The Best Short Films to See at Fantasia Film Festival 2026 (Part One)

ANIME NO BENTO 2026

Fantasia’s annual panoply of short-form anime returns with one of its strongest lineups yet on July 19, at the Cinéma du Musée at 3pm.

The 2026 edition showcases new works from leading studios such as Nippon Animation and STUDIO4ºC, rising companies Gemstone and ETERNA, and promising new directors cultivated by Tama Art University and the So-Fu Project. While every film embraces the language of Japanese animation, each offers its own distinct style, tone, and personality, highlighting the remarkable diversity of contemporary anime.

20001 An Earth Odyssey
(Japan, dir. Haruki Kasugamori, World Premiere)

Captain Kepo and his crew, curious Alcia and rookie Rigel, land on a planet to figure out what wiped out its once-dominant species. Turns out that planet is Earth, long after we’re gone. They get everything hilariously wrong (a swing becomes a sacred altar, an umbrella’s a comms device, a graveyard’s a farm), and it’s Nippon Animation doing what they do best with a sci-fi comedy twist.

For those fortunate to see this work at Annecy as part of Nippon Animation’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a lot of industry insiders have said it’s a wonderful wink and a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s film.

Ambivalent Garden
(Japan, dir. Nagomi Ueno, World Premiere)

Two souls born from matching lotus flowers embody opposing natures in a visually striking allegory inspired by Symbolism and Art Nouveau.

Don’t Dodge Life
(Japan, dir. Taka Yuki, World Premiere)

A lonely grocery clerk meets the personification of Life while waiting at a bus stop on her birthday, leading to an unexpected encounter with possibility.

Dust of the Simulacrum
(Japan, dir. Eit Mitsufuchi, World Premiere)

A young girl arrives of the surface of a harsh and dangerous world. There she meets a boy prepared to confront those dangers. Each is there with a purpose, as the world around them gradually falls apart, atom by atom, or rather, datum by datum. An effective, self-contained work of science fiction in a 3DCG anime style from promising newcomer Eit Mitsufuchi, whose film makes wise use of the strengths and familiar flaws of digital visions. – Rupert Bottenberg

Echo
(Japan, dir. Asuka Dokai, International Premiere)

Two identical children begin a mysterious nine-month journey through a strange liminal world under the guidance of a mischievous spirit.

Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki
(Japan, dir. Takeru Shinozuka, World Premiere)

A discouraged anime studio character designer begins to believe she may be possessed by a legendary fox spirit from Japanese folklore.

Future Kid Takara Episode 1 – The Child from the Future
(Japan, dir. Yuta Sano, International Premiere)

Takara is a boy-robot with a time-machine function, and his creator Dr. Amory wants to send him to our present-day reality to warn everyone about the shape of things to come. It doesn’t look good! Not only is this work made to warn viewers about the environmental changes ahead, but it also suggests that it’s never too late to do something about it.

Originally commissioned for the 2025 Osaka World Expo, where it made its world premiere, the fact-filled, fun, and yet frightening Future Kid Takara micro-series from STUDIO4ºC (Tekkon Kinkreet, All You Need Is Kill) was later broadcast on Japan’s NHK Educational TV. Rupert Bottenberg wrote, “Fantasia’s screening marks its debut beyond Japan’s borders, the first of hopefully many platforms around the globe for Takara’s urgent, universal message.”

CHINA MOSAIC

This inaugural showcase playing at the Salle J.A. De Sève on July 29th is dedicated to works from Mainland China. And for most of its tales, stories are told through the eyes of children. Like pieces of a mosaic, each film has its own colour and shape, together creating a multifaceted portrait of growing up in a contemporary world rather than one buried in the past. Most of these works are making their North American premiere.

Kill Ada
(China, dir. Cai Kunyu)

Once women enter marriage or start a family, their roles seem almost pre-programmed: clean the house and never complain. However, the constant suppression will lead to an eventual breaking point. As an NPC in an FPS game, Ada’s daily life is like a cycle: she cleans up the house damaged by players, then gets killed by them afterward. Once the game restarts, she revives and repeats the same routine. Suddenly, a bug appears in the game, making a change within Ada. She now can fight back against other players, and she can finally defend her house. – Xige Yi

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
(China, dir. Lai Yingdan)

A child’s search for a missing piece of chocolate becomes a simple yet heartfelt story about the little mysteries of growing up.

Pile On
(China, dir. Hu Lu)

One summer day in 1999, 10-year-old Xiaohu uses homework as an excuse to stay home and turns his home into a playground for his friends. Their boundless energy finally finds an outlet, especially without the parents around. Such “freedom,” combined with their curiosity about the unknown and the “forbidden,” lures them into trying, provoking, and even destroying everything around them. However, they never realize that a simple afternoon of play will soon escalate into a surprising incident. – Xige Yi

Scorching
(China, dir. Wang Beidi)

As time passes, a new question arises: what will the future look like? Growing up in a small village, Yanyan doesn’t have many choices. Her grandma always wanted her to work at the local chicken-processing plant, but Yanyan is opposed to that idea. Yet when her grandma asks, “Where do you want to go?”, Yanyan herself doesn’t know the answer. But there’s no escaping it. She starts working at the factory, eventually. The wobbly birthday cake her mom orders for her seems like a bad omen for her uneasy future. Still, Yanyan refuses to give up, and quietly finds her own way to fight back. – Xige Yi

Ugh
(China / USA, dir. Scarlett Wang Yuan)

This coming-of-age tale follows a young girl named Ai as she struggles to understand what she is allowed to say and what she perceives as terrible. As her name suggests, being beloved isn’t always easy, especially while trying to find your place in a rough-and-tumble world.

We Will Follow the Wind
(Hong Kong / China / France, dir. Demon Wong)

A young person searches for belonging and the courage to embrace an uncertain future in a poignant coming-of-age tale. To reveal too much would spoil the magic this multi-national production is exploring.