Best Of Kaboom Animation Festival 2026 On Tour

Jocelyn Charles, 2025, FR, 16’
Get ready for a hell of a train ride. Literally! Director Jocelyn Charles introduces Ariel and Paul, who pass the time on their journey by sketching their worst fears. When a fellow passenger walks by, they realize she looks exactly like one of their drawings. From that moment on, their worst fears start crawling out of the sketchbook. God is Shy is a neck-grabbing debut that drags you into the darkest places. As one of Kaboom’s reviewers put it: “I love it when a film makes me wonder what the fuck possessed the people who made it. Extraordinary.”

Jean-Sébastien Hamel & Alexandra Myotte, 2025, CA, 11’
Dan has a gaping wound in his neck that refuses to heal. Why? He can neither remember nor talk about it. To confront it, he must return to the shadowy arena of his childhood and reclaim the part of himself he left behind, the part that keeps him from being whole as an adult. What We Leave Behind is a powerful, haunting film from the award-winning writer-director duo Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte.

Uliana Gromyko, 2025, NL, 5’
Error: Connection Lost is an autobiographical story that portrays the quiet, disorienting experience of a child shaped by migration’s instability. Centered on a brother and sister growing up in Ukraine in the early 2000s, the film follows their move to the Netherlands and the way they eventually drift apart.

Qi Duan, 2024, CN, 8’
What if you could break free from reality and do anything you want—what would you do? In a suffocating era marked by anxiety and crises of self-identity, Chinese director Qi Duan explores a series of environments where accumulated pressure finds an outlet. This bold student film is characterized by a variety of styles and textures, in the spirit of Masaaki Yuasa.

Suresh Eriyat, 2025, IN, 8’
The film explores the deep connection between Deccani wool, the land, and its people, highlighting its cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance. It delves into the resilience of the Deccani sheep, the traditions of shepherding, and the sacred role of wool in daily life. Through the story of Balu Mama and his revered flock, the film contrasts a rich heritage with the modern neglect of India.

Janneke Swinkels & Tim Frijsinger, 2025, NL/BE, 13’
Piet, an elderly man in a nursing home, gets restricted in his actions when he realizes he is suddenly turning into a bird. Even though he is still accepted within the group, Piet feels it is time to join a new flock. An enchanting, internationally acclaimed stop-motion film from Janneke Swinkels and Tim Frijsinger.

Patty Stenger & Yvonne Kroese, 2025, NL, 18’
The lonely teenager Yo hurls tomatoes in frustration and accidentally hits Lydia, an elderly woman with a disability. Rushing to her aid, he soon discovers that Lydia is not as helpless as she seems. Gradually, the line between perpetrator and victim blurs.