126 films have been selected from the 2,600 entered and are all on show over the 10 day festival

The 14th annual London International Animation Festival returns to the Barbican on December 1 with ten days of the best animated shorts and features.

Of the more than 2,600 new films entered for the festival, the best 126 have been selected across several competitive categories in the International Competition Programme.

The opening gala on December 1 at 6:30pm brings animator David O’Reilly’s absurdist narratives to the fore. His work has earned more than 80 awards at festivals worldwide, defying traditional forms and aesthetic conventions. He is known for Her (2013) and visuals for musicians such as M.I.A. and U2. He also gives a lecture on December 3.

The programme for the international competition has eight separate screenings showcasing the best in new animation. Programme 1: From Absurd to Zany on December 2 looks at some of the weirdest and funniest films. The second, Being Human, looks at the big moments in life with themes of connection and isolation.

The other six programmes cover looking for answers, emotion and the darkness of scary cinema.

A showcase of British animation (December 1, 9pm) includes shorts from two to nine minutes and talks from the filmmakers themselves. Felix Massie’s Rain or Shine is a 360 degrees interactive VR animation about a little girl called Ella, who is pestered by her own personal raincloud every time she puts on her new sunglasses.

Layla Atkinson’s Aftermath is an adaptation of Siegfried Sassoon’s war poem, which was broadcast on every Armistice Day for many years after the war.

There are also full length feature screenings, such as Cleopatra (December 2, 9pm), a rare Japanese anime from 1970 made by Osamu Tezuka and Eilchi Yamamoto, which was never released in the UK.

A special programme, Female Figures, gives you the chance to question filmmakers. Female Figures presents a selection of shorts with complex and compelling female characters, followed by a panel discussion about on screen representation, problematic depiction of women as passive objects of desire and the rise of female-led narratives.

Academy Award nominated Don Hertzfelt shows his vision of the future in two episodes of World of Tomorrow (December 10, 2pm).

Most events are at least a 15 rating, but two events for children (for 0-7 and 8-15 year olds, though all adults are also welcome) mean there’s something for all.

A closing gala on December 10 shows the best films form the festival, selected by a judging panel and audience votes.

For a full programme of events over the 10 days, go to liaf.org.uk