Over the past 3 years Canterbury has been host to a wealth of talent from independent filmmakers to major studios. In 2007 we were joined by Oscar winning animator Suzie Templeton at a special screening of Peter and the Wolf, which was followed by a trip down memory lane with multi award winning Robert Bradbrook director of Home Road Movies. The 2008 festival welcomed primetime Emmy nominee Richard Goleszowski director of Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep and Creature Comforts as well as the Animate, Birth of British Cartoons Exhibition featuring the much loved Smallfilms and Bob Godfrey collections including family favourites such as Bagpuss, the Clangers, Roobarb and Custard and Henry’s Cat.

Well supported by pillars of Britain’s animation lineage the event is regularly attended by Peter Firmin (Smallfilms) and Graham Ralph (Silverfox Films). In 2009 we explored the broader world of animation looking back to the work of Halas and Batchelor’s public information films and their classic adaptation of Orwell’s Animal Farm. Stretching across the globe for a special screening of Sita Sings the Blues audiences were delighted with the work of international filmmaker Nina Paley before being transported behind the scenes of the very latest technology presented by the studio responsible for Hollywood special effects including Harry Potter and Stardust- Centroid 3D.

But rest assured this is just the tip of the iceberg, Barry Purves, Curtis Jobling, Alan Gilbey and more have all been among our guests and have helped the festival become what it is today.