Nippon Animation

When ISAO TAKAHATA passed away in April 2018, Japanese animation lost one of its pioneers and most famous filmmakers. But as this year’s selection of films in our NIPPON ANIMATION section proves, anime filmmakers are more productive and creative than ever. Along with films by veteran directors like Masaaki YUASA and Hiromasa YONEBAYASHI, we also present the feature length debut of French comic artist Guillaume Renard, who produced his film MUTAFUKAZ as a collaboration with Japanese Studio 4°C. Ujicha’s second film, VIOLENCE VOYAGER, a twisted take on sci-fi and horror movies, might be one of the most unconventional Japanese animation films in recent years. Two short film programs, MUSIC OF THE VISUAL WORLD and TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS: ANIMATION highlight the creative spirit of young and independent filmmakers.