Manchester Animation Festival Unveils 2026 Competition, Full Program With ‘Wildwood,’ ‘Ray Gunn,’ ‘Forgotten Island’

Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) returns November 8–12 with a 2026 program featuring major studio showcases, international competition titles, artist talks, industry events, and previews of several high-profile upcoming animated features.

The U.K.’s largest animation festival, which is both Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying, will take place at HOME and other venues across Manchester. This year’s lineup includes presentations from Laika, Netflix, DreamWorks Animation, Cartoon Saloon, Lupus Films, Aardman, BBC Studios, and Industrial Light & Magic, alongside a special focus on Mexican animation.

Here are some of the highlights from MAF 2026:

Laika Makes Its MAF Debut With ‘Wildwood’

Laika will attend MAF for the first time this year, bringing its latest stop-motion feature, Wildwood, to Manchester for a special screening. The film is the studio’s first feature since 2019’s Missing Link and is directed by Travis Knight.

The screening will include an exclusive making-of session offering a closer look at the craft and production behind the film. Laika, whose previous features include Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings, has made behind-the-scenes presentations of its elaborate stop-motion process a regular part of its festival appearances.

‘Ray Gunn’ And ‘Forgotten Island’

Passholders will get an advance look at Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn, with MAF hosting a preview of the sci-fi action feature ahead of its December Netflix launch.

DreamWorks Animation will also bring its upcoming adventure-comedy Forgotten Island to Manchester for a special out-of-competition preview. The two screenings give MAF attendees early looks at major studio features before their wider releases.

Lupus Films, Cartoon Saloon, And More Special Screenings

Lupus Films will present the premiere of Mog’s Bad Thing, its latest adaptation of a Judith Kerr picture book. The screening will be accompanied by a session with members of the creative team exploring how Kerr’s work was adapted for the screen.

Cartoon Saloon will present the hand-drawn mermaid tale Julián, while French adult animated comedy Jim Queen brings LGBTQIA+ representation to the festival’s international lineup. MAF will also mark the centenary of Lotte Reiniger’s pioneering The Adventures of Prince Achmed with a rare screening of the 1926 silhouette-animated feature.

MAF’s International Feature Competition

Five films from Europe, Asia, and Latin America make up the international feature lineup announced by MAF. The selections span a wide range of styles and genres, from coming-of-age drama and musical storytelling to science fiction and action-comedy.

• In Waves, Phuong Mai Nguyen (France, Belgium)
• Blaise, Dimitri Planchon, Jean-Paul Guigue (France)
• We Are Aliens, Kohei Kadowaki (Japan, France)
• Viva Carmen, Sébastien Laudenbach (France)
• Brave Cat, Gabriel Osorio Vargas (Chile)

Mexico In The Spotlight

This year’s animation focus, Mexico in Motion, is presented in association with the British Council and will spotlight the country’s animation industry and artists.

Among the guests is Angélica Lares, head of studio at Guadalajara’s Guillermo del Toro-backed stop-motion outfit El Taller del Chucho, which worked on the filmmaker’s Pinocchio for Netflix. Lares will take audiences behind the scenes at the studio and introduce some of the directors and craftspeople responsible for its stop-motion work.

Aardman Looks To Its Next 50 Years

Following Aardman’s recent 50th anniversary milestone, co-founder Peter Lord will be joined by director and animator Will Becher and creative director of IP development Nat McKay for a special conversation looking toward the studio’s next 50 years of clay.

Elsewhere, Industrial Light & Magic will return to MAF for a session exploring the future of video content, while BBC Studios Kids & Family will present a making-of session for Vanishing Point, its first animated episodic drama for CBBC.

Krygon Studios’ Bradley Harris will lead an Epic Games-supported session exploring real-time filmmaking and animation. AI will also feature prominently in the industry program, with several events examining the challenges the technology poses and how animation creators can respond to its growing impact on the business.

Artist Talks, Immersive Work, And Live Drawing

Sweden-based filmmaker Ida Melum, whose credits include Ovary Acting and Night of the Living Dread, will give an artist talk. The BAFTA- and BIFA-nominated filmmaker is also the only director to have won the MAF Audience Award twice.

Artist AJ Jeffries will give an in-depth talk following his MAFter Dark win last year for the dark comedy Ducks. The broader program also includes Animated Immersive Experience events showcasing VR work, the return of adult animation specialist Mark Taynton’s Live Drawing Challenge, and evening socials throughout the week.

Industry Events And Emerging Talent

MAF’s industry program includes the return of the Animation Nation Forum, supported this year by Manchester City Council, with panels and discussions focused on issues facing the animation sector.

The free-to-attend Bridgewater Hall marketplace will provide a meeting point for studios, recruiters, and animation professionals. The Young Animator of the Year Awards also return, spotlighting emerging talent working across 2D, 3D, and stop-motion animation, with accompanying events including a special talk from Aardman’s Gav Strange.

MAF will additionally host a dedicated family day with hands-on activities and interactive experiences aimed at younger audiences and aspiring animators.

MAF Awards Close Out The Festival

The festival concludes November 12 with its annual awards ceremony, hosted this year by writer, comedian, and actor Molly McGuiness.

Awards will recognize work across British Film, Feature Film, Short Film, Student Film, Commissioned Film, Immersive Work, Children’s Shorts, and the Audience Award. Winners receive MAF’s festival trophy, handcrafted by North-West model makers Mackinnon & Saunders.

The ceremony will also include MAF’s Industry Excellence Awards, recognizing individual achievement in writing, storyboarding, character design, and character animation.

The full MAF 2026 program is available on the Manchester Animation Festival website.