Animation is Film Festival Lineup: Scarlet, Arco, and More

The Animation Is Film Festival, a Los Angeles-based festival dedicated to showcasing the best of international animation, has announced its full lineup for its eighth edition this October. The festival, produced by GKIDS in partnership with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, will showcase several features and prospective films for the upcoming Oscars Animated Feature race, ahead of shortlist announcements in December.

The festival will open with “Scarlet,” the anime film from Mamoru Hosoda that premiered at the Venice Film Festival this summer, ahead of its theatrical release December 12. The Centerpiece selection for the festival is “Arco,” the debut feature of French director Ugo Bienvenu, which premiered at Cannes in May. To close the festival, the AIF will screen “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” co-directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han.

Other films that will play in competition at AIF include “All You Need Is Kill,” “Lesbian Space Princess,” “I Am Frankelda,” and “Nobody,” the highest-grossing 2D animated film in Chinese history. Special screenings taking place include the world premiere of a newly remastered 3D print of Laika stopmotion film “Paranorman” alongside a new short “Paranorman: The Thrifting,” a special screening of highly anticipated anime film “Chainsaw Man: The Movie — Reze Arc,” a work in progress panel for Disney’s upcoming “Zootopia 2,” and a filmmaker panel with the directors of “KPOP Demon Hunters.”

“It’s with enormous pride that AIF returns in its role as the first opportunity for Los Angeles to experience
these essential films on their journey to end-of-year awards and Best-of lists,” Matt Kaszanek, Director of Animation Is Film, said in a statement. “This carefully curated lineup — featuring new works from animation legends alongside feature film debuts — is a celebration of the medium. It’s wonderful to be home.”

The Animation Is Film Festival takes place from October 17 to October 19 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood. Read the full lineup below.

Competition Section

“All You Need Is Kill” (dir. Ken’ichiro Akimoto / Japan / West Coast Premiere)
Trapped in a relentless time loop during an alien plant invasion, Rita fights, falls, and fights again
— until she discovers Keiji, another soul caught in the same cycle. A GKIDS release.

“Arco” (dir. Ugo Bienvenu / France-United States / Los Angeles Premiere)
Annecy Cristal Award winner. What if rainbows were time travelers? On his first journey through
time, 10-year-old Arco crashes from the distant past into the near future, where his new friend
Iris helps him find his way back home. A NEON release. Director Ugo Bienvenu in attendance.

“Chao” (dir. Yasuhiro Aoki / Japan / USA Premiere)
Annecy Special Jury Prize winner. In a world of humans and merpeople, Princess Chao’s
engagement to a human engineer sparks a romance that defies both worlds. A GKIDS release.
Character Designer Hirokaru Kojima in attendance.

“Decorado” (dir. Alberto Vázquez / Spain / West Coast Premiere)
Spanish animation master Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy, Unicorn Wars) returns with a vivid
reimagining of his 2016 short, bringing iconic characters to life in a bold, darkly imaginative
world.

“I Am Frankelda” (dirs. Arturo & Roy Ambriz / Mexico / USA Premiere)
Frankelda, a fearless 19th-century writer, journeys into her own imagination to confront the
monsters she’s created — guided by a tormented prince and racing against time to restore
balance. Directors Roy & Arturo Ambriz in attendance.

“Lesbian Space Princess” (dirs. Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese / Australia / Los
Angeles Premiere)
A sheltered princess from Clitopolis blasts off into queer-space to rescue her ex-girlfriend from
the tyrannical Straight White Maliens, navigating cosmic dangers and epic adventure.

“Little Amélie Or the Character of Rain” (dirs. Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han /
Belgium-France / USA Premiere)
Annecy Audience Award winner. In post-war Japan, young Amélie navigates life between
cultures with emerald-eyed wonder, guided by her beloved Nishio-san as she begins to grasp
love, loss, and belonging. A GKIDS release. Directors Maïlys Vallade & Liane-Cho Han in
attendance.

“Nobody” (dir. Shui Yu / China / US Premiere)
China’s highest-grossing 2D animated film. A little pig demon leaves Langlang Mountain,
teaming with toad, weasel, and gorilla demons for an epic journey westward.

“Scarlet” (dir. Mamoru Hosoda / Japan / West Coast Premiere)
Academy Award®-nominated Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai) delivers a thrilling, time-bending
adventure — Scarlet, a medieval sword-wielding princess, confronts her father’s killer while
discovering a future beyond vengeance. A Sony Pictures Classics release. Director Mamoru
Hosoda in attendance.

“A Story About Fire” (dir. Wenyu Li / China / West Coast Premiere)
A monkey raised by humans braves a sacred mountain in search of fire. Through peril and
perseverance, he transforms into something extraordinary.

Special Screenings & Studio Events

Special Screening: “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc” (dir. Tatsuya Yoshihara / Japan /
West Coast Premiere)
Chainsaw Man slashes onto the big screen for its West Coast debut, delivering a first look at the
thrilling continuation of the hit anime. After being killed by the yakuza, Denji fuses with his
chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, becoming an unstoppable force. But when the mysterious
Reze enters the fray, he faces his deadliest — and most emotional — battle yet. (Sony Pictures
Entertainment)

Special 13th Anniversary Screening: “Paranorman” paired with short film “Paranorman: The Thrifting”
A celebration of LAIKA’s much-loved “Paranorman” in the first outing of a newly remastered
print, paired with the World Premiere of the new short “Paranorman: The Thrifting.
Together, they represent two decades of inventive storytelling and the studio’s signature, playful
mastery of the craft of animation. Director Chris Butler and voice actor Anna Kendrick in
attendance. (LAIKA)

Filmmaker Panel: “KPOP Demon Hunters”
An up-close conversation with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, producer Michelle
Wong, production designer Helen Chen and head of character animation Josh Beveridge,
exploring the creative spark and bold choices that brought one of the year’s most ambitious, and
talked-about, animated undertakings to life. (Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation)

Work-in-Progress Panel: “Zootpia 2”
A work-in-progress presentation led by Carrie Liao, Head of Story, who takes us behind the
scenes into the development, storyboarding, and animation techniques of Disney’s highly
anticipated 64th feature. (Walt Disney Animation)

Work-in-Progress Panel: “Pretty Pretty Pretty Please I Don’t Want to be a Magical Girl”
A pilot preview, with creator Kiana Khansmith, voice actors Anairis Quiñones and Christine
Marie Cabanos, and editor Emily Rifkin, exploring their creative breakthroughs, the challenges
of crafting a pilot, and realizing bold ideas through the production pipeline.

Pre-Festival Preview: “The Twits” (dir. Phil Johnston / USA)
An early look at “The Twits,” where two orphans join a family of enchanted animals to take on
the nefarious Mr. and Mrs. Twit. Writer-Director-Producer Phil Johnston will attend in person to
discuss the film’s creation and his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic novel. (Netflix)

Shorts Program 1

“Éiru” (Ireland / Giovanna Ferrari)
Éiru, the youngest child of a powerful Iron Age Irish clan, seizes a chance to prove herself when
her village faces a mysterious crisis, embarking on a perilous adventure beneath the earth. From
Cartoon Saloon.

“Forevergreen” (USA/Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears)
An orphaned bear cub finds a home with a fatherly evergreen tree, discovering comfort in its
branches, before his curiosity — and desire for snacks — leads him into danger.

“Cardboard” (United Kingdom / J.P. Vine)
Worried he’s let his piglets down, a single dad moves them into a trailer park. When his kids turn
a box into an intergalactic adventure, he must decide — stay stuck in the past, or join in. From
Locksmith Animation in association with DNEG Animation and Ritzy Animation.

“Versa” (USA / Malcoln Pierce)
Poignant and visually captivating, a young couple navigate the highs and lows of love, loss, and
joy, swept along in an ethereal cosmic dance of life. From Walt Disney Animation.

“Snow Bear” (USA / Aaron Blaise)
Hand-drawn over many years and radiating all the delicacy of classic animation, a lonely polar
bear, craving connection, brings a companion to life in his frozen world.

Shorts Program 2

“Autokar” (Poland, Belgium / Sylwia Szkiłądź)
In the 1990s, 8-year-old Agata leaves Poland for Belgium, seeing migration through a child’s
eyes, as a journey of memory, imagination, and discovery unfolds on a fantastical bus ride.

“Como Si La Tierra Se Las Hubiera Tragado” (Mexico, France / Natalia Leon)
A young woman returns to her hometown in Mexico, seeking to reconnect with her past, while
the systemic darkness she witnessed as a child endures, stirring memories she must confront
and reconcile.

“Gigi” (France / Cynthia Calvi)
From a tormented little mermaid to the blossoming woman she is today, Gigi recounts her
journey of transition with humor and sensitivity, exploring her path toward selfhood and
belonging.

“The Night Boots” (France / Pierre-Luc Granjon)
Winner of the Annecy Festival’s Cristal for Short Film. When Elliot meets an inquisitive little
creature in the woods, solitude gives way to both wander and wonder. Between shadows and
light, the pair chart a quiet night of magical discovery.

“Playing God” (Italy, France / Matteo Burani)
A sculptor, obsessed with perfection, infuses life into a clay figure. Blinded by his pursuit, he can
no longer see the beauty in his creations — even as they come alive.

“Retirement Plan” (Ireland / John Kelly)
In the throes of an overstimulated, energy-drained midlife, Ray fantasizes about all he hopes to
do in retirement, once he finally has the ‘time.’

“Shadows” (France, Jordan / Rand Beiruty)
At an overcrowded airport, a 14-year-old runaway mother struggles against lurking shadows that
threaten her, holding fast to the one dream that might finally set her free.

The Best of Annecy, In Partnership With Women in Animation

“Afterglow” (Hungary / Sophia Belleli, Lazarine Biaud, Joyanne Marquetant, Sarah Remane,
Yann Tournois)
In this 2025 Annecy Ident, a group of young Hungarians wander from Budapest’s old city,
uncovering its layers of history and beauty before arriving at the city’s iconic ruin bars and
nightclubs.

“Hairy Legs” (Canada / Andrea Dorfman)
One question — “Why do I have to shave my legs?” — sets a 13-year-old on a journey of
self-discovery, capturing the shift from carefree days to facing — and challenging — the
expectations and stereotypes that shape girlhood.

“Ovary Acting” (Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom / Ida Melum)
At her sister’s baby shower, a thirty-something woman is forced to confront motherhood… in
perhaps the most unexpected — and literal — way possible.

“Safo” (Brazil / Rosana Urbes)
Inspired by fragments of poems by Sappho (Lesbos, 600 BC) — the first known female author of
the Western world — lyrical expressions entwine with the shifting interpretations of her figure
across history.

“Sulaimani” (France / Vinnie Ann Bose)
Two friends share a meal at an Indian restaurant in Paris, where the flavours stir buried
emotions and unlock memories that slowly reveal why they left their homeland.

“Zwermen ❊ Mumuration” (Belgium, The Netherlands / Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger)
Trapped in a nursing home — a world of bingo, pills, dentures, and dementia — an elderly man
longs for freedom beyond its walls, in a magical-realist fable of longing and escape.

Student Showcase

Celebrating the next generation of filmmakers, this Student Showcase presents short films from
emerging artists, brought to you by educational partners at California Institute of the Arts,
University of Southern California, California State University Long Beach, California State
University Fullerton, and ArtCenter College of Design.