Sonja & Band - a new show closes Anim'est 2012

After days full of delights, the Anim'est festival will officially close the seventh edition with an audio-visual feast, combining animation with music: in 2010 there were the animations of the British Phil Mulloy on music by Alexander Bălănescu and last year, the silent films of the animation's Russian pioneer Ladislas Starewich, were accompanied by Vlasov's Best Friends Slovenian quartet. This year is Sonja & Band's turn, a very interesting project where animation and live music will leave a smooth aftertaste after the festival's seventh edition.

 The Dutch Sonja van Hamel sings, writes poetry and works as an illustrator and designer - all of these will conspire on October 13 at Patria cinema for an unforgettable show after Anim'est's awards gala.

After graduating art at the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam, Sonja formed the Bauer duet with Berend Dubbe and in 2011 released her album, Transcendental Man, produced by Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM). Because of her visual artist that had to strike back, she created a very personal kind of show, inspiring her music with what Sonja called "draw clips" - clips filmed and projected during concerts.

Be it pop-up books, characters outlined in scenery that change with the base like in Parallel Lives, cardboard constructions that she builds with her hand and handles them live during the show, as she did in The Roman Empire, or large drawings moving in front of the camera (Why Do People Talk?), Sonja's creations take shape either on melancholy or happy songs, with the help of photographer Eddo Hartmann's equiptment. A successful concept, if we consider the animation and literature festivals in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and even China who had as guests the Dutch.

You can find more info on Sonja & Band at http://www.sonjavanhamel.nl/ or on facebook page www.facebook.com/sonjavanhameldrawclips.

The closing event is supported by the Dutch Embassy.

The seventh edition of the Anim'est International Animation Film Festival will be held in Bucharest between 5-14 October 2012, at Patria Cinema, Studio Cinema and Club Control.