This shorts programme is curated in partnership with Samizdat Eastern European Film Festival in Glasgow and offers a unique collection of Eastern European surrealist animation from 1965 to 2022. This retrospective offers a whistlestop tour through the rich history of animation from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and exploring the ways in which this history is still influencing animators in the region today.

From a city run by beans to an office building filled with anti‑capitalist mice, these films represent not just the technical finesse and playfulness of animation, but also the intricate ways in which it captures the political and social anxieties of this geographic region. The showcase represents a fantastic opportunity for audiences in Stirling to see rarely exhibited films that have defined animation from the middle of the twentieth century to the present day.

Manipulate Arts’ Autumn Animation Season is supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery