Shanghai Animation Film Studio Retro Section Premiering in UK with “Surprise Film”
Skwigly
From 20th to 26th of May 2022, the “Shanghai Animation Film Studio Retro” programme will bring you four 2K restored animations from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio — Nine-Colored Deer and Little Carp Jumps Over the Dragon Gate from the 1960s, and The Odyssey’s “Shanghai Animation Film Studio Retro” Section is Premiering in the UK with The Legend of Sealed Book Joining as “Surprise Film”！
e Little Stream and The Deer’s Bell from the 1980s — on Shift 72. Furthermore, a feature-length animated film The Legend of Sealed Book (4K Restoration) has been selected to be screened in our “Surprise Film” section, which will be released on the 1st of June online as a celebration and special tribute to the International Children’s Day at Odyssey.
The Shanghai Animation Film Studio (SAFS) has witnessed the development of Chinese animation and the vicissitudes of Chinese society. Officially established in 1957, it has to date produced around 500 films with over 40,000 minutes of original animation data, covering 80% of China’s domestic animation production. Its lengthy history interlocks between politics and the ever-changing economy. SAFS has won 69 domestic and 73 international awards. Its works like The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (1961, 1964) and Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (1979) were internationally applauded and pioneered the narration of Chinese stories. We had the honour to screen these two titles in their highest restored resolution at our festival last year.
This year Odyssey features five classic works from SAFS, inviting audiences worldwide to rekindle the glory and beauty of Chinese animation from the 20th Century. In the “Shanghai Animation Film Studio Retro” section, Nine-Colored Deer (1981) was born out of 20,000 manuscripts with a unique style of murals from the Northern Wei Dynasty. The production team spent 23 days in the Mogao Grottoes to capture the charm of traditional Chinese art on the screen. Adapted from a folk tale, Little Carp Jumps Over the Dragon Gate (1958) is known as a founding work of Chinese animation. It won the Silver Award at the 1st Moscow International Film Festival and the Best Art Film Award at the 1st Hundred Flowers Awards. Born in the heyday of Chinese art cinema, The Little Stream (1962) records an era’s political outlook and optimistic spirit. Written by renowned screenwriter Sang Hu, The Deer’s Bell (1982) lacks no subtlety yet has a bold design of action and colours. It embodies a crucial concept in Chinese cultural traditions — the union of heaven and human.
For the “Surprise Film” section, as a milestone in Chinese mythological animation, The Legend of Sealed Book (1983/2021) has a twisted plot and diverse characters, combining national culture like woodblock prints, opera, sculptures, folk toys, and ethnic musical instruments with Western elements like symphony and electronic music. The 4K restoration gives new life to tens of thousands of original drawings, making it a perfect choice for a spring getaway to relive one’s childhood memories.
From 8:00 am UK time on the 1st of May, Odyssey launched an online pre-sale, single film and special passes can now be purchased via the festival’s official website – odysseychinesecinema.uk. The festival offers a range of options, including festival full pass, section pass as well as a standard single film rental to meet different needs. Hosted by Shift 72, the festival’s official platform is now live, users can register an account, to preview trailers and access other information about all of the selected films.
Click here to view complete list of films being shown, or to book your ticket.