Canterbury Anifest 2014 Gear Up For Exciting Weekend
Skwigly
Anifest is back and bigger than ever! This year it will be hosting a week of Japanese Animation, to include everything from Manga to Cosplay to Anime. From Monday 27th October to Sunday 2nd November 2014, Canterbury Anifest will be at Gulbenkian with an exciting series of talks, workshops, live performances, an exhibition, and films all inspired by Japan’s iconic style of animation.
This exciting program has something for everyone; from “How to Draw Manga” workshops for a younger audience, to talks with industry stars such as Andy Frain. The festival will also host an exclusive week-long Studio Ghibli-inspired exhibition called 8-bit Ghibli, created by conceptual artist Richard Evans, alongside a captivating season of films including Akira, Patema Inverted, Perfect Blue, Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Tekkonkinkreet (c) Taiyo Matsumoto, Shogakukan, Aniplex, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Beyond C, dentsu, TOKYO MX 1
Film Screening Spirited Away (PG) © 2001 Nibariki – GNDDTM
In partnership with Gulbenkian, Anifest aims to bring the unique and fascinating style of Japanese animation to both existing fanatics and newcomers alike for the first time. Whether your interest is practical, academic, or simply entertainment, Anifest is happy to provide you with the same kind of quality events that have come to be expected of the festival, as well as some new experiences, including Canterbury Anifest’s first live performance. A few key highlights of the festival include:
- An Evening with Andy Frain, Producer of Ghost in the Shell, CEO of Touchwood Animation and Former CEO of Manga Entertainment UK.
- A series of family-focused manga workshops run by some of the UK’s top animators.
- Life as a Comic Artist: Behind the scenes with comic artist, Sally Jane Thompson.
- Film screenings will include: Akira (15), Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema) (PG), Perfect Blue (Pafekuto Buru) (18), Kiki’s Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyubin) (U) and Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (PG). More films due to be announced shortly.
Gulbenkian’s Director, Liz Moran, has said: “Gulbenkian is pleased to be supporting Anifest with a range of inspirational partners this year. We are particularly excited to see the festival develop to include live performance with Boy Blue Entrainment Ltd’s manga-inspired The Five and the Prophecy of Prana.”
Canterbury Anifest is at Gulbenkian from Monday 27th October to Sunday 2nd November.
Here are a selection of some other events…
Friday “Fright Night” Double Bill
Friday 31st October from 20:45 until 23:30
For the first time ever, Anifest is celebrating Halloween on Friday 31st October with a special double bill feature hosted at the Gulbenkian containing some of the most frightening content on this year’s programme. Both Perfect Blue and Cowboy Bebop are quintessential classics of Japanese animation, and chilling examples of Japan’s own brand of the horror genre.
The double bill begins with two 25 minute episodes of the anime series Cowboy Bebop at 20:45, both shorts paying homage to the horror genre in the midst of the series’ own inimitable style. This is followed by Perfect Blue at 22:00, a film about a Japanese pop star’s descent into madness following a foray into acting that seems to turn her world upside down. It should be noted that both features are being screened in their original native language with subtitles, and contain mature content. As such they are not appropriate for younger audiences.
For the “Fright Night” Double Bill, Anifest 2014 is offering the option of a special double bill ticket that will allow you to view both the film and the shorts at £7.50. Alternatively, a ticket can be purchased for either feature separately at £5 each. For the double bill ticket or Perfect Blue on its own, you must be at least 18 years old. Cowboy Bebop requires you to be at least 15.
Tickets are now available for booking.
For information please visit http://www.canterburyanifest.com/ or call 01227 769075.
A Brief History of Japanese Animation with Jasper Sharp
Saturday 1st November from 14:00 until 16:00
In association with the University of Kent’s School of Arts, Canterbury Anifest 2014 is hosting a talk given by Jasper Sharp, a specialist and curator of Japanese film, delving into the origins and development of Japanese animation.
A Brief History of Japanese Animation with Jasper Sharp (c) Jasper Sharp
As part of Canterbury Anifest 2014’s focus upon Japanese animation in particular, Jasper Sharp, a renowned writer, curator, and filmmaker who specialises in Japanese cinema in particular, has been invited to Kent’s biggest animation festival to give a talk on a topic that is both fascinating and also largely unknown to Western audiences: the history of Japanese animation, from where it was first theorised to have started and all the way to where the once unfamiliar genre exploded on to the global scene. Jasper’s talk promises to be an enlightening look at the rise of Japan’s own unique brand of animation both for those entirely unfamiliar with the genre, and for existing fans of Japanese animation.
The talk will commence at 14:00 and will run for two hours until 16:00. While there is no content within the talk that could be considered objectionable for young children, the talk is academic in nature and so would be more appropriate for those with an interest in the subject or who are interested in learning.
Jasper Sharp’s talk is just one of the five talks that have been specially selected for this year’s Canterbury Anifest to explore and celebrate the world of Japanese animation, sharing an immensely popular vehicle of Japanese culture with the South East of England and providing opportunities to those who express an interest in the animation industry.
Tickets are £5 each and are now available for booking.
For a full list of the talks being hosted at Canterbury Anifest 2014 and for more information please visit www.canterburyanifest.com or call 01227 769075.
Making Tickled Pink – Woolly Vision Productions Master Class
Thursday 30th October from 18:00 until 19:30
The production company Woolly Vision are lending their expertise to Canterbury Anifest 2014 in order to give a master class based around their stop motion short “Tickled Pink” to an older audience interested in breaking into the animation industry.
As well as offering a slew of workshops for younger kids who have an interest in trying their hand at animation for the first time, Canterbury Anifest also strives to provide opportunities for those who already have some of the skills and experience necessary when it comes to animation but who are looking to expand their horizons. For Anifest 2014, the festival is pleased to present this year’s master class being given by Woolly Vision, a small production team who work with stop motion animation. The master class itself will focus on a behind-the-scenes look at their short film Tickled Pink and will include a screening of said short film.
Starting at 18:00, the master class will explore Woolly Vision’s creative process, from the inception of the film’s original concept all the way to post-production. There will also be ample opportunity given for those attending to question the animators about their film and about the British animation industry in general. As has previously been mentioned the master class is aimed more towards those already at least somewhat familiar with the art of animation, and since the content of the class will closely follow Woolly Vision’s film would not be available for children. The film revolves around the nudity of knitted characters of wool and considerable amounts of sexual innuendo. While not too overtly crass, this content is worth keeping in mind if you are at all likely to find it objectionable.
Woolly Vision’s master class is just one of the many great events being hosted at Canterbury Anifest 2014, alongside a whole week of film screenings, talks, and workshops for younger aspiring animators, primarily focusing upon the extraordinary style of Japanese animation.
Tickets are free and are now available for booking. Please keep in mind that spaces are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.
For more information please visit www.canterburyanifest.com or call 01227 769075.