ELCAF: Melody Makers

As part of the 5th East London Comics and Arts Festival, we've put together two programmes of animated shorts including this musical selection for families. With rhythms, rhymes, and sing-along-songs giving a tuneful thread that runs throughout, featuring musical journeys with father and son in the folky Cookie-Tin Banjo; Ichi, the world’s greatest one-man-band, teaches us the names of all the animals in Japanese in his new music video, Hippo +47. Other creatures to look out for include the friendly black and white monster in Antje Heyn’s Pawo, and the slightly confused dinosaur in the vibrantly colourful Wayne the Stegosaurus. Compered by Sarah Hamilton Baker.

A Very Lonely Rooster Dir: Leonid Shmelkov (Russia 2015 – 6 mins) It’s been a hard day for the very lonely rooster. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

One Two Tree Dir: Yulia Aronova (France 2015 – 7 mins) One day, a tree jumps into a pair of boots and goes off for a walk, inviting everyone to follow him.

Cookie-Tin Banjo Dir: Peter Baynton (UK 2014 – 2 mins) A father makes a cookie-tin banjo to give to his son, and with it the gift of music.

Wayne the Stegosaurus Dir: Aran Quinn, Jeffrey Dates (USA 2014 – 2 mins) Wayne has a deluded yet charming sense of the world that he lives in.

Sonambulo Dir: Theodore Ushev (Canada 2015 – 4 mins) A surrealist journey through colours and shapes inspired by the poem ‘Romance Sonámbulo’ by Federico García Lorca.

Pawo Dir: Antje Heyn (Germany 2014 – 7 mins) The magical adventure of a little toy figure who finds herself in a curious world. Thanks to some strange companions, she gradually becomes aware of her strength and skills.

Bat Time Dir: Elena Walf (Germany 2015 – 4 mins) When night dawns on the farm a little bat wakes up. How great would it be to bark with a dog or to crow with a cock!

Some Thing Dir: Elena Walf (Germany 2015 – 7 mins) Oil, gold and fire are the treasures inside the proud giant mountains. For the little mountain it’s impossible to keep up with that. He’s just in possession of this tiny, strange and useless thing.

I’ve Been Everywhere, Man Dir: Cameron Edser (Australia 2015 – 2 mins) This animated time-lapse film was shot over 2 years while Cameron Edser was travelling around Australia.

Hippo +47 Dir: Richard Edkins (UK/Japan 2015 – 4 mins) Music Video for Hippo+47, by Ichi.

Clap! Clap! – Playfulness Dir: Loup Blaster (UK 2015 – 3 mins) Hand-painted figures call each other onto the playground dancefloor in this dazzling music video.