Fête du Cinéma d’Animation Returns to London with ‘Wildwood’, London Premieres and Aardman 50th Anniversary Celebrations
Skwigly
The French Institute in London presents a selection of new animation films alongside classics as part of the 25th Fête du Cinéma d’Animation. Intended for audiences of all ages, the festival will take place from 4 to 31 October at Ciné Lumière.
The programme will feature LAIKA Studios’ highly anticipated new fantasy adventure, Wildwood (30 & 31 October and 1 November). Set in an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon, the film follows headstrong teenager Prue McKeel on a desperate rescue mission after her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows.
Among the programme’s highlights are the London premieres of two acclaimed new animated features.
Winner of the Paul Grimault Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes 2025, Dandelion’s Odyssey (11 October) brings tiny seeds to life, giving them personalities and a remarkable sense of bravery, as they journey through uncharted landscapes in search of a new home.
Mary Anning (13 October: School Screening, 17 & 27 October) introduces audiences to the childhood of the celebrated palaeontologist, as a 12-year-old young girl determined to make her mark in a world designed for men. The screenings will be preceded by recorded Q&As with director Marcel Barelli and Production Designer Marjolaine Perrenten.
The festival will also present Antoine Lanciaux’s first feature-length film, a joyful story brought to life through the meticulous art of cut-out animation. The Songbird’s Secret (10 October) follows nine-year-old Lucie, who joins her archaeologist mother Caroline in the countryside for the holidays, only to discover some secrets about her family. The screening will be preceded by a recorded Q&A with director Antoine Lanciaux.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary Aardman studio, audiences can enjoy Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (24, 25 & 29 October), followed by a free clay stop-motion animation workshop on 29 October.
A landmark of animation, Of Stars and Men will receive a special screening in a recently restored print on 18 October. Created by legendary animation duo John and Faith Hubley and inspired by the 1959 book by astronomer Harlow Shapley, the film follows a young boy crowned King of Beasts as he begins to question humanity’s place in the universe. Winner of the Special Jury Award at the 1962 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the film will be introduced by Natasha Orlando Kappler, founder of Reverie Cineclub, who will also lead a paint-animation workshop following the screening.
A selection of French animated shorts for Adults (15 October) and for Young Audiences (28 October), along with screenings of the remastered print of Animal Farm by Joy Batchelor & John Halas (28 & 29 October) and Relaxed Screenings such as Alfredo Soderguit‘s Anina (4 October) complete the programme.