Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2021 Details

Date: 2021 September 08 20:05

Posted by Joe

The good folks from the Kotatsu Festival have just sent us details for their upcoming 2021 event. Set to run in Cardiff - Chapter from Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th September 2021 and Aberystwyth Arts Centre from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October 2021. As always the Japanese animation festival has a great selection of films including The Deer King, Ride Your Wave, On-Gaku along with Studio Ghibli's first 3D CGI offering Earwig and the Witch.

Not to be outdone by the big titles, they'll also be showcasing the talents of independent animators including
cut-out animation called In Full Bloom and a hand-drawn fresh depiction of affection between two girls in The Mark of Emi.

They'll also be a few workshops and some free online events are also being planned.

As always with events like this we suggest booking early to avoid disappointment.

Full Story

Press release as follows:



Kotatsu Festival Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kotatsu Festival 2021 - Back In Style

Cardiff, Wales - September 7, 2021

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival returns this month as Chapter's first visiting film festival since lockdown measures ended. Although the festival screenings will have reduced seating due to social distancing, there's still a great programme of events, with films such as The Deer King, Ride Your Wave, On-Gaku, and Studio Ghibli's latest Earwig and the Witch.

An important part of the Kotatsu Festival is that every year it supports independent animators, and this year is no exception. There are two independent short films, one beautifully intricate cut-out animation called In Full Bloom and a hand-drawn fresh depiction of affection between two girls in In Full Bloom and a hand-drawn fresh depiction of affection between two girls in The Mark of Emi.

New this year is the Critic Award, with the judges recently announced as British journalist and author Andrew Osmond, anime critic and freelance writer Ryota Fujitsu and film critic and journalist Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi. Their selection of 'Best Film' will be announced on the last day of the festival.

Workshops are also being planned, a repeating and well-loved feature of this festival, but this year due to Covid they will all take place online with just one exception; a Yukata Workshop taking place at Canton Library in Cardiff. Oscar nominated animator and director Koji Yamamura (Mount Head) will be giving a tour of his studio live via zoom, courtesy of The Japan Foundation (London).

In October, the festival moves on to Aberystwyth Arts Centre from 1st-3rd October, screening 2 additional films, Children of the Sea, Promare, along with a raffle and Kotatsu Festival Stand.

Full details of all the events, screenings and workshops, can be found on the festival website at kotatsufestival.com.

Tickets
Chapter
Aberystwyth

Dates
Cardiff - Chapter 25th-26th September
Aberystwyth - Aberystwyth Arts Centre 1st-3rd October

Screening as part of Japan 2021: 100 years of Japanese Cinema, a UK-wide film season supported by the National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. bfijapan.co.uk

Japan-UK Season of Culture https://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/SeasonCulture/index.html