We've finally reached the end of my Cardiff Animation Festival 2026 coverage and I want to begin by saying a huge huge thank you to Lauren and the team for hosting yet another amazing and successful festival and allowing me to cover press. As an avid animation fan, I am always amazed by the skill and craftsmanship that goes into making a film and CAF did not disappoint.

It's finally here! The third segment of my CAF 2026 reviews. A lot of these films demanded reflection as there were concurrent themes of change, identity, and acceptance. Before diving in, I just want to mention that it has been an absolute privilege to be able to review and discuss talented filmmakers from all over the world. Here is the final group of review write ups:

It’s time to dive back into the fun of Cardiff Animation Festival and talk about the next bunch of films from Shorts 1 and Shorts 8. I had the opportunity to meet and speak to many of the fil…

It’s been a while since I have attended a film festival and the lovely folks at Cardiff Animation Festival let me stretch the old critic legs and enjoy a weekend full of brilliant and quirky …

Originally published in Wales Arts Review. Cardiff Animation Festival was founded on a love of short films. This year’s festival showcased over 100 short films from all over the world, giving voice to emerging and veteran filmmakers. Falling into the latter category is Joanna Quinn, a seasoned animator who has brought her much-loved character Beryl back in her latest short film, Affairs of the Art.

Paul Thomas Anderson turns his attention to a period drama involving high fashion in 1950's London. The hype for this film was electric with much of the buzz revolving around Phantom Thread being the swansong for method acting master, Daniel Day-Lewis. Anderson's previous efforts centre on dreamy Californian landscapes, but here he swaps the American Dream for a film that captures the essence of the time, indulging in the opulence that the characters live with.

If ever there was a director bold enough to take on an adaptation of postmodern behemoth Thomas Pynchon, it's Paul Thomas Anderson. Inherent Vice is based on the 2009 novel of the same name set in 1970s California. Anderson sets himself a difficult challenge as the first (and still only!) person to adapt Pynchon for the screen. Remarkably enough, he even received Pynchon's support which is incredible considering how much of a recluse the author is.

The Big Kahuna. The game changer. The film that made Anderson a solidified mainstream beast of cinema. There Will Be Blood takes its inspiration from the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair and follows Daniel Plainview (played magnificently by Daniel Day-Lewis) and his climb to the top during the Southern California Oil Boom. The film is set in the late 19th century and is a seemingly traditional retelling of the American Dream but as with any PTA, not all is as it seems.

Punch Drunk Love is Paul Thomas Anderson's take on a romantic comedy, but still maintains his signature absurdity and intricacy. Following a more streamlined narrative and a smaller cast of characters, Punch Drunk Love is a 90 minute whirlwind. Whoever says that Adam Sandler has never turned in a great performance has never seen this gem of a film. Sandler plays Barry Egan, a depressed businessman who owns a company selling novelty items such as toilet plungers.

Commonly remembered as Paul Thomas Anderson's epic, Magnolia is 3 hour saga follows the seemingly isolated lives of various characters and their eventual biblical crossover. Building on the legacy of Boogie Nights by incorporating more stars and more stories than its predecessor. Set in LA, we follow the day of a policeman who finds a body in a closet, a terminally ill gameshow producer and a child progeny who is set to compete on the gameshow while suffering from abusive parents behind the scenes.

Boogie Nights marked Paul Thomas Anderson's cinematic breakthrough with his pitch perfect observation on the porn industry in 1970s Los Angeles. The film follows Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a high-school dropout who has a chance encounter with porn producer, Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) who propels him into the spotlight of adult film under the moniker, Dirk Diggler. The film brings drama, light comedy, acting legends, newcomers, movie magic and gritty realism which is interweaved into a large spiderweb that is just as complex as the mind.

Hard Eight marked Paul Thomas Anderson's feature debut, providing a strong start to a lengthy career that has seen masterpiece after masterpiece over the last three decades. Despite being made on a small budget, Hard Eight boasts an incredible cast including John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson. The film follows Philip Baker Hall as gambling addict, Sydney Brown who comes across a younger man, John Finnegan (Reilly) who has lost all his money gambling.

Die My Love is the latest offering from the incredible Lynne Ramsay. Coming almost a decade after her previous film, You Were Never Really Here, Die My Love follows doomed lovers, Grace (Jennifer L…

Bugonia was always bound to be one of the year’s wackiest films and boy, it did not disappoint. The film follows conspiracy theorist cousins, Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and Don (Aiden Delbis), who…

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best directors working today because you never know what to expect with each film and One Battle After Another is no exception. Heralded as the best film of the y…

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