JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL

OVERSEAS PROMOTION

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2020

In collaboration with Annecy 2020 Online

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival/MIFA (Animation Film Market), held annually in Annecy, France, is the world's largest and most important animation film festival. However, in 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, the event was held online as "Annecy 2020 Online" (June 15th to 30th).
200 movies including pre-release movies; 32 public events such as master classes; and 40 MIFA trade fair events, were held online as part of this event. Video industry professionals and fans from all over the world gathered online to participate in the festival.
Japan Media Arts Overseas Promotion has established a special website to promote Japanese animation, aiming to attract the Annecy festival participants online. We also exhibited JMAF Overseas Promotion stand at Annecy 2020 Online and introduced Japanese animation based on this year’s theme to the film festival/MIFA participants.


Curation theme : ANIMATIONISM – All Creativity Welcomed –

“When I ask Japanese animation creators about their motivation for producing work, many say they want to do ‘omoshiroi’ things.
Japanese animation creators’ themes and motifs, storytelling, animation techniques such as drawing and art, staff composition, production systems, music, performers, etc., are their modes of expression. Their motto is to pursue ‘omoshiroi’ at every stage of production and as a result, the Japanese animation scene is ‘a state where there is a wide variety of unique things all together.’ Japanese animation producers create a diverse range of work, for all audience groups from adults to toddlers, from boy and girl heroes to robots to unique characters and micro worlds, from traditional culture to sports to music, and from artistic expression to 3D, and recently, VR. Up until this point in time, all kinds of creations are made and accepted in Japan. Moreover, the animation scene continues to change dynamically every year.
I think that this state in which all kinds of creations are welcomed is Japanese ‘ANIMATIONISM’.”

Director OKAMOTO Mitsuko (Producer / Vice President, Tokyo University of the Arts/ Professor, Department of Animation, Postgraduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts)

Click here for the full text


Online projects

Based on the curation theme of the event, the following online projects were conducted to introduce the current Japanese animation scene to a global audience.


Animation Division Special Site

This English language website has been designed for an overseas audience alongside the Annecy 2020 Online festival. It showcases original projects such as streaming short animations, interviews with studios and creators, and profiles of featured artists, etc., that introduce Japanese animation.

Animation division special site

Site contents
Introduction of curated programs
Special Interviews

Professor OKAMOTO Mitsuko, director of the JMAF Overseas Promotion Animation division, interviews the creators leading the Japanese anime industry.

Creator's Q&A Videos

Video interviews with 5 creators from the curated program “ANIMATIONISM – All Creativity Welcomed –.” In the video, each creator will share their own perspectives on filmmaking.


Screening (streaming distribution)

Streaming two programs to a global online audience (each program is delivered three times)

Curation program “ANIMATIONISM - All Creativity Welcomed - ”

A short animation program featuring 5 works produced by the winning artists from the animation division at the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival.
You can find more from here.

Dates 2020.6.20 - 6.21 (3 times in total)
Program “ANIMATIONISM - All Creativity Welcomed - ”

"ANIMETAMAGO”

A short animation program that includes 3 works that were selected from the works of the "Human Resource Development Business for Young Animators" commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which was started in 2010. This program is aimed at cultivating excellent animators who will lead the future of the industry through on-the-job training in order to promote and improve Japanese animation.
You can find more from here.

Dates 2020.6.27 - 6.28 (3 times in total)
Program 「ANIMETAMAGO」

MIFA Virtual Stand Exhibit

MIFA (the Annecy International Animation Film Market) was held online in addition to the film festival. A virtual stand (an online business introduction booth) was exhibited by Japan Media Art Overseas Promotion, and a special website for the animation department and streaming distribution events were introduced to the Annecy Film Festival participants.




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