Call for Research Proposals & Papers for the 2023 West Lake International Animation Festival
Skwigly
The Second West Lake International Animation Festival (IAF) will be held in Hangzhou from October 24 to 26, 2023, and is now calling for research proposals and papers from around the world.
Image: West Lake International Animation Festival
This year’s festival is themed “New Realities in Animation”. Reality-based animations enjoy a solid foundation. A representative work from Japan is Isao Takahata’s animated movie Grave of the Fireflies, and since then, Japanese directors such as Satoshi Kon have pioneered a unique artistic style that blurs the line between reality and fantasy by integrating real-life experiences into surrealistic stories. In the West, reality-based animations represented by Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), and Tehran Taboo (2017) not only depict real-life scenarios but also reproduce historical events as animated documentaries. In China, My Life as McDull (2001) stands as a representative work that faithfully recreates the Kowloon City District in Hong Kong.
Surely, more sparks will be created when “animation” meets “reality”. The physical world is an endless source of inspiration, spanning a variety of topics from identity and body to ethics and technology, which are all touched upon in animated works. It demonstrates animators’ critical sense and deep care for the world—animation is more than an entertainment; it also mirrors society.
This year’s theme “New Realities in Animation” is inspired by the above-mentioned animated works. The IAF is now open to submissions of research proposals and papers related to this topic until August 31, 2023, to co-explore the further possibilities of “reality” and “animation”.
More details on the festival and submission can be found here