19 October 2010

Japanese Indies at the Ottawa International Animation Festival


The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) starts tomorrow and runs until the 24th,  OIAF will be featuring a number of spectacular Japanese screening events. If you are a fan of Japanese independent animation and live in Ontario or Québec, then hop in your car and head to Ottawa. You won’t want to miss out on these events! I have written about many of these films and artists, so click on hyperlinks to read more about these talented artists elsewhere on Nishikata Eiga.

The Genius of Osamu Tezuka 
Tales from A Street Corner
(Aru machikado no monogatari/ある街角の物語, 1962)
Mermaid (Ningyo/人魚, 1964)
Drop (Shizuku/しずく, 1965)
Push (プッシュ, 1987)
Jumping (ジャンピング, 1984)
Broken Down Film (おんぼろフィルム / Onboro Firumu, 1985)
While all the films in this selection are available on DVD in North America, Australia, and Japan, Jumping and Broken Down Film are being screened on 35mm. Jumping is one of Tezuka’s most remarkable experimental films, so this is a must see screening!

You Need to Be Alone Sometimes: The Secret World of Japanese Indies Part 1

The House of Small Cubes (Tsumiki no ie/つみきのいえ, Kunio Kato, 2008)
Cornelis (Ayaka Nakata, 2008)
Five Lost Worlds (Pentalogia del mondo perduto, Fusako Yusaki, 1963)
Introspection (Maya Yonesho, 1988)
Ladybirds' Requiem
(Tentoumushi no otomurai/てんとう虫のおとむらい, Akino Kondoh, 2006)
Gestalt (Heya / Keitai / 部屋/形態, Takashi Ishida, 1999)
Lightning Doodle Project PIKA PIKA 2007 (Tochka, 2007)
Lost Utopia (Mirai Mizue, 2008)
Granma (Baachan, Masanori Okamoto, 2007)
The Magic Ballad (Okonjoruri/おこんじょうるり, Tadanari Okamoto, 1982)


You Need to Be Alone Sometimes: The Secret World of Japanese Indies Part 2


A Gaze in Summer 1942 (Natsu no Shisen 1942, Keiichi Tanaami, 2002)
Karma (カルマ, Nobuhiro Aihara, 1977)
Demon (Oni/鬼, Kihachirō Kawamoto, 1972)
Maggot (Saori Shiroki, 2009)
Shadow (Kage, Seiichi Hayashi, 1968)
Love (Ai/愛, Yoji Kuri, 1963)
Noryo Anime Denkyu IKAMATSURI
(Metempsychosis) (Naoyuki Niiya, 1993)
Coffee Break (Taku Furukawa, 1977 )
Animal Dance (Ryo Okawara, 2009)
Dream Storage (Fumio Ooi, 2006)
Mr. Sakurai at a Ticket Counter
(Ticket counter no Sakurai-san, Dong-Hun Kim, 2009)
Looking at a Cloud (Kumo wo miteitara, Naoyuki Tsuji, 2005)
Agitated Scream of Maggots (Keita Kurosaka, 2006)
Mt. Head (Atama-yama/頭山, Koji Yamamura, 2002


Handsoaps and Fools: The Films of Atsushi Wada and Kei Oyama
Dancer of Vermicular (Annerida Tantuelin, Atsushi Wada, 2004)
A Clerk in Charge (Kakari/係, Atsushi Wada, 2004)
Day of Nose (Hana no Hi/鼻の日, Atsushi Wada, 2005)
Gentle Whistle, Bird, and Stone
(Yasashii Fue Tori Ishi / やさしい笛、鳥、石Atsushi Wada 2005
A Manipulated Man
(Koe ga detekita Hito / 声が出てきた人, Atsushi Wada, 2006)
Well, That’s Glasses
(Sou iu megane/そういう眼鏡, Atsushi Wada, 2007)
Anizo (Kei Oyama, 2006)
Nami (ナミ, Kei Oyama, 2000)
Yuki-chan (ゆきちゃん, Kei Oyama, 2006)
Consultation Room (Shinsatsu-Shitsu/診察室, Kei Oyama, 2005)
The Thaw (Yukidoke/ゆきどけ, Kei Oyama 2004

In addition to these special screening events, several Japanese animations are in the official competition including:

Keita Kurosaka’s much anticipated Midori-Ko competing in the features competition
– read more about this artist at Anipages

And competing shorts:
Akiko Omi’s Gathering (Shushuka no sampo)
Kei Oyama’s Handsoap
Tai Murayama’s Meat or Die (Yans! Gans!) ‘Linda’
Shin Hashimoto’s The Undertaker and the Dog
Hiroyasu Ishida’s Fumiko’s Confession (Fumiko no Kokuhaku)
Masaki Okuda’s A Gum Boy (Kuchao)
Atsushi Wada’s In a Pig’s Eye (Wakaranai Buta)
Mirai Mizue’s Playground