La Grotta dei Piccoli returns to welcome children and young people on a new journey into the world of animation. Once again, we will present 100 short films from around the globe, carefully selected to offer our young audience a rich, stimulating, and engaging array of styles, techniques, and storytelling.

As always, the program will be divided into two parts: the first dedicated to younger children, and the second designed for older kids, aiming to offer each age group a tailored cinematic experience.

Among the themes, the Cambur selection remains a key part of our commitment to environmental awareness, featuring short films that explore sustainability-related issues in original, creative, and poetic ways.

The Children’s Jury is back again, made up of young viewers who will be voting for their favorite short film at the end of each screening, creating an opportunity that encourages dialogue, reflection, and shared experience.

In addition, we will be dedicating a special space to “Sunday Cinema- forms of resilience”, a series of animated shorts created in the tents of the Gaza refugee camps during workshops led by animator Haneen Koraz, along with her collaborators Nour A-Jawad and Shorook Darwish. This is a way for us to continue offering our support and visibility to the resilience of the Palestinian people through the expressive power of animation. The distribution of the shorts is made possible thanks to the ‘Animation Community 4 Palestine’ network, in collaboration with a fundraising campaign, the details of which we will be sharing.

Curated by: Valeria Weerasinghe

#LaGuarimba2025

CAMBUR SELECTION

a film selection for the environment

BOOKS ARE MADE OF TREES

Julianna Jakubowska | 2025 | 6′ | Denmark

In the face of danger looming over the Old Oak and its inhabitants, a grumpy librarian Leon refuses to leave the tree and his beloved book collection behind.

DANCING IN THE RAIN

Chao-chun Yeh | 2024 | 6′ | Taiwan

As rain begins to fall, a little girl drifts to sleep and enters a dream world where her journey with mice begins.

DESI OON

Suresh Eriyat | 2025 | 7′ | India

The Singing Wool of the Deccan: A journey through its cultural, spiritual, and ecological landscape.

LE PETIT ET LE GÉANT

Isabela Costa | 2025 | 9′ | France/Brazil

A little hamster living in a post-apocalyptic world discovers a spark of hope.

PLAYGROUND

Jojo Chongjaroenjai | 2024 | 1′ | USA

In a hidden micro-world, a playful folivore family turns greenery into toys, celebrating life as a playground.

QUOTA

Job, Joris & Marieke | 2024 | 3′ | The Netherlands

Global citizens track CO2 emissions—until the consequences of exceeding their quota are revealed.

REROOTED

Christian Spurling, Delphine Coudray | 2024 | 6′ | Ireland

We pose a question to the world through hand-crafted paper animation, tackling legacy and environmental issues.

RISE AGE

Tatjana Theuer | 2024 | 5′ | Germany

Fluorescent critters groove through a coastal world – until their crawling routine is turned upside down by the rising seas.

THE BEAR AND THE BIRD

Marie Caudry | 2024 | 26′ | France

As winter approaches, Bear defies hibernation to find Bird, discovering love and adventure.

THE REFUSERS

Wiep Teeuwisse | 2024 | 3′ | The Netherlands

On a city street, a discarded mattress sadly says, ‘They say I’m dirty…’

TUBULUS PLASTICUS

Yoonjoo Lee | 2025 | 1′ | South Korea

In a world ravaged by climate change, a stick insect evolves to mimic plastic straws.

VEILS OF LANDSCAPE

Chihiro Yamanaka | 2025 | 5′ | Japan

The east wind warms the water, merging landscapes as mountains drift to sleep.

CHILDREN SELECTION

ABOVE THE TAMARIND TREE

Buthyna Al-Mohammadi | 2024 | 8′ | Qatar

An introverted Qatari girl ventures into a wild valley, risking her life to reclaim her necklace.

AMEN

Orphee Coutier, Bettina Demarty, Kimie Maingonnat, Laurène Perego, Louise Poulain, Avril Zundel | 2024 | 7′ | France

Pigs are peacefully raised in a monastery, when one day one of them discovers the true reason for their existence.

ARIA

Arthur P. Motta | 2024 | 13′ | Brazil

Aria, a young deaf violinist, faces bullying from her classmates, causing her to lose interest in music. 

BAKING WITH BORIS

Maša Avramović | 2024 | 8′ | France

Every morning, Boris makes a fresh batch of crusty bread and pastries for all his neighbours until… Achoo! 

BARRY

YONK | 2025 | 1′ | The Netherlands

Barry, a humble slug, savors life’s simple pleasures, unaware of their fleeting nature.

BLISS

Freya Zoharah K. Sørensen | 2025 | 5′ | Denmark

Surrounded by the roots of a withering tree, the soul of an old woman departs from her former body. 

CARMEN AND THE WOODEN SPOON

Carlos Gómez-Mira Sagrado | 2024 | 20′ | Spain

Carmen, with a magic spoon, relives her Nonna’s memories and learns life lessons through food.

DOWN IN THE DUMPS

Vera van Wolferen | 2024 | 18′ | The Netherlands

Cinelli, a perfectionist ladybug, excludes her clumsy neighbor, Peri, from her birthday party.

EL CHUCUR

Jairo Tarapuez Jaramillo | 2024 | 12′ | Colombia

The Chucur, a fearless Andean weasel, prepares for the harvest festivity.

EUREKA!

Kris Borghs | 2024 | 10′ | Belgium

An extra-terestial duo crosses the universe to share technological insights with less brilliant minds.

EVERYTHING WE MISSED

Marta Prokopová | 2024 | 12′ | Slovakia

Eva Marty, an overworked toy maker, and her dog, Kubko, reconnect after an unexpected catastrophe.

FEELSLIKEIMFALLINGINLOVE

Raman Djafari | 2024 | 4′ | UK

Two friends, lovers, soulmates, a pair of two, searching and ultimately finding each other. 

FILANTE

Marion Jamault | 2024 | 9′ | France

Paulette wishes on a star to find her missing rat, but when it fails, she seeks answers.

FOREVER

Theo Djekou, Pierre Ferrari, Cyrine Jouini, Pauline Philippart, Anissa Terrier | 2024 | 6′ | France

While golfers play on the other side of the fence, peaceful garden gnomes find themselves attacked by stray golf balls.

FOREVER SEVEN

Antje Heyn, Alexander Isert | 2024 | 10′ | Germany

Sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective to discover something completely different behind a wooden box.

FREAK OF NATURE

Alexandra Lermer | 2024 | 8′ | Germany

A shy creature, trapped in a circus cage, gains courage when it finds a seedling to care for.

GILBERT

Arturo Lacal, Alex Salu, Jordi Jiménez | 2024 | 13′ | Spain

In a small archipelago, Gilbert, a gondolier, keeps a package meant for his neighbor.

HELL IS ABOVE US

Pietro Leddi | 2025 | 1′ | Italy

A surreal journey where creatures shift between worlds, dissolving into distorted, kaleidoscopic visions.

HELLO SUMMER

Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharová | 2024 | 11′ | Slovakia

Sea, sun, and family holidays—until the hotel, room, dinner, and luggage aren’t quite as expected.

HOMEWORK

Nacho Arjona | 2024 | 15′ | Spain

In a lively school, a pencil and its friends tackle unexpected adventures together.

HOUSE TRAP

George Hampshire | 2024 | 2′ | The Netherlands

When a mouse steals the last piece of a puzzle, an estranged family is brought together for a cat-and-mouse game.

INTERMEZZO

Putik Amirasari | 2024 | 3′ | Indonesia

A character trapped in the pursuit of perfection, finding comfort in it despite the chaos inside.

JARRED

Maryna Yanul | 2025 | 5′ | Ukraine

A peculiar creature lives safely in her jar, until a mysterious guest disrupts her routine.

KITTY KOTTY IN WINTER

Marta Strozycka | 2025 | 7′ | Poland

Kicia Kocia and friends enjoy a snowy day of sledding, snowflakes, and a sleigh ride.

LE CASE DI ACHILLE

Nespy 5Euro | 2024 | 3′ | Italy

Escaping the heat, I secretly record Achille’s absurd tale, where imagination defies logic.

LET'S PLAY

Marzieh Rasekh | 2024 | 5′ | The Netherlands

In a village consumed by adult responsibilities, a child yearns for play and fun. 

LITTLE HOLE

Giulia Tivelli | 2024 | 6′ | Italy

In a world where unloved children grow up in cardboard boxes, Daniel faces a turbulent journey, seeking someone to embrace.

MIND THE GAP

Gwenola Heck | 2024 | 1′ | Germany

When a city resident vanishes into the earth, the supposed ambulance rushes to the rescue.

MONSTER SHAKER

David Garcia | 2024 | 11′ | France

Justin’s magic shaker turns his family into TV characters, and he must fight to restore order before his world is rewritten.

MUSCLE MAN IN: METAL MAYHEM

Nicolas Gemoets | 2024 | 8′ | Belgium

Muscle Man, the world’s cleanest superhero, battles a giant robot, but his obsession with order may be his downfall.

NEXT STOP

María Barriga | 2024 | 3′ | Spain

A robot and a star clash over infinity, exploring the search for meaning through fate and unexpected turns.

PEAR GARDEN

Shadab Shayegan | 2024 | 7′ | Germany

Lily, six, discovers her grandmother’s shadow has breasts and sets out to return them after her mastectomy.

PENINSULA

Angèle Vergoni, Sarah Vanhoeck | 2025 | 6′ | Belgium

A woman wakes in a tiny forest—or is she the giant?

POLLIWOG

Julia Skala | 2024 | 9′ | Germany

Marlene, ashamed of her changing body, sets free a tadpole she identifies with after classmates mock it.

REMINDER

CIANG studio  | 2025 | 3′ | Italy

In a peaceful world where dogs have human heads, the protagonist has a furious argument with her partner and leaves the house in anger.

SAILBOAT AT THE END OF THE STREET

Lucia Aimara Borjas | 2025 | 8′ | Croatia

On a rainy night, 8-year-old Inja, saddened by bullying, encounters Marco Polo on his grand sailboat.

SAQ NIKTÉ AND THE SPIRIT OF THE MASK

Ester Weiner | 2025 | 5′ | Guatemala/Uruguay

In a forgotten community, an artisan girl puts an old K’iche’ invocation to the test and summons a curious spirit into our world.

SHORTS FROM THE BOX/MODERN TIMES

Géza M. Tóth | 2024 | 8′ | Hungary

A lone blue-headed matchstick embarks on three adventures, always returning to its box in a new way.

SIMON SUPER RABBIT S5

Julien Cayot | 2024 | 5′ | France

Simon the rabbit becomes SUPER RABBIT, battling Professor Wolf and discovering not all wolves are bad.

SPHERE SUPREME

Hasan Pastaci | 2024 | 5′ | Belgium/Turkey

Guided by a mystical pomegranate tree, Arama faces himself on a journey to uncover his identity, but will he stay whole?

THE FINAL

Álvaro Parrilla Álvarez | 2024 | 15′ | Germany

Little Manu will do everything she can to watch her team with her grandfather at the grand final soccer match.

THE GIRL WITH THE OCCUPIED EYES

André Carrilho | 2024 | 8′ | Portugal

A girl roams through city and nature, glued to her phone despite encounters with bears, pirates, and aliens.

THE LITTLE ANCESTOR

Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur | 2024 | 11′ | Canada

On a windswept hill, an ancestral house rises, witnessing 150 years of change.

THE PATH OF SOUNDS

Tom Raijasse, David Nguyen | 2024 | 8′ | France

In a peaceful valley lulled by music, Oudi and Melody live in harmony, making plants in their path.

THE STRANGE CASE OF THE HUMAN CANNONBALL

Roberto Valencia | 2024 | 10′ | Ecuador

One morning, a mysterious man is found lying in the square of a village inhabited by only six residents. 

UMMI AND ZAKI

Daniela Opp | 2024 | 4′ | Germany

Zaki vows friendship, but Ummi hesitates—until danger reveals their true bond.

WRONG WAY

Giacomo Calderoni | 2025 | 4′ | Italy

In a city choked by traffic, two motorcyclists defy the gridlock, speeding toward an inevitable collision. 

YORE GRAMPS AND THE WHALE

Mariana Elisabetsky | 2025 | 13′ | Brazil

A young boy living in a fisherman village elaborates on the loss of his beloved grandfather.

YOUTH SELECTION

#YACHT

Pablo Anasse, Loane Baumer, Marine Bouvier, Marie Malaval, Maxence Mouttou, Florence Susanna | 2024 | 5′ | France

A superficial couple spends an afternoon on a yacht until their daily lives are disrupted.

 

A TOI

Stéphane Berla | 2024 | 3′ | France

A red boy and blue girl, embodying masculinity and femininity, reunite and merge into something new.

AL AMAL

Thomas Kunstler | 2025 | 3′ | Greece

Orhan, a Syrian Kurd in a refugee camp on Lesbos, fled war in 2013, seeking peace in Turkey, only to find it still out of reach.

AN EXPLOSIVE LOVE STORY

Adina Oana Enache | 2024 | 2′ | Italy

An explosive love story about two hunters who fall in love but struggle to accept their feelings.

ARE WE THERE YET?

Sven Kristlbauer, Raul Bison, Marion Zeder | 2024 | 5′ | Switzerland

Nine-year-old Timo escapes into his fantasy world to avoid his parents’ endless bickering in the car.

AU COEUR DU SON

Marie Larrive, Lucas Malbrun | 2024 | 4′ | France

Marie and Lucas, inspired by Murnau’s Nosferatu, share a silent yet intense attraction that leads to their tragic fate.

BOX

Aline Schoch | 2024 | 8′ | Switzerland

In a regulated system, isolated figures stack paper boxes until they collapse, leading them to discover life together.

STORYTELLING

Nils Hedinger | 2024 | 8′ | Switzerland

From cave drawings to echo chambers: The history of humankind is a history of storytelling.

COTTAGE CHEESE

Liina Luomajoki, Lena Metzger, Janina Müller, Alice Kunz | 2024 | 5′ | Switzerland

When Mika sits down on the toilet, she is shocked to discover that there is something slimy in her underpants.

CREATE SAFE DANCE SPACES

Britt Raes | 2024 | 1′ | Belgium

Someone is dancing too close and invading your personal space.

A short video to create awareness about inappropriate behavior, harassment and crossing one’s borders.

CREATE SAFE TALKING SPACES

Britt Raes | 2024 | 1′ | Belgium

Someone is invading your personal space. 

DAGON

Paolo Gaudio | 2024 | 6′ | Italy

In 1919 San Francisco, a man on a ledge relives his terrifying encounter with Dagon, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.

DEAD WEIGHT

Øyvind Tangseth | 2024 | 8′ | Norway

Three men, on their way in a descending balloon over icy sea, need to get rid of some weight.

DETOURS AHEAD

Esther Cheung | 2024 |  8′ | Canada

A road trip traces a transition of grief to acceptance through valleys, junctions, and detours. 

DOLORES

Cecilia Andalón Delgadillo | 2024 | 9′ | Mexico

Seven-year-old Dolores runs from a fire demon and accidentally falls into a grave.

DREAM

Semiramis Mamata | 2025 | 5′ | Greece

A magical trip, an escape from reality. Follow the adventure of a human creature and their animal friends in a colourful dream world.

FLOATERS

Mocong Yuan | 2024 | 6′ | UK

A woman’s life has been turned upside down ever since she noticed those strange floating strings in her sight.

FLOW OF BEING

Helen Unt | 2024 | 11′ | Bulgaria/Estonia

A person is in the flow. They make a decision and keep flowing until all becomes one.

GRAVITY

Robotina – Sara Taigher and Yassmin Yaghmai | 2024 | 9′ | Italy/Mexico

In a world where gravity pushes skyward, X marches forward, unwavering and determined despite the chaos.

HIGH DIVER

Oscar Bittner | 2024 | 5′ | Germany

Tuan and Felix, Olympic divers and childhood friends, face a choice between victory and love.

I AM GLITCHING

Salma Parra | 2024 | 7′ | Germany

In a world of perfection, a robot designed for flawless precision begins to fall in love with the unpredictability of errors.

IMPOSSIBLE MALADIES

Alice & Stefano Tambellini | 2023 | 8′ | Italy

Aboard their cart, Doctor Rabarbaro and his assistant Tosse travel from house to house to cure absurd illnesses with their ingenious remedies.

JOUR DE VENT

Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Élise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding | 2024 | 7′ | France

Wind blows through a park. People fly away.

MIMT

Ted Wiggin | 2024 | 4′ | USA

To give a snake an orange.

NABU

Joanna Rusinek | 2023 | 5′ | Poland

After her village burns, Nabu searches for her brother, swept into darkness while his toy washes ashore.

NÉ UNA NÉ DUE

Lucia Catalini | 2024 | 6′ | Italy

Elena finds her grandmother’s notebook and makes a new wish: to remember Laura.

PIETRA

Cynthia Levitan | 2024 | 13′ | Portugal/Brazil/Lithuania/Poland/Spain

In a Portuguese neighborhood, a flower symbolizes love amidst suffocation and embrace.

POTATOES

Marcin Podolec | 2023 | 4′ | Poland

Sometimes, it’s worth letting go, both: for yourself and for others. 

RAAF

Jeroen Ceulebrouck | 2024 | 13′ | Belgium/Portugal

Marko, struggling with his past, embarks on a surreal journey with his daughter, blurring the line between delusion and reality.

ROBERT YOGHURT

Sacha Beeley | 2024 | 2′ | UK

Robert Yoghurt loves his mummy.

SOCIETY OF CLOTHES

Dahee Jeong | 2024 | 15′ | France

In a world of clothes-shaped people, a girl with a body but no clothes disrupts their reality.

THAT MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES

Eléonore Geissler | 2024 | 12′ | France

A zoologist obsessed with geometry and his dog Jean face a heatwave, as hair invades and the dog reveals his naked skin.

THE DOG IN THE LONG GRASS

Seb Cox | 2025 | 5′ | UK

Haunted by a black dog, a man searches the Sussex landscape for an unanswered question.

THE SHYNESS OF TREES

Bingqing Shu, Maud Le Bras, Jiaxin Huang, Simin He, Lina Han, Loïck Du Plessis D’argentré, Sofiia Chuikovska | 2024 | 9′ | France

Hélène visits her aging mother, who has formed a strange bond with nature in the garden.

THE THOUGHTLESS HAND

Harry Bhalerao | 2025 | 5′ | UK/Germany

Charlie is overcome by guilt after murdering an innocent creature.

TINY LITTLE BOPOOLAGI

Bom Kim | 2024 | 9′ | South Korea

Aging, she feels out of place, with her garden lacking life except for her ‘Bopoolagi’.

TV OR THE DISTURBANCE ON FOREST HILL ROAD

Frederic Siegel | 2025 | 14′ | Switzerland

Diego’s square eyes unleash chaos, forcing officers Kim and Mike to face fictional threats in reality.

UNCERTIFIED DOCUMENT

Hao Wang, Ying Wan, Ximing Li, Nahee Jang | 2024 | 7′ | France

Mr. Everest, trapped in paperwork before entering heaven, accepts it’s not what he expected.

WHERE I BELONG

Mohamad Beirouty | 2024 | 8′ | Lebanon

A skeletal figure with a red scarf searches for where he belongs.

WIND GOES ON

Eric Lee | 2024 | 15′ | Hong Kong

As her home faces demolition, Fung finds an unexpected friend in her fading homeland.

SUNDAY CINEMA
shorts for resilience

This light and moving collection of short films showcase the everyday adventures, challenges, and dreams of children living in Gaza. Told through their own drawings, voices, and creative visions, these stories capture simple and extraordinary moments: what it’s like to live in a tent, how much you can miss your eggs for breakfast or a story of a day spent with a cheeky grandmother. Through humour, honesty, and resilience, each film reflects the boundless imagination and spirit of young storytellers.

Workshop and films are made by Haneen Koraz, a stop-motion educator and trainer who, as an internally displaced person, lived at the refugee camp in Deir al-Balah. She is an experienced animator who has collaborated with various arts and culture associations working in Gaza. Her efforts especially focus on empowerment of women and young girls with hearing impairments. In the camp, Haneen and her team (Nour A-Jawad and Shorook Darwish) led animation workshops for women and children to help them cope with the horrors they have experienced.

On August 22, 2024 people in the camp were forced to evacuate. Haneen, Nour, and Shorook, even though displaced again, continue their work.

To support Haneen’s animation workshops Go to GoFundMe, donate and share.
Direct Support Links
GoFundMe (One-time donations): https://gofund.me/9d503779
Patreon (Monthly support for Haneen & the team): https://www.patreon.com/c/animationstories/membership

A DAY IN THE TENT

Haneen Koraz & Children from the Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in Gaza

A chaotic day in a Palestinian refugee camp – seen through the eyes and drawings of the children who live it.

THE KIDS FIXED IT

Haneen Koraz & Children from Khan Younis in Gaza

A short film presenting the process of rebuilding the home, staying hopeful and collaborating in Gaza.

GRANDMOTHER WORE US OUT

Haneen Koraz & Children from the Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp

This full of optimism short film was made with 14 girls from Deir al Balah and is about a family who have taken refuge in a classroom in an UNRWA school.

SIX CHILDREN AND EGGS

Haneen Koraz & Children from the Basmet Amal Camp in the Deir al-Balah in Gaza

Light and humorous short film about finding joy in each moment of life.

THE MONSTER

Haneen Koraz & Children from the Basmet Amal Camp in the Deir al-Balah in Gaza

Short film about healing power of music and art, changing monsters into harmless little piece of sand.