Returning back to the Los Angeles film festival landscape comes the Anime is Film Festival. The festival will be focusing mainly on anime films as the media focus.
There will be 10 feature films in competition for the Grand Prize, Special Jury Prize, or the Audience Award. Aside from the films, there will also be special screenings, retrospectives, short films, panels, and behind the scene presentations. The whole event will be at the TCL Chinese Theater.
A special event will be a the Frozen: Behind the Scenes. Chris Buck (Co-Director) will be on hand to guide the audience through journey out of Arendelle and the origins of Elsa’s power. There will also feature sneak peeks of the upcoming Frozen II.
For tickets and more information, go to: https://animationisfilm.com/
Opening Night: Weathering with You (SOLD OUT)
Weather with You (dir. by Makoto Shinkai)
Fans of the beautiful anime film, Your Name should be excited upon seeing another movie by the same director, Makoto Shinkai’s.
Weathering with You will open the festival with Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura in attendance.
Closing the festival will be France’s I LOST MY BODY, with director Jeremy Clapin and producer Marc du Pontavice in attendance. Tickets are available for purchase now at animationisfilm.com.
The festival will present 10 feature films in competition, vying for Grand Prize, Special Jury Prize, and Audiences Award. Additionally, the festival will present special screenings, retrospectives, short films, panel discussions, sneak peek “making of” and “behind the scenes” presentations, plus non-stop receptions and parties to round out a jam-packed three days of events and screenings.
Closing Night: I Lost My Body
I Lost My Body (dir. Jeremy Clapin)(dir. Jeremy Clapin)
For the closing night, we get to see a Parisian laboratory where a severed hand escapes its unhappy fate and sets out to reconnect with its body.
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Movies in competition:
Bombary Rose (dir. Gitanjali Rao)
Bombay Rose (India/UK/France/Qatar):
“Set in bustling Mumbai, the crisscrossing narratives of the different characters center on Kamala, a young woman attempting to escape her fate, in this vibrant celebration of memory, art, music and color.”
Children of the Sea (dir. Ayumu Watanabe)
Children of the Sea (Japan):
“In this ethereal fantasy, Ruka is drawn toward the sea by a haunting whale song and two mysterious boys, Umi and Sora. Little does she know she has been chosen as the catalyst of a cosmic event.”
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Marona’s Fantastic Tale (dir. Anca Damian)
Marona’s Fantastic Tale(France/Romania/Belgium) :
“a beautiful and deeply emotional story of life and love, told through the point of view of a mixed breed Labrador puppy. After an accident, Marona reflects on all the homes and experiences she has had. As her memory journeys into the past, her unfailing empathy and love bring lightness and innocence into each of her owners’ lives.“
No. 7 Cherry Lane (dir. Yonfan)
No. 7 Cherry Lane (Hong Kong SAR China) –
“When University student Ziming shows up for a tutoring gig, he becomes the object of fantasy for both his beautiful student Meiling and her mother, Mrs Yu. He takes Mrs. Yu to the movies and through a series of magical moments on the big screen, forbidden passions are revealed.“
Ride Your Wave (dir. Masaaki Yuasa)
Ride Your Wave (Japan)
“Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. But just as they become inseparable, tragedy strikes.”
SHe (dir. Shengwei Zhou)
SHe (China)
“In a dystopian world, male shoes, all black polish and metal grommets, are in charge, while the females, red high-heels with spindly vines, are caged and kept strictly for breeding purposes. Under disguise, a female breaks loose and attempts to move beyond her confines, but her attempt alters not only her fate but the very fabric of the society.”
The Swallows of Kabul (dir. Zabou Breitman, Elea Gobbe-Mellevec)
The Swallows of Kabul (France)
“In the summer of 1998, Kabul is in ruins and occupied by the Taliban. Atiq and Mussarat have been married for years and now barely talk to each other. He can no longer bear working as a guard in a women’s prison and she is in agony and suffering from an incurable illness. Mohsen and Zunaira are young and love each other. But Mohsen commits a foolish act that transforms their destiny.”
White Snake (dir. Amp Wong & Ji Zhao)
White Snake (China)
“One day a young snake-catcher names Xuan discovers a mysterious woman by a waterfall and saves her life. The woman has lost her memory and together they go on a fantastical adventure to discover her real identity.”
