09 April 2011

Japanese Animation at the 18th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film

The Mechanism of Spring
Hot on the heels of Nippon Connection here in Germany is the 18th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (18. Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart/ITFS). The 3rd to the 8th of May will be jam-packed with competition programmes, workshops and a conference. 

Tatamp
CALF animators will be representing Japan in the International Competition this year.  Atsushi Wada’s The Mechanism of Spring (Haru no shikumi, 2010) is screening in Programme 2 while Mirai Mizue’s Tatamp (2010) is screening in Programme 3.

Oblivion Island

Shinsuke Sato and Production I.G.’s 3DCG film Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (ホッタラケの島 〜遥と魔法の鏡〜, 2009), which won the Nippon Cinema Award at Nippon Connection last year is in the feature film competition. Check out the trailer here.

ITFS has launched a new competition called Trickparade 2011 in which fans of the festival can vote for their favourite film. They have compiled a list of top films from past years at the festival. Head on over to show your support for Mirai Mizue by voting for his film Lost Utopia (2007). Fortunately, one can vote for more than one film because there are so many great films nominated!

The Woman Who Stole Fingers
Atsushi Wada's award-winning film In A Pig's Eye (Wakaranai Buta, 2010) is competing in the Young Animation category along with Saori Shiroki's The Woman Who Stole Fingers (Yubi wo nusunda onna, 2010).  Additionally, Yoshino Aoki is representing Canada with Happy Birthday Theatre (2010).  

Good luck to all participants!