CALF Animation joins forces with experimental filmmakers at Eurospace Shibuya

by Chris MaGee

Both Jasper Sharp and I were very proud to feature the CALF Animation Special at this year's Shinsedai Cinema Festival here in Toronto. The animation collective founded by critic Nobuaki Doi and animators Mirai Mizue, Atsushi Wada and Kei Oyama, is producing some of the most wildly imaginative visions coming out of not just the world of Japanese animation, but from the international animation scene. CALF has toured around the globe with their films at festivals like Shinsedai, the Ottawa Animation Festival, Nippon Connection in Frankfurt, the Trixi Animation Festival in Stuttgart, amongst many others; but this week they will be having a sort of homecoming with a special screening in Tokyo.

From September 3rd to 9th Eurosapce in Shibuya will be hosting the CALF Short Film Festival in Summer. This will not just be a screening of animation by Mizue, Oyama, Wada, and light animators TOCHKA though. CALF is joining forces with a number of today's most respected experimental filmmakers to make this week-long event truly special. Joining the CALF crew will be works by director Masanori Tominaga (The Pavilion Salamandre), Isamu Hirabayashi, Takashi Makino and Dairiki+Miura (one of my personal favorites). The programme will also feature works by legendary pop artist Keiichi Tanaami (above).

To learn more about CALF Short Film Festival in Summer head here (Japanese only), or to Nishikata Film Review for English coverage.