Japan Dominates Ottawa Lineup

Visitors to the Ottawa International Animation Festival this year (September 18-22) will definitely get their fix from the animation masters of the East: out of the record-breaking 15 features in competition in the official selection, filmmakers from Japan are strongly represented. Last year there were nine Japanese films in competition, and 10 in 2011.

“I was extremely pleased with the wide range of films this year,” says Chris Robinson, Artistic Director of the OIAF. “Their quality was outstanding, which made the selection process extremely difficult. The Japanese and feature films were particularly refreshing due to their boldness and originality.”

The festival received 1,924 entries this year, selecting 108 for competition. Categories include best feature, narrative, experimental and student films, TV shows, commercials, video games, and music videos. There is also a separate competition for films and TV shows made for children. Prizes will be awarded to category winners and a grand prize will be awarded to the winner of each competition: best Short Film, Feature Film, Student, and Commissioned Film. An additional 44 films will be shown out-of-competition in Showcase screenings.

Japanese Works in Competition:

• Kojiki Hyaga Hen by Koji Yamamura (NHK) – TV for Adults

• Kick-Heart by Masaaki Yuasa (Production I.G) – Narrative

• Futon by Yoriko Mizushiri – Experimental

• Mero Mero (Madly in Love) by Ikue Sugidono – Narrative

• Not Over by Toru Hayai (Taiyo Kikaku co.) – Narrative

• Celebration and Chorale by Yukie Nakauchi (Tama Art University) – Graduation

• Ici, la et partout by Sawako Kabuki (Tama Art U.) – Graduation

• Ketsujiru Juke by Sawako Kabuki (Tama Art U.) – Graduation

• Ohayo Carotene by Saki Iyori – Undergraduate

• Banapara Track: 04 Pilot by Tai Murayama, Hideki Shiroma & Shuhei Fukunaga (Dokutoku460, Bonus.Co.JP) – Shorts for Kids

• Psychedelic Afternoon by Uruma Delvi (Zapuni LLC) – Shorts for Kids

• Katachi (Shape) by Kijek/Adamski [Poland & Japan] – Music Video

• Bird Shit by Caleb Wood [USA & Japan] – Experimental

• Youkosobokudesu Selection by Manabu Himeda (Tama Art U.) – Graduation

• Ishikeri (Kicking Rocks) by Yutaro Kubo (Tokyo Univ. of the Arts) – International Showcase

Additionally, student reels from the nation’s Tokyo University of the Arts and Tama Art University will be featured in the School category.

Here are the eight titles in the features category:

• A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman – Directed by Jeff Simson, Bill Jones and Ben Timlett (UK)

• Anima Buenos Aires – Directed by Maria Ramirez (Argentina)

• Couleur de Peau: Miel (Approved for Adoption) – Directed by Laurent Boileau and Jung (France, Belgium)

• Cycle (Zoltan Sostai) – Directed by Gabor Imgrund, Gabor Koltai (Hungary)

• It’s Such a Beautiful Day – Directed by Don Hertzfeldt (U.S.)

• O Menino e o Mundo (Boy and the World) – Directed by Ale Abreu (Brazil)

• The Pain and the Pity – Directed by Phil Mulloy (U.K.)

• The Pain and the Pity – Directed by Tito on Ice Directed by Max Anderson and Helena Ahonen (Sweden, Germany)

Among the many animated shorts selected in the competition for 2013 are:

Robert Milne’s Crow’s Nest, Joanna Priestley’s Split Ends, David Barlow-Krelina’s Bless You, Osman Cerfon’s Comme Des Lapins, Rosto’s Lonely Bones, Tom Schroder’s Marcel King of Tervuren, Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels’ Oh Willy…, Jeremy Clapin’s Palmpipedarium, Chris Landreth’s Subconscious Password Mark Kausler’s There Must Be Some Other Cat and Julia Pott’s The Event.

The TV for Adults category nominees are: Archer ‘Coyote Lovely’ by Bryan Fordney, Portraits de Voyages: Japon Hojo Jutsu (Bastien Dubois), Portlandia (Dolphin) by Rob Shaw, The Honor Code by Richard O’Connor and Kojiki Hyuga Hen by Koji Yamamura).

The TV For Kids category features: Adventure Time ‘A Glitch Is a Glitch’ (David O’Reilly) Mouk: La Vie en Musique (Francois Narboux), Pig Goat Banana Mantis (Dave Cooper and Nick Cross), Regular Show ‘A Bunch of Full Grown Geese (JG Quintell), SpongeBob SquarePants ‘It’s a SpongeBob Christmas’ (Seamus Walsh and Mark Caballero) and Wild Kratts ‘Ratttlesnake Crystal’ (Simon Paquette).

Visit the OAIF’s website for a complete list of selected works.