Matt Groening is in Bristol for the festival

It is only available on the internet but Ms Grian was able to pitch her idea for a feature film when she met Mr Groening.

She told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Someone offered me a little bit of money to make the film.

"It was the only money I have been offered, we usually make films for nothing, and so I made it.

"It's about dolls and toys who live in a fairytale world and it's very dark and also very dreamlike.

"Matt Groening has obviously seen it and liked it and that's brilliant."

During his visit to the city, Mr Groening also joined Bristol-based Oscar-winning animator Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Grommit, for a tour of Aardman Animations' Aztec West film set.

'Tremendous response'

Although Mr Groening has visited the UK many times, this is his first visit to Bristol.

"I get invitations to attend festivals and give speeches all over the world but this one sounded fun because I was invited not to talk about the Simpsons, but to pick my favourite cartoons that I was going to take to a desert island.

BBCi Bristol obtained one of the first interviews with Mr Groening recently, when it invited viewers to send in their questions.

The site's Richard Greenaway said: "We had a tremendous response from the visitors to the site.

It was refreshing to be able to provide the answers to some very stimulating questions," said Richard Greenaway from the website.

The Animated Encounters Festival runs until Sunday, 28 April.