This weekend in Waterloo (about an hour outside of Toronto) is the Waterloo Animated Film Festival. It’s an amazing event! I’m going to be missing the screenings because I’m the best man at the wedding of two of my most wonderful friends… But if you aren’t going to be there, check it out online at http://www.wfac.ca/.
The two headline events for me are a North American premiere showing of the new Evangelion film, Evangelion 1.0: You Are Not Alone, and a special Canadian stop for a travelling presentation of the Ghibli masterpiece GRAVE OF THE FIREFILES which sounds amazing:
“Anime Masterpieces, a new screening series highlighting the best in Japanese animated feature films, will be presenting Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies on Friday, November 14. The winner of several international film awards, Grave of the Fireflies chronicles the experiences of two children as they valiantly struggle to survive amidst the ravaged landscape of Japan during World War II. It is considered by many critics as one of the most moving anti-war films ever made.
“The film, which critic Roger Ebert calls “an emotional experience so powerful it forces a rethinking of animation,†will be followed by a panel discussion with leading scholars and authors on the subject of Japanese animation. The panel will feature Frederik L. Schodt (author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics), Brian Ruh (Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii) and John O’Donnell (founder, Central Park Media).
“The presentation at the Waterloo Festival will be the first and only Canadian stop for this programme to date, before it goes to the Smithsonian and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
“The Festival is presenting the programme free to the public. Advance tickets can be reserved through the Festival’s online box office, or via phone at +1 (800) 838-3006.”
Frederik L Schodt!
There are tons of amazing, amazing animated films screening this weekend. Piano no Mori! Genius Party! Sita Sings The Blues! Awesome, awesome stuff. If you’re in the area or can get there, GO.
– Chris
I’ve seen snuff films less fucked up than Grave of the the Fireflies. That movie is up there with the Land before Time and the episode of Futurama with Fry’s Dog of sad sad cartoon things.