Anime is in the Spotlight at Ottawa Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival will pay tribute to Japanese animation with a four-part program of films from independent animators including the acclaimed godfather of anime and manga Osamu Tezuka.

Among the Japanese features in competition at this year’s festival ‘ set for Oct. 20-24 in the Canadian capital ‘ are:

‘ One Piece Film ‘ Strong World, by Munehisa Sakai. Fresh off its record-breaking performance in Japanese theaters comes the Canadian theatrical debut of the tenth animated feature based on Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga series.

‘ Midori ‘ Ko, by Keita Kurosaka. 
 A surreal vision of a 21st century Tokyo that is rapidly approaching starvation, the film tells the story of a young woman who, while working to develop a ‘dream food’ that will end the city’s hunger crisis, encounters a mysterious creature that transforms her life. This is a North American premiere.

Other Japanese film highlights of the Festival include:

‘ A look at Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka’s ingenious short films. Yoshihiro Shimizu, general manager for Tezuka Productions Co., will do a special presentation about Tezuka, his friend and co-worker.

‘ A two-part look at the Secret World of Independent Japanese Animation.

‘ ‘Handsoaps and Fools,’ a showcase for the work of Atsushi Wada and Kei Oyama, two of the most innovative and exciting young animators working in Japan today.

For more information on the festival and its lineup of animated films, visit www.animationfestival.ca.