Thursday Animation Film, Jan 28, 2010

Date: 28.01.10
Time: 9:30PM
Venue: IDC Auditorium

Film: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Director: Satoshi Kon (Director of Millennium Actress)

Description:

Christmas in Tokyo, Japan.

Three homeless friends: a young girl, a transvestite, and a middle-aged bum.

While foraging through some trash, they find an abandoned newborn. Hana, the transvestite with delusions of being a mother, convinces the others to keep it overnight. The next day, using a key found with the baby, they
start tracking down the parents, with many adventures along the way.(source: IMDB.com)

Related Links:
Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Godfathers
Review:
http://japancinema.net/2009/04/23/tokyo-godfathers-review/

Thursday Animation Film Screening (17.09.09) - Mind Game (2004)

Please make a note: The animation screening here onwards will be on Thursdays, and at 9:00PM 
Thursday Animation Screening
Date: 17.09.09
Time: 9:00PM
Venue: IDC Auditorium

Film: Mind Game (2004) Director: Masaaki Yuasa 

Description: This award-winning film is a journey of self-discovery based on Japan's cult underground comic "Mind Game" by Robin Nishi. The story follows Nishi himself through the life experiences that directly inspired the semi-autobiographical "Mind Game" comic. As a college-age loser addicted to porn and aspiring to write seedy adult comics, Nishi aspires to overcome his addiction to perversion in a tale that is lighthearted yet painful and touching. What starts off as an innocent meeting between old friends quickly turns into a psychedelic extravaganza, filled with violence, sex, love, redemption, and the infinite possibilities of the human mind. Director Masaaki Yuasa rejoices in experimental animation techniques, filling the screen with virtuoso wackiness, mixing in rough lines and storyboards, then inserting photographic touches. (source: IMDB.com) 

Note: This film contains some adult themes, foul language and nudity. Please keep that in mind when coming. 

Related Links:

Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Game_(film) 
Review: http://www.genjipress.com/2005/07/mind-game.html 
Plot Explanation (SPOILERS! Please read after you've seen the film): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452039/board/nest/85321909?d=85321909&p=1#85321909 

Friday Animation Film

Friday Animation Screening
Date: 11.09.09
Time: 7:00PM
Venue: IDC Auditorium

Film: The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
Director: Jerry Rees

Description: When a young boy and his family don't come one year to their holiday home, their household appliances, led by the toaster think their master might be in trouble. They decided that rather than stay where they
are, they'll try to find them. So beings a dangerous and amusing adventure through the countryside and into the big city.(source: IMDB.com)

Trivia: John Lasseter was originally on board to direct the film for Disney with a mix of traditional animation and CG characters, which would have made this film the first of its kind. However the executives decided to pull the plug on the project driving Lasseter to Pixar, and leaving the movie in limbo. The remaining team managed to get the film produced independently and was a big hit when it was shown in the Sundance Film Festival. Again as luck would have it, there were no commercial buyers and Disney finally bought it and showed it on televsion.

Related Links:
Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brave_Little_Toaster_(film)
Review:
http://projectionbooth.blogspot.com/2008/02/brave-little-toaster-1987-b.html

Friday Animation Film on September 4, 2009

Friday Animation Screening
Date: 04.09.09
Time: 7:00PM
Venue: IDC Auditorium

Film: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
Director: Mamoru Hosoda

Description: When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.(source: Anime News Network)

Personal Note: A small piece of trivia - The film was released without much fanfare in Japan, in a limited number of theaters and wasn't expected to do good business. But according to IMDB.com, the film ran "for days in a row, film-goers would fill the theater, some even standing to watch the film.".

So do yourself a favor, don't read the reviews, don't read all the stuff in wikipedia, just come to the screening and experience the movie first hand.

Its that good.


Related Links:
Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_Who_Leapt_Through_Time
Review:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-girl-who-leapt-through-time