The legendary Toei Animation studio, in collaboration with the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) announced an exclusive Anime Expo (anime-expo.org) performance by two-time Grammy-nominated artist Steve Aoki to promote the upcoming release of One Piece Film Red, which will take place on Saturday, July 2 at The Novo in L.A. Live.
Tickets to the event will be available exclusively to Anime Expo attendees. Premier Fan badge holders have early access to tickets now at showclix.com, with tickets for General Attendee badge holders opening on Thursday, May 12 at 12 p.m. Pacific.
“I have been a huge fan of Toei Animation from as early as I can remember One Piece holds a special place in my heart because I have always been impressed by the resilience and determination of Luffy. His happy-go-lucky demeanor in the face of adversity inspired me in many ways,” said Aoki. “Having this opportunity to join forces with Toei Animation to commemorate their upcoming One Piece Film Red is an immense honor. Not only am I performing during Anime Expo, but my brand Dim Mak is also releasing a merch collab at the same time!”
One Piece Film Red is the 15th film from the worldwide hit anime franchise, based on the One Piece manga series created by Eiichiro Oda. First announced on November 21, 2021, Red will be produced by Oda and Toei Animation, and directed by Goro Taniguchi. The movie is scheduled to premiere in Japan on August 6.
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF, mammothlakesfilmfestival.com) announced that their eighth iteration will take place in-person from May 25-29, at venues across Mammoth Lakes, California. “We scoured our submissions and reached out into the bigger world to find the most original, stylish, heartfelt and compelling work, made by filmmakers with a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences,” said Director of Programming, Paul Sbrizzi. “We pride ourselves on going beyond established, recognizable brands to focus on raw and innovative filmmaking.”
This selection includes 25 animated shorts across the Short Film Program, as well as animation/hybrid features in competition:
- Barber Westchester (U.S.) – “A spectacular, surreal, animated musical dark comedy centered on an up-and-coming astronomer who is trying really hard to ignore everything in their life. When Barber gets an internship at NASA, it gets harder to ignore everything, so they have to learn how to be a person.” Directed and written by Jonni Phillips. North American Narrative Features – Theatrical World Premiere.
- Eternal Spring (Canada/China) – “The thrilling story of the takeover of a TV station in China by members of the persecuted Falun Gong religion, and its violent aftermath, rendered in a unique style of 3D animation. It shows that there is a movement inside China that works for human rights, transparency, freedom and justice.” Directed by Jason Loftus. International Documentary Features – West Coast Premiere.
New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA) is showing off the 2022 crop of up and coming artists with two significant events. This week, don’t miss the MFA Computer Arts 2022 Thesis Screenings on May 12 & 13 (Thurs./Fri.) at 7 p.m. ET, taking place live at the SVA Theatre in N.Y.C. as well as live streaming on YouTube here (5/12) and here (5/13).
This showcase of 40 thesis projects incorporates a variety of media, materials and cutting-edge technologies that address a range of topics, including: ◆★PILIPALA●▲, a 2D traditional animation celebrating the Chinese spring harvest festival by Yinan Liang; Still, life, an interactive video installation examining networked relationships between humans, plants and technology by Juan David Figueroa; and One Night Out, a 3D animation where relationships are revealed in unexpected twists and turns by Hannah Seungah Yoo. More details here.
Then, the Hollywood crowd can check out the 2022 SVA Premieres Showcase on Thursday, June 2 at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, where animators, artists and filmmakers from the school will be on hand to discuss their work. Following a cocktail reception at 7 p.m. PT, the screening will feature specially selected work by new graduates, including the BFA Animation, MFA Computer Arts and BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation & Visual Effects programs. RSVP here.
The El Capitan Theatre will bring Disney’s Big Hero 6 back to the big screen in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Showtimes are on May 24 (10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.) and May 25 (10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.), subject to change. Tickets are $15 for all ages, now on sale at elcapitantickets.com and fandango.com. All seats are reserved.
With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy adventure that introduces Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot, who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his diverse group of friends — adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred — who transform into a band of unlikely heroes. (Rated PG)
Meanwhile in San Francisco, The Walt Disney Family Museum is celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with screenings of the studio’s 1998 2D animated classic Mulan all month long. The film is a beloved retelling of a classic Chinese tale of one woman’s determination to defend her family and country while fighting gender stereotypes.
Showtimes are Saturdays and Sundays through May 29 at 11 a.m., free to members and children ages 5 and under, $10 non-members, $8 for non-member youth and $5 with general museum admission or member guest. Tickets on sale now.
After a brief hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, education charity Into Film has announced this year’s Into Film Awards (intofilm.org) nominees ahead of the ceremony on June 28. Now in its sixth year, the event is the U.K.’s largest celebration of young people’s creativity and is due to take place at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, where an esteemed group of film stars will be on hand to present Awards to the young winners. All the 2022 nominated films are available to watch here.
- Best Animation – 11 and Under:
- The Lonely Polar Bear – Made by Screen Education Edinburgh – Edinburgh, Scotland
- The Rocket – Made by young filmmaker Ben – London, England ‘
- Recycle Now – Made by Eco Warriors from Queensbridge Primary School – London, England
- Best Animation – 12 and Over:
- Mia – Made by young filmmaker Zoe – Aberdeen, Scotland
- Aggressive – Made by one pupil at Countesthorpe Academy – Leicester, England
- Samosa in Space – Made by Rainbow Collective Film Club – London, England
More Dates, Updates & Calls for Entries:
- Sci-Fi London Film Festival invites movie buffs to “come exercise your brain” in the U.K. captial from May 19-22.
- If you love lasagna and hate Mondays, don’t miss out on Heritage Auctions’ Jim Davis: The Art of Garfield showcase auction on May 26, kicking off at 6 p.m. CT.
- MomoCon returns to Atlanta, Georgia May 26-29 with panels on popular anime, autograph sessions with famous voice actors, gaming tournaments and even a wrestling ring!
- Check out the selected projects and register to attend the Mifa Pitch Sessions in Annecy, covering features, shorts, TV projects and digital experiences as well as country / category spotlights. June 14-16.
- The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are now open for submissions via FilmFreeway, accepting projects produced in the 70+ countries across the region. APSA Ceremony: Nov. 11. Deadline: July 29, 2022.
- The American Film Market returns to Santa Monica, Calif. for its 43rd, in-person edition Nov. 1-6. Registration is now open.
- Utah’s Sundance Film Festival will hold a hybrid event in Park City, Salt Lake City and beyond Jan. 19-29, 2023. Submissions are now open via FilmFreeway, official deadlines Sept. 2 (features), Aug. 19 (shorts), Aug. 22 (New Frontier) and Aug 26 (episodic)
