IFI Press Release 2nd March 2010
IFI Anime Weekend returns with a programme packed full of giant robots, high school heroes and an army of US military vampires.
March 20th & 21st
The second IFI Anime Weekend programme is shaping up to be every bit as thrilling a journey into the Japanese imagination as last year’s hugely successful event. The packed weekend of seven popular titles and discussions will provide dedicated fans and newcomers alike with a rare opportunity to see this powerfully visual genre where it belongs – on the big screen.
Japanese anime has sat at the forefront of animation for many years, engaging adults, teenagers and children from across the world, from the sight of a ruined Tokyo in Akira to the enthralling work done by Studio Ghibli, most recently in Ponyo. Anime’s appeal lies in its ability to portray a distinctively Japanese imaginative realm that would be impossible on live film.
The weekend kicks off with screenings of the first two films in the Evangelion saga (Evangelion 1.11 and Evangelion 2.0) that feature unlikely hero Shinji’s struggle to accept responsibility for mankind’s battle for survival against a ceaseless onslaught of deadly angels. Also screening on Saturday is 5 Centimetres Per Second which, demonstrating a softer side to anime culture, follows young dreamer Takaki from young love to adult obligations. The romance will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of anime with several experts in the field including Jonathan Clements, Hugh David and the weekend’s programmer Andrew Partridge.
The second day of screenings starts with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time; the premise of which is perhaps the most unlikely result of a high school lab accident ever - the spontaneous ability to time travel. Blood: The Last Vampire and a secret mystery film form a double bill which brings more lone warriors engaged in battle to save planet Earth before the weekend comes to a wonderful climax with the screening of Summer Wars, the Irish Premiere of Mamoru Hosoda’s hotly anticipated new feature that has been described as the anime landmark Ghost in the Shell for the Facebook generation.
IFI Anime Weekend Schedule
March 20th 1pm Evangelion 1.11
March 20th 3pm 5 Centimetres Per Second followed by The Future of Anime Panel Discussion
March 20th 5.15pm Evangelion 2.0
March 21st 1.00pm The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
March 21st 3pm Blood: The Last Vampire & Mystery Film
March 21st 5.15pm Summer Wars
Tickets are available from the IFI Box Office in person, on 01 679 3477, or online at www.ifi.ie
The IFI is supported by the Arts Council