First Look: Sidi Kaba and the Gateway Home

Birahima, a 10-year-old Guinean orphan, shares his experience as a child soldier in this bittersweet elegy to a childhood shattered by war. Adapted from Ahmadou Kourouma’s celebrated novel and presented as a First Look at Animation First 2024.

In a near-future Rio de Janeiro, soldier Marlon navigates the polluted waters and favelas of Guanabara Bay in search of Kurtz, former commander turned cult leader. Marlon’s journey plunges him into a dystopian world where faith, power, and chaos collide.

Hélène flees into the forest after a failed armed attack on wealthy landowners, where she is haunted by her friend and accomplice, forcing her to reckon with her convictions and choices.

Presented as part of Animation First’s spotlight on Belgian animation, these seven family-friendly fiction and documentary shorts are all about snow and winter.

A survey of short films created by Raoul Servais, one of Belgium’s most celebrated animation artists, who experimented with graphic style and animation techniques throughout his career. His films expose tyranny and war with a mix of dark humor and lyricism.  

Oscar nominated directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski—co-founders of Montreal stop-motion studio Clyde Henry Productions—examine the evolution of cinematic puppetry as it relates to their newest film, The Girl Who Cried Pearls.

This program spotlights the work of leading Belgian directing duo Emma and Marc with two shorts featuring their delicately-crafted felt puppets: Oh Willy… and This Magnificent Cake!

Samuel Ribeyron, set designer of The Songbirds’ Secret, will delve into the process of making the film, his craft and techniques and the choices that the artistic team made to create this ambitious film with paper cut-outs and stop-motion.

The Making of The Songbirds’ Secret will be preceded by the screening of the film at 2pm.

For this edition of Animation First, five teams of 4th-year École MoPA students have been commissioned to create original 25-second shorts celebrating this year’s Belgium Focus. These specially produced films will be shown in theatres ahead of all features and shorts—spotlighting the next generation of animation talent.

Oscar-winning sound designer Nicolas Becker (Gravity, Sound of Metal, Dandelion’s Odyssey, Arco) discusses his journey from foley artist to sound designer, his inspirations and the art of crafting the sound into a living character.

The eclectic New Francophone Shorts (NFS) programs bring together the best of new animated creations from emerging and established filmmakers. Selections are chosen from lauded festivals including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Cannes Films Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Anima —The Brussels Animation Film Festival.

Join us at the festival lounge to recharge and grab a bite, create your own stop-motion film, watch the live-feed of Animation Jam, or simply unwind between screenings.

Back for its sixth year, the Animation First Student Short Film Competition highlights the work of emerging talent from some of the most renowned animation schools in France and the United States. Prizes are awarded for Best French Student Short and Best American Student Short.

Discover the work of Belgium-based filmmaker Sylwia Szkiłądź and how she mines the potential of animation to activate the imagination of adults and children.

Use a virtual reality headset to step into three animated worlds and enjoy immersive adventures from artists working at the cutting edge of animation.  

9-year-old Lucie, guided by a pair of birds, uncovers her family history in this little miracle of a film, created with paper cutouts and over 2,000 puppets.

Learn the art of animation in hands-on workshops! Young animators will work with Momoko Seto (Dandelion’s Odyssey), Samuel Ribeyron (The Songbirds’ Secret), and The Art Studio NY to bring their ideas to life in these free, family-friendly workshops.

Each year, Animation First invites a leading artist to create a unique festival poster, celebrating the art of animation. This year’s poster was created by Oscar-nominated director Ugo Bienvenu (Arco), who will be presenting his film at Animation First on Thursday, February 5 at French Animation at the 2026 Oscars.