Locarno brings dozens of classic anime to the big screen with "Manga Impact"

by Chris MaGee

If there's anywhere that fans of anime would want to be right now it would have to be Locarno, Switzerland. Why? Because the programmers of the 62nd Locarno Film Festival have brought together a monumental retrospective of over 100 anime films dubbed "Manga Impact" (Why not "Anime Impact" I wonder ?). They've also gone and given it a frightening if very eye-catching poster (above). Those big doe-like anime eyes sure do look hideous when you go live-action with them like that.

Okay, poster aside, check out some of the films that will be screening during Locarno which runs from August 5th to 15th: Makoto Shinkai's "5 Centimetres Per Second", Masaki Mori 's "Barefoot Gen", Shinichiro Watanabe's "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie", Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell", Hiroyuki Okiura's "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade", Masaaki Yuasa's "Mind Game", Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away", and the list just keeps going on and on and on. The Locarno folks even have such rare gems as Noburo Ofuji 's "Momotaro's Sea Eagles", the 1943 half-hour animated film based around Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour.

As part of this massive retrospective Locarno honoured Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata was given an Honorific Leopard Award for his groundbreaking films like "Grave of the Fireflies", "Pom Poko", and "My Neighbours the Yamadas". Takahata was presented with the award by French animator Michel Ocelot at a ceremony on Thursday.

To check out all of what guersts of "Manga Impact" will be catching in Locarno head to its official site here, and thanks to Anime News Network for the news of Takahata's very deserving award.