Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1

This major Special Program in Focus spotlights both the past and future of Japanese animation. It offers a rare opportunity to experience, on the big screen in their original theatrical versions, the audacious masterpieces of legendary figures who have left an indelible mark on the history of animation, including Tezuka Osamu, Oshii Mamoru, Otomo Katsuhiro, Rintaro, and Yuasa Masaaki. Beginning with The King and the Mockingbird (1952, 1980), an enduring source of inspiration for Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao, the program presents The White Snake Enchantress (1958), Japan’s first feature-length color animated film; Belladonna of Sadness (1973), a groundbreaking avant-garde masterpiece; Phoenix 2772 (Space Firebird) (1980), a lifelong passion project of Tezuka Osamu, “the god of manga.” Rounding out the classic lineup are Angel’s Egg (1985), which laid an ideological foundation for Ghost in the Shell (1995); MEMORIES (1995), returning to Busan’s screens after 30 years; Metropolis (2001), a technical pinnacle of animation highly praised by director James Cameron; and MIND GAME (2004), the dazzling starting point of a major new director. Unwilling to play it safe, these daring masterpieces pushed beyond the boundaries of aesthetics, bearing witness to the creative force that paved the way for Japanese animation as we know it today. Additionally, the program introduces four recent works by emerging filmmakers attracting attention from around the world, including A New Dawn, We Are Aliens, ghost – end of night and Shiranui. Together, these films bring the rich legacy and boundless future of Japanese animation into one program.