Animation at Nippon Connection 2011

Nippon Connection (April 27 - May 1, 2011) is fast approaching and there is much to be excited about. Last year, I was delighted with the wide selection of films directed by women. This year, I can't wait to see all the animation on the programme! In fact, on Friday, April 29th, I will be moderating the event Film Talks: Independent Animation at 20:30 which will feature special guests from CALF including Nobuaki Doi, Mirai Mizue, and Tochka. It will be a great opportunity for fans of independent and experimental animation to learn more about the indie scene in Japan. 

Mirai Mizue's JAM

Read my reviews of the CALF DVDs of the works of Mirai Mizue and Tochka to learn more about these innovative artists. Official website.

Other CALF events at Nippon Connection 2011 include:

CALF Animation Special

Atsushi Wada's In A Pig's Eye

Friday, April 29th, 18:00

A selection of short avant-garde films by Atsushi Wada, Kei Oyama, Mirai Mizue, Tochka, and more!
Update 13 April 2011: Read the full shorts programme here.

An Animation Workshop with TOCHKA 

Saturday, April 30th, 18:00

Don’t miss out on your chance to participate in the making of a Tochka PiKA-PiKA (lightening doodle) film!

The Borrower Arietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ, 2010)

Friday, April 29th, 12:00 and a special screening for kids on Saturday, April 30th at 16:00

The German premiere of the Studio Ghibli adaptation of The Borrowers by Mary Norton.  This is longtime Studio Ghibli animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi's directorial debut.

Midori-ko (緑子, 2010)

Finally, Keita Kurosaka's surrealist, hand-drawn masterpiece is coming to Europe!  Read more about Kurosaka here.  Official website.

Tatami Galaxy (四畳半神話大系, 2010)

Sunday, May 1st , 12:00


Masaaki Yuasa, director of Mind Game (2005) and  Kaiba (2008) won the Grand Prize in Animation at the 14^th Japan Media Arts Festival for this innovative TV series.  It is an adaptation of the novel by Tomihiko Morimi. 

Colorful (カラフル, 2010)

Sunday, May 1st, 19:45

The closing film of the festival will be Keiichi Hara’s much acclaimed Colorful.  This expressive, poetic film won an Excellence Prize at the 14^th Japan Media Arts Festival as well as the Animation Award at the Mainichi Film Concours.

• There are many short films on the programme as well, so you can count on me to once again report back to you about any animated gems that I discover!

Other events that have piqued my interest:

• There are many women directors on the programme again this year. I am most looking forward to Linda Hoaglund’s ANPO: Art X War (2010), Sayaka Ono’s The Duckling (Ahiru no ko, 2010) and Mai Tominaga’s Rinco’s Restaurant (Shokudo Katatsumuri, 2009).  Mai Tominaga Profile

• I have heard great things about Permanent Nobara (Daihachi Uchida, 2010), so it is on my must-see list.

• Nippon Retro will be featuring a retrospective of the work of Sion Sono in addition to screening Cold Fish (Tsumetai nettaigyo, 2010) as part of the competition.

• Nippon Digital is being rebranded as Nippon Visions and will celebrate the diversity of independent film and new digital formats. Artists featured in this category will include the latest work of Takahisa Zeze, Keita Kurosaka, CALF, and the work of the Graduate School of Film and New Media Arts of Tokyo University of the Arts.

• the Nippon Visions Award for young filmmakers is being sponsored by the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA)

• Nippon Culture will be hosting the Japanese cheerleading troupe Gamushara-Oeda as well as yoga, kendo, shiatsu, and baby massage workshops 

•  the debut of the Nippon Kids section with workshops aimed at getting children interested in Japanese culture

• the Japanese Package Design exhibition at AustellungsHalle 1A promises to be awesome!

• artists Fumio Ohashi and Yuko Takatsudo will be presenting their latest works at the Kunstraum Westend

• and much, much more!  Check out the schedule posted at the official website for more details.