LIAF 2021: BFI Japan 2021 – Into the Unknown – The Trippy Worlds of Indie Japanese Animation

Presented by: London International Animation Festival

---

0	LONDON: The Horse Hospital
P	Friday 3rd December, 2021
N	9:15pm

Event information

Independent animation is an art form that continues to thrive and develop as a breathtaking medley of styles, materials, techniques and production – from hand-drawn, paint on glass, collage, sculpture, cut-outs, puppets, abstract to some of the more interesting developments in CGI – all of which can be seen at this year’s London International Animation Festival over 10 days from 26 November to 5 December.

Hiding behind the monolith that is Anime is a special world where independent Japanese animation lives. In the last 20 years independent animation has thrived in many parts of the world. Technological developments have democratised animation, opening the door for faster and more affordable production methods. The Internet has freed some animators from producers and distributors. Artists can now put their films on Vimeo or YouTube, showcase their work on their own websites and put out self-produced DVDs. These innovations have let animators eliminate the middle person and given them direct contact with their audience.

Responding to the new-found interest in artistic animation, a number of animation schools in Japan have opened and blossomed in the 21st century, such as the Tama Arts University and the Tokyo University of the Arts. The result has been a dramatic increase in independent animation production. Today, independent animation in Japan has never been so alive and active, an example being the production and distribution company New Deer run by Nobuaki Doi, who have several productions in the works and who actively support young Japanese indie animators to take their work to the world.
This screening shows some of the best of these films made over the last decade by animators with unique visions who swim against the tide and are fiercely independent.

This is the second of two programmes tonight, Atsushi Wada – A Jolt to the Subconscious screens beforehand at 8pm. You can buy tickets for both screenings for just £14/£10 + booking fee.

For full programme information please visit the LIAF website at www.liaf.org.uk