Visible Mending: Festival Recognition and EE BAFTA Longlist

Animation, Behind The Scenes, Model Making, Puppetry, Stop-Motion Animation

The animated documentary Visible Mending, produced with the support of Second Home Studios, received international festival recognition throughout 2023 and was longlisted for the EE BAFTA Awards in early 2024. 

Directed by Samantha Moore and Produced by Natalie Bancroft, the film was supported by BFI funding and Executive Produced by MediaActive Projects. It explores themes of repair, care and emotional healing through the tactile language of animation, using physical materials and subtle performance to reflect the internal experience of mental health recovery. 

Still from a stop motion film showing two mice made of knitted material with laurels showcasing a BAFTA Nominee logo

Meaning Through Process

Rather than relying on explanation or exposition, Visible Mending allows meaning to emerge through process. The narration is delivered by crafters who open up about their lives, and the visuals bring to life their creations through animation. The result is a powerful synergy of lived experience and sympathetic performance.  

Hands mend. Materials are worked, repaired and reworked. Small gestures carry emotional weight. Animation becomes both a metaphor and a method, mirroring the slow, non-linear nature of healing itself. 

A still from a stop motion film showing a group of birds flying made of knitted material

Craft Led Storytelling

Second Home Studios supported the project through studio production, bringing to bear years of experience across armature design (retrofitted to the finished knitted items), rigging, motion control, technical support and studio direction, all helping to realise the film’s handmade approach while preserving the sensitivity and authorship at its core. Projects like Visible Mending reflect a shared belief in animation as a medium capable of holding complex emotional experiences, particularly when grounded in physical craft. 

  • A still from a knitted mouse character used in a stop motion film being finalised in a workshop


Across its festival run, the film resonated strongly with audiences and programmers, frequently prompting conversations around mental health, creativity and the therapeutic potential of making. Its inclusion on the EE BAFTA longlist further amplified that impact, placing a carefully authored, independently funded short within a wider industry conversation about wellbeing, representation and the value of craft-led storytelling. 

A still from a stop motion film of a two toned kinitted sweater unravelling

Trusting The Audience

Visible Mending sits at the intersection of craft, storytelling and social impact. This is an area we continue to actively support through collaboration, mentorship and technical guidance. Alongside commissioned work and original IP, these studio-supported projects form an important part of our wider industry ecosystem. 

The recognition received by Visible Mending is a powerful affirmation of what animation can do when it slows down, listens carefully and trusts the audience. Some of the most resonant stories are not the loudest, but the most honest. 

If you would like to view our Visible Mending project please view here.