Posts tagged with ‘screening’

July 30-31: Kanai Katsu Introduces The Kingdom in London

Kanai Katsu, director of The Kingdom and other amazing experimental films, emailed me to say that he’ll be attending a symposium in London as guest director. If you’re in the city save the date and be sure to check this out! He’s a legend of Japanese cinema!

The Art Theatre Guild of Japan: Spaces for Intercultural and Intermedial Cinema

A two-day symposium on 30th & 31st July 2011 at the Gordon Square Cinema, Birkbeck College, University of London CFP

Experimental Films of Kanai Katsu - Canadian Premiere

ANGURA! is very proud to present the Canadian Premiere of the work of Kanai Katsu!!

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Tokyo’s underground film scene fermented some of the most enlightening, kaleidoscopic, bizarre and pioneering visions. Names such as Shuji Terayama, Toshio Matsumoto, Takahiko Iimura and Nobuhiko Obayashi defined this avant-garde cinema, but one filmmaker, 74-year-old Kanai Katsu, has continued to labour in the underground. Since Kanai independently released a limited edition retrospective DVD box-set of his films his work is being discovered by a whole new generation of film fans and art enthusiasts.

On Friday Oct 1st, ANGURA! will be presenting a double-bill of two of Kanai’s defining films - 1969’s “The Deserted Archipelago” and 1973’s “The Kingdom”. Winner of Grand Prize at the 1970 Nyon International Film Festival, “The Deserted Archipelago” plays out like a fever dream of the social and political unrest of the post ANPO-Treaty riots that nearly tore Japan apart during the 1960’s. A lone man escapes a life of abuse in a Catholic monastery only to face male-pregnancy, insanity and a machine gun toting nun on his road to Japan’s Parliament building. “The Kingdom” encorporates surrealism and pinku eiga techniques of momentary flashes of colour footage to take us on one young man’s battle to fuse with the natural world and to conquer time.

PLUS! There will be a special performance by Toronto-based acousmatic / tape music / psychedelic duo GASTRIC FEMALE REFLEX between the films. 

Poster art by Private Press Printing

ADMISSION: $10.00 (includes screening + performance + 1 drink)
Doors at 8pm

8:30 -The Deserted Archipelago (無人列島), 55min
9:45 - Gastric Female Reflex
10:15 - The Kingdom (王国), 80min

(TTC Directions: Take the #168 from Dundas W Station or #127 from   Station and get off at Laughton. Walk 1/2 block west and go down the alley running north to the second door of the warehouse.)

To whet your appetites for this world of Kanai Katsu check out the trailer he put together for his independently produced DVD box set below.

-CM

Micro Interviews with 12 Japanese Animators

It’s been a great year for SECONDS UNDER THE SUN, a touring programme of short Japanese art animation I put together in order to get unknown or under-appreciated work in front of eager audiences. It has screened in Toronto and Winnipeg, and will be featured this Saturday in Montreal’s newest micro-cinema Blue Sunshine. SECONDS features 12 established and emerging animators that employ techniques from sand to hand-drawn, stop motion puppet to digital. It highlights artists from a variety of generations and the subject matter covers a range of emotional landscapes: quiet contemplation of the miniscule, death in the family, grotesque humour, and the ineffable space within relationships.

Here are the bios of the participating artists and some bite-sized interviews for your reading enjoyment!

Naomi Nagata

2010 New Year’s Greeting, 
30sec (2010) 

Komoko-chan’s Coffee, 4min 17sec (2008)

Born in 1978, Naomi Nagata makes music videos and her own works in stop- motion animation using sand and paper cut outs. Since 2002 she has been involved in event planning and operation as a member of the animation screening group “animation soup”.

Favourite childhood toy: When I was child, I liked playing outside more than playing with toys. But, when I play inside, my favorite toy was Family Computer.

Do you like coffee? Yes.

How long it takes you to brush your teeth: Hmm….about 5 to 10 minutes.

Kihachiro Kawamoto

The Demon, 8min (1970)

Born in 1925, from an early age Kihachiro Kawamoto was captivated by the art of doll and puppet making. After seeing the works of maestro Czech animator Jiri Trnka, he first became interested in stop motion puppet animation and during the 50s began working alongside Japan’s first stop motion animator, the legendary Tadahito Mochinaga.

Read more »

SECONDS UNDER THE SUN Screens in Winnipeg

On a steamy night last August I presented a night of short Japanese animation as guest curator for FILM FORT, a local screening collective. The venue was packed and I’m excited to report that SECONDS UNDER THE SUN will have an extended life as the opening night screening of PLASTIC PAPER: Festival of Animated, Illustrated + Puppet Film in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 5th at the Park Theatre at 8:00PM. Check out the festival website for ticket info and schedule.

-NH

Vermilion Souls Screening @ CineCycle - Feb 5th

Thanks to everyone who came out to see Masaki Iwana’s Vermilion Souls! It was a great event and all of the positive feedback has inspired us to continue to bring marginalized Japanese films to Toronto on an ongoing basis.