Greece, documentary animation, 2’13”, 2014. Dir: Aristotelis Maragkos. Japan Premiere! Through a fluid line, etching out the shaky outline of the story of his Grandfather’s unconventional life and unexpected death in rural Greece, the artist also discovers parts of himself and shares his reflections on their identities. Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2015, among many [Read more...]
Germany, 2D&3D animation, 6”48”, 2011. Original title: Das Haus. Dir: David Buob. Japan Premiere! Synopsis A little girl’s dream is to care for her grandmother, but her aunt and mother do not let her. There is only one way out. Credits Director - David Buob Script – David Buob Animation – David Buob Camera – David Buob Voice – Francisca Villela Musik – David Buob, [Read more...]
Mexico/Denmark/USA, experimental documentary/portrait film, 13min, 2014. Dir: Marie Losier. Western Japan Premiere! Three women/three sisters/three professional Luchadoras, part of the Moreno Dynasty: Rossy, Esther and Cynthia are competitive wrestlers in the ring. But they also bring lucha libre into life, wrestling with knives, pig heads, flowers and feathers! Bim, Bam, Boom! Berlin Film [Read more...]
Hawaii/USA, documentary, 24min, 2011. Dir: Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson. Japan Premiere! Synopsis: Eleven year old Ho'onani dreams of leading the hula troupe at her inner-city Honolulu school. The only trouble is that the group is just for boys. She's fortunate that her teacher understands first-hand what it's like to be 'in the middle' - the Hawaiian tradition of embracing both male and female [Read more...]
USA, historical drama, 28min, 1995. Dir: Zeinabu Irene Davis. Japan Premiere! In this poignant story set in the 1850s, a young slave girl befriends a magical woman in the woods called Mother of the River. Through their friendship the young girl learns about independence, honor, humility and respect for others. Mother of the River is a rare portrayal of slavery from a young woman's perspective [Read more...]
Live action & CG /USA/2015/1’35”. Dir: Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata A clean, organized, well-mannered guest visits a home. Japan Premiere! Directors: Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata are award-winning filmmakers and animation commercial directors. Operating under the moniker “Tiny Inventions,” they are known for their unique mixed-media animation, which combines hand-crafted art and [Read more...]
2D animation, Australia, 6’36”, 2011. Dir: Hawanatu Bangura Synopsis: A short animation about a young boy who wants to become rich by planting a stolen coin. An African tale with a relatable dilemma about the boundary between my money and their money, and morals about the desires that money brings. Bio: Hawanatu Bangura is a filmmaker based in Sydney, Australia. Born in Sierra Leone before [Read more...]
2D animation/USA/2013/4’39”. Dir: Dan & Jason @ Hornet Films Very Short Synopsis: Bear & Bird is about two best friends, a laid back brown bear and an overly excited cardinal, in a stand off over Bear’s hygiene, or lack thereof. Japan Premiere! Short Synopsis: Bear & Bird is about two best friends, a laid back brown bear who just wants to take it easy and an overly excited [Read more...]
Hand-drawn animation/USA/2011/4’44”. Dir: Jacob Wyatt. Japan Premiere! Synopsis: A young girl chases a mysterious fox through a fantastic underground world to recover her stolen train ticket. Bio: Jake Wyatt writes, draws, and directs for clients like Marvel, DC, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Dreamworks. He is currently a Creative Director at Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana [Read more...]
Paper-cut Animation, Belgium, 5’18”, 2014. Created by 12 x 8-12-year-old children under the supervision of Louise-Marie Colon & Dominique Van Hecke at Camera-etc. Once upon a time, there was a king who sewed while watching the snow fall. One day, he had a child and named him Flake White… This familiar Grimm Bros’ fairy tale got a 21st century make-over with gender role switching by kids in [Read more...]