“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – E.B White, Charlotte’s Web

Friends can come in many forms; both real and imaginary. Some are there to help us in a moment of need, some live alongside us, some are very small, and some are there to simply bring us a can of soda.

Whimsical hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, live-action and magical adventures await in our now-annual selection of short films for younger film fans. A loyal pet, an inquisitive creature in the forest, and a very large frog are all here to make your acquaintance in a programme that explores the different ways that we find and make friends; in the park, sharing a packed lunch, or as part of an experimental study into new and inventive ways to communicate with one another.

Suitable for children aged 7+ and their parents/guardians.

Films

Rice Ball, dir. Kristina Pringle, UK 2023, 1min

Wider Than The Sky, dir. Philip Taylor, UK 2023, 11min

Lose voice toolkit, dir. Adele Dipasquale, Netherlands 2024, 19min

Finding Play, dir. Dan Castro, UK 2024, 3min

Amy and Frog, dir. Paul Williams, China 2023, 11min

The Night Boots, dir. Pierre-Luc Granjon, France 2024, 12min

Cold Soda, dir. Huayi Yu, USA 2024, 3min

tenderfold, dir. Jun Chen, UK 2023, 3min

Mû, dir. Malin Neumann, Germany 2023, 6min

Image credit: Lose voice toolkit, dir. Adele Dipasquale