ANNOUNCEMENT: Animator Kei Oyamato presents his film "The Thaw" in Toronto

by Chris MaGee

It's quite the week for Japanese animation fans here in Toronto. On Thursday, June 12th The Worldwide Short Film Festival will be presenting a double bill of Studio 4°C's "Geniuys Party" and Genius Party Beyond" with "Cowboy Bebop" and "Samurai Champloo" creator Shinichiro Watanabe in attendence. Now there's word that the following night's program, Emerging Auteur Animators, which highlights the best of independent animation in Japan will also have a special guest, Kei Oyama.

Born in Tokyo in 1978 Oyama studied filmmaking at Image Forum Institute of Moving Image and graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 2005. His film "Consultation Room" was part of the Director's Fortnight at the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival. For this event Oyama will be presenting his short animated film "The Thaw", a monochromatic telling of "one boy's eerie encounter with death."

For more details on Friday's event check out the Emerging Auteur Animators program page here.