Two days of animation showcases are scheduled for the Irish Film Centre in
mid-November.This year, the festival has set up different meeting areas to
accommodate two days of company exhibits, alongside master classes and
break-out sessions for designers and creatives. Everything starts on
Thursday evening (16 Nov 00) for the first-ever showing of original
Japanese storyboards in the Davis Gallery by Takashi Namiki.
The storyboards are part of the private collection of Takashi Namiki, a
prominent Japanese patron of the arts. Mr Namiki is the president of
Anido, the most respected production company for Japanese animation. He is
also the founder of the Japanese Animation Museum. Over the years, he has
devoted his time to collecting the most inspiring and cultural pieces of
Japanese film making.
These pieces of Japanese artwork and their films have never visited
Ireland. This collection spans three generations of Japanese culture, from
the 1920's right through to the present day. To look at each piece in
chronological order is like documenting the history of Japan over 80 years.
During these times, animation carried strong messages to the people of
Japan. Through what seemed like harmless cartoons for children we can see
strong political messages from film makers challenging the constraints and
hardships as well as joy and happiness captured over the years through
animation that was expressive release for so many nations for so long.
A Japanese showcase will take place in the IFC on Friday evening, November
18th. The schedule also includes international shorts and Irish
award-winners, along with Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Specials.
This is a popular festival, and tickets will sell out before the day, so be sure to book your tickets at the IFC.
www.ani-fest.com
DH
