Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 unveils full programme
Skwigly
Today, Wales’ only global animation event, Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF), has announced its full 2026 programme with tickets and festival passes now on sale.
From 23–26 April, Chapter Arts Centre will transform into a celebration of animation in all its forms, hosting four days of films, talks, workshops and special events. Renowned for championing imaginative work and platforming diverse voices, CAF’s ninth edition promises its most vibrant programme yet.
Julia Pott (Image via CAF)
This year’s line‑up features celebrated LA‑based British animator and illustrator Julia Pott (Adventure Time, Summer Camp Island), alongside a Japanese feature focus with special screenings of The Last Blossom and 100 Metre presented in partnership with Kotatsu Festival. CAF also unveils its biggest short film competition to date, with 98 films selected from more than 700 submissions and screened across eight themed strands – Play, Pause, Rewind, Mute, Home, Shuffle, Late Night and Welsh Work. This year’s jury is made up of Pip Williamson, Sarah Schmidt and Nia Edwards‑Behi.
The festival expands its games offering with sessions from the teams behind the BAFTA®‑winning Thank Goodness You’re Here and the BAFTA®‑nominated The Midnight Walk, supported by an exhibition of playable titles and original puppets from the production.
Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm (Image via CAF)
CAF 2026 also bursts with live events, performances and creative experiences. Audiences can dive into the fast‑paced chaos of Sketch Showdown, a live drawing game show where artists sketch characters from memory while the audience races to guess them. BAFTA® Cymru‑winning filmmaker Gerald Conn brings his mesmerising sand‑on‑glass animation to the stage with Sand On Screen, featuring screenings, live animation and a look at his new app, Sandimation. And Super Mario Kart takes over the big screen in Rainbow Road Rumble, a large‑scale multiplayer showdown hosted by multidisciplinary artist, animator and YouTube creator Jamie Fern Hensley‑Davies.
A packed Industry Day includes a keynote from Philippa Rice, a career‑starter session with Copa Gaming, and panels on commissioning, feature development, digital‑first storytelling and freelancing, making it a must‑attend event for anyone working in or entering the sector. The festival also features a collaboration with Abertoir Festival, including a screening and Q&A uncovering the hidden history of animation effects in horror cinema, along with a presentation of Ray Harryhausen’s animation in classic creature feature The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Dr Stacey Abbott will examine how the genre has relied on animation techniques for more than a century. The programme also includes a live‑scored performance by Casi Wyn, Efa Blosse‑Mason and Lleucu Non – a special event celebrating collaboration, creativity and play from a new generation of Welsh artists working across animation and music. And finally a feature screening of Academy Award® Best Animated Feature nominee Little Amélie, or the Character of Rain.
Cardiff Animation Festival Director, Lauren Orme said:
Cardiff Animation Festival is all about bringing people together through animation, and this year’s programme is our most playful and packed yet. We’ve got beautiful films, brilliant guests, live performances, creative workshops and fun surprises. Whether you’re an animation fan, an industry professional, a budding animator, a film lover or just curious, we’d love you to join us at Chapter this April and experience the joy of animation.
Socials and parties bring the community together throughout the weekend, including animated karaoke hosted by Justin Drag and a curated shorts night from Chicago‑based Malt Adult.
Aardman workshop (Image via CAF)
Workshops return across the festival, offering hands‑on creative fun for all ages. Highlights include Aardman model‑making, flip‑book animation, dog life drawing, a doodle‑and‑mural session with Jamie Stockley, sand animation with Gerald Conn, and a special workshop with Academy Award®‑nominee Joanna Quinn.
The festival closes on Sunday 26 April with the ‘Best of the Fest Awards’, hosted by Radio 1’s Ali Plumb, celebrating standout shorts with awards including Best Short, Best Student Short, Best Micro Short, the Young Jury Award and the Audience Award.
Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 is supported by Welsh Government through Event Wales, Arts Council of Wales / Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru with funding from the Welsh Government and the National Lottery, Wales Arts International / Arts Council of Wales / Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru with support from the Welsh Government and the National Lottery, Ffilm Cymru Wales & BFI NETWORK with funding from the National Lottery, and Ymddiried through the Owen Edwards Scholarship Fund. Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 is sponsored by University of South Wales, Cloth Cat and Beryl Productions.