / 1’44’’
Christopher & Daniel Rutledge
A meatheaded man is intimidated by an innocent baby in a stroller. It escalates.
Take Me Drunk I’m Home
2024 / US / 11’00’’
Nolan J. Downs
It’s 5 o’clock here. As a town descends deeper into their cups, one man tries desperately to ascend his stairs to bed.
What If It’s Not Good?
2025 / TR / 2’00’’
Mirac Aykin
Portrait of a confused creative mind experiencing the pain of making a graduation movie and fulfilling responsibilities.
Outcast
2026 / DE / 3’35”
Harry Bhalerao
Were you ever jealous of the attention another kid gets when they break a bone and everyone signs their cast?
A Pint of Bitter
2025 / IE / 8’58’’
Conor Kehelly
You are trying to enjoy a quiet pint in the pub but a patron and his son seemingly have a problem with your demenour.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
●●PROGRAMME 3
PSYCHEDELIC MIDNIGHT MIX
Friday, May 8, 2025
Colosseum Filmtheater, Gleimstraße 32-35
I Am Frog
2024 / UK / 1’00’’
Michael Wilde
A frog serenades the moon.
A completely normal day in the park.
Wet Wool: A Love Story
2025 / SE / 1’50’’
August Florén
A chance encounter between a lonesome sheep and a demon.
Paul Y Sus Amigos
2025 / US / 1’18’’
Rafillo
Paul brings home a date.
Lil Gibbos - Hot Drop
2026 / US / 5’03’’
Arius Ziaee
Gibby tries out Hot Yoga & the Gibbos experience the microscopic marvels of sweat!
The Spider
2025 / UK / 0’30’’
Laurie Rowan
A spider contemplates loss and revenge in the form of a short murder ballad.
Mr Legs
2024 / AU / 1’43”
Sean Zwan
A lonely man has an unexpected encounter with an entity who has the mind of a toddler.
Relative
2025 / US / 6’00”
Will Goss
A tale about an uncle, his nephew, and the State.
NSFW
2025 / IL / 2’05’’
Tom Kariv
An endless daydream between deadlines and finish lines, capturing the absurdity of effort and sweat – nine to five.
Crossing the Road Guide
2026 / UK / 1’45’’
Barney Abrahams
A short didactic guide on how to cross a road.
Cognitive Dissonance
2026 / CA / 3’00”
Joe Hambleton
An examination of the divisive nature of social media and its impact on the human psyche.
99 Balloons
2025 / FR / 0’56’’
Alexandre Louvenaz
A dog running in the hills meets his new best friend(s).
Yellow Orange Green Blue Red Cut
2025 / UK / 5’42’’
Peter Millard
Yellow bellow can you get me to orange, so I can see green, but that won’t do, because I still need to smell blue, and that can’t be too far from red.
Weird PS1 Game I Found
2025 / DE / 2’00’’
Dominik Johann
A strange intro cinematic from a long-lost 90s fantasy video game resurfaces.
Te L'avevo Detto (I Told You So)
2026 / UK / 5’31”
Gabriele Favaretto
A darkly humorous monologue of managed madness, in which emotion corrodes quietly beneath the posture of sanity.
Flesh.exe
2025 / HU / 1’45’’
Veszna Békési, Alexandra Tóth, Hanna Horváth, Sára Bertalan
A password vanishes, taking common sense with it.
Lost Worm
2025 / KR, US / 3’19’’
Damo & Bine Bach
A worm repeats the same boring day, over and over, until he receives an email titled “Escape The Wormhole.”
Uncanny Rodeo
2025 / BE / 1’30’’
Ohannès Superbank
A pink cowboy and his boneless horse.
Push the Sphere
2025 / US / 1’54’’
Oliver Scott
Cube Jaden is forced into a Sisyphus-like task by the higher-resolution Purple Steven, who wishes to punish Jaden for being “Gravitationally Inclined”.
Time Flies
2026 / IT, BE, PT, FI / 4’36’’
Tommaso Zerbi
A series of slices of everyday life spirals into chaos.
Quiet Moments
2025 / BE / 5’01’’
Rocco Manta
A drifting journey through shifting realms, where curiosity slowly leads to transformation and loss of control.
Fate Riders
2025 / US, CA / 11’00’’
David Gelfand
A Doctor delivers mysterious medicine to an old man, whose judgement is clouded by obsession over a kids TV show.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
●●PROGRAMME 4
TOGETHERNESS
Saturday, May 9, 2025
silent green, Gerichtstr. 35 /// UndergroundHall
We're Kinda Different
2025 / CA / 3’17’’
Ben Meinhardt
A singing butt has an adventure through a mundane office building with profound results.
Plumpin: Hat
2025 / AU / 4’19”
Ivan Dixon
A plump, little bird teaches the whole backyard what it means to be a hat.
Smokedog
2025 / AU / 6’00’’
Andrew Onorato
Smokedog goes about his day.
That’s Crazy
2025 / US / 2’04’’
Mike Manor
A man’s discovery of the phrase “that’s crazy” placates greedy conversationalists at the cost of destroying his inner world.
An Explosive Love Story
2024 / IT / 2’32’’
Adina Oana Enache
Two hunters struggle to accept their feelings for another.
Archaeologists
2025 / US / 3’54’’
Sam Lanier
Five archaeologists are stuck working together in the desert. One of them wants to smoke some weed.
Juana Molina – Desinhumano
2025 / AR / 4’55’’
Dante Zaballa
Inspired by the story of the Monkey King from the Chinese classic Journey to the West.
Earthquake
2025 / IT / 7’45’’
Massimiliano Di Lauro, Lorenzo Latrofa
Like a seismic event, a young boy struggles to channel his boundless energy. What happens before the outburst, its manifestation, and the aftermath it creates?
Time
2025 / DE / 5’42’’
Robert Loebel, Max Moertl
Dystopian and darkly whimsical animated short, unfolding in fragmented vignettes where characters collide—each caught in their own rhythm of time.
Comet in Moominland
2025 / US / 1’00’’
Karlotta Freier
What if feeling scared is actually the first sign of being brave?
Mucky
2026 / UK / 1’29’’
Christa Jarrold
A surreal comic take on modern life’s craving for authenticity.
Dudels E02
2025 / BE / 2’05’’
Rudi Mertens
Two men contemplate about a broken relationship. In the background are echo’s of a famous pop band.
OK Go – Impulse Purchase
2025 / UK-DK-US / 3’13’’
Lucas Zanotto, Will Anderson
A procedural character rolls toward the singularity.
Night Boots
2024 / FR / 10’00’’
Pierre-Luc Granjon
Leaving home in the middle of the night, a child and a curious little creature explore the forest to meet the nocturnal inhabitants that live there.
Car Park
2025 / AU / 3’37”
Aaron McDonald, Leanne Lee
Two strangers meet in a car park for a secretive rendezvous.
POOB
2026 / UK / 6’00”
AJ Jefferies
POOB is ready to LEARN and have FUN!
ANIMATION EXPANDED
●●PROGRAMME 5
BONDING & COPING
Thursday, May 7, 2025
silent green, Gerichtstr. 35 /// Arsenal
Fantasies of a Rescue Dummy
2025 / UK / 7’00’’
Adrian Maganza
Forgotten at the bottom of a pool, a rescue dummy drifts into a swirl of longing fantasies.
The Sycamore
2025 / US / 3’36”
Jared D. Weiss
Based on a fable by Aesop, two weary travelers seek out shade and sustenance from an idle tree.
Immature
2025 / NL, TW / 5’58’’
Eddy Wu
An animated documentary exploring the fluidity and complexity of gender identity.
WEB 5000.0
2025 / US / 3’43’’
Sishir Bommakanti
A mythological retelling about the rise and fall of The Internet.
Feeling
2025 / ES / 2’11’’
Choche Hurtado
I open the refrigerator over and over again, because I would like to take off a strange feeling that I have.
Robert Yoghurt – Bath Time
2025 / UK / 0’35’’
Sacha Beeley
Robert Yoghurt has his bath time.
My Good Boy
My Good Boy
2025 / HU, IT / 5’56’’
Sara Priorelli
An ambiguous love triangle between a woman, her dog and her partner.
Anima 2025 Festival Trailer
2025 / DE / 0’40’’
Raman Djafari
After the party a magical haze guides us softly from the rush we already lived into the dreams we are yet to dream.
First Flight
2025 / DE / 3’18’’
Adrián Jaffé
Three baby birds, one big challenge – their first flight!
The Succulent
2025 / US / 1’33’’
Tommy Rodricks
An Alien from above pollinates.
Lipstick
2025 / IE / 3’53’’
Éilis O’Neill
An autobiographical exploration of womanhood through the perspective of 3 generations, engaging with subjects of aging, sickness and interdependence.
Marvelous Gift
2024 / CO, CL / 6’08’’
Danna Galeano
In a world where humanity has gained the gift of eternal life, fatal accidents aren’t fatal, aging never ceases, and the end is taken off the table.
Full Set
2025 / UK / 1’00’’
Caitlin McCarthy
A DIY manicure with dire consequences.
HAG
2025 / UK / 17’00’’
Anna Ginsburg
After breaking up with her obnoxious boyfriend, a Hag battles society pressures, inner longings, and the tick of her own biological clock.
ANIMATION EXPANDED
●●PROGRAMME 6
MEDITATION HOUR
Friday, May 8, 2025
silent green, Gerichtstr. 35 /// Arsenal
Hotel Oblique
2025 / DE / 7’26”
Merlin Flügel
tself in a luxurious wellness hotel that promises stressed birds peace and relaxation.
Bird Plays the Keys
2025 / DE / 2’45’’
Joseph Taylor
An experiment in emotional story telling through a mix of character, abstraction and the cathartic process of moving away.
Hungry Hollow
2025 / US / 5’40’’
Sarah Ruyle
Uplifting documentation of a girl left for dead in the woods getting devoured by little spirits.
Happy Green
2023 / US / 3’18”
Sonnye Lim
An intimate look at the symbiotic relationship between a little green turtle and an elusive black flower.
Evacuations
2025 / US / 7’00’’
Lilli Carré
Painted formless figures and cel-animated smear frames haunt recent photos of emptied-out public spaces.
Taut
2026 / DE / 5’00”
Ilya Barrett
Stringo the Stunted Wellow doesn’t fit in with his flock. While they stay still when the wind blows, Stringo jerks and twitches.
Busy Bodies
2025 / US / 6’00’’
Kate Renshaw-Lewis
Hand-drawn animation combining inkjet and screen printing techniques, exploring the hidden production process of disposable objects.
Turn Like Matter
2025 / US / 9’00’’
Angus Oakes
A bug birthed in the depths of an ecosystem is squished by a passing wanderer, causing the biosphere to shift out of balance.
Reassembled
2026 / UK / 1’47’’
Sophie Maria Vickers
A lone figure is dismantled and rebuilt, exploring the theme of collapse through the lense of possibility for metamorphosis.
Restless Sleeper
2025 / SE / 7’00’’
Vanja Ivarsson
An alien can’t sleep at night.
Telsche
2023 / PT / 8’19’’
Sophie Colfer, Ala Nunu
An abstract short film about memory and loss, following a girl’s attempts to remember someone who she has forgotten.