Women Make Animation Online Event

Date: 2021 March 06 14:06

Posted by Joe

The good folks from the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival have teamed up with Wales One World Festival to Celebrate International Women's Day. Together they'll be hosting free family friendly online event on 13th March 2021. The event will show case works by up and coming female directors. They'll be showing various family friendly short films on the Zoom Stream. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

They'll also be running a free drawing workshop with the Japanese animator and illustrator Chie Arai.

Full Story

Press release as follows:



Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival x Wales One World Film Festival

Celebrate International Women's Day

To celebrate International Women's Day 2021, WOW Women's Film Club invited Eiko Meredith, the director of Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, to hand-pick a selection of animated shorts crafted by up-and-coming female animators working in Japan, and to organise an online Creative Workshop by Japanese animator and illustrator Chie Arai.

Date: 13th March

Watch online for FREE using the WOW Film Festival platform via:

https://watch.eventive.org/wow2021/play/602e4314136d40003e56bd73/6036546b5be8a4003ed87023

Women Make Animation: Animated Shorts from Japan

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is 'choose to challenge', so the Kotatsu Festival team have brought together a number of works by up-and-coming female film-makers, all of which are family-friendly and are rated U or PG.

Among the films that will be screened online are some from students of Tokyo Zokei University's animation course such as "To Bee Continued" by Aki Ezure, the bizarre bee-filled story about a young woman learning to be brave.

Also screening are some animation from the Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Film and New Media Department, including the award-winning "Bath House of Whales" by Mizuki Kiyama, a short animation using a paint-on-glass technique which details a young girl's visit to a neighbourhood bath house with her mother.

Independent animators are also well represented with the award-winning "Good Night" about two warring siblings, and directed by Makiko Nanke, who is herself a mother to three children. There are also shorts by Arisa Wakami, an animator who uses a variety of materials, such as sand, to tell stories. One film which is particularly relevant to our times is "Mommy", a music video inspired by the relationship between a mother and her daughter; a theme that has become increasingly relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep people at home.

Short Film Programme:

1. Dress Flowery (Hikari Haruta)
2. tiny world (Yuri Matsumoto)
3. OUT OF THE BOX (Hwang Dasom)
4. blue dog (Ji Zhaoqi)
5. to bee continued (Aki Ezure)
6. It is love (Akiho Shimizu)
7. nekoze kansatsuki (Hikari Yamashita)
8. Blessing 0-5 (Arisa Wakami)
9. Mommy (Yusio+Arisa Wakami)
10. Turtle's Strol (Minori Matsuoka)
11. While You Sleep (Kano Ikeda)
12. Indoor Days (Asaki Nishino)
13. House Rattler (Shinobu Soejima)
14. Bath House of Whales (Mizuki Kiyama)
15. Good Night (Makiko Nanke)

These films will all be available to watch live via the Eventive website on March 13th, and they will remain viewable for a week.
https://watch.eventive.org/wow2021/play/602e4314136d40003e56bd73/6036546b5be8a4003ed87023

All of these heart-warming films are fun for all ages and can be viewed by all family members. Hug your kids and enjoy!

WORKSHOP: Dress Up! Creative Workshop with Chie Arai Saturday 13 March, 2pm
Place: Zoom
Free event for all ages.

It's time to get creative! In this Zoom workshop, Japanese animator and illustrator Chie Arai will demonstrate how draw a girl in a kimono. Viewers will be able to join in and show their country's own traditional dress. During the workshop the audience will have a chance to show their designs to Chie, however as the event will be recorded children should get parental consent first. Viewers are advised to have drawing materials available, such as paper, pencils, pens, and colouring pencils.

Booking via https://watch.eventive.org/wow2021/play/602e3140ef061e005a4b2288

About Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival

Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival has been held annually since November 2010, with its mission to bring Japanese animation and culture to Welsh audiences. The festival screens a wide variety of films, animation workshops and masterclasses with leading animators from Japan as well as providing educational and cultural learning opportunities. It has expanded over the years and can be experienced every autumn at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff and at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.