Expired March 21, 2021 11:45 PM
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The live event "DRESS UP! CREATIVE WORKSHOP" is included as part of this programme. You will automatically be issued a ticket for this separate event when you obtain a ticket for the Kotatsu shorts. CLICK HERE for details.



To celebrate International Women’s Day, WOW Women’s Film Club invited Eiko Meredith, the director of Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, to hand-pick a selection of animated shorts made by up-and-coming female animators working in Japan.

 

Among the films that will be screened online are some from students of Tokyo Zokei University’s animation course such as the bizarre bee-filled story about a young woman learning to be brave “To Bee Continued” by Aki Ezure. ‘Dress Flowery’ is directed by Hikaru Haruta, who is currently studying at Tokyo Polytechnic University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Animation. This is a beautiful animation representing the history of the fashion of Japanese women.


We are also screening some animation from the Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Film and New Media Department, including the award-winning “Bath House of Whales” by Mizuki Kiyama, a short animation using a paint-on-glass technique which details a young girl’s visit to a neighbourhood bath house with her mother.

 

Independent animators are also well represented with the award-winning "Good Night" about two warring siblings, and directed by Makiko Nanke, who is herself a mother to three children. There are also shorts by Arisa Wakami, an animator who uses a variety of materials, such as sand, to tell stories. Here, we have ones dedicated to mothers. We hope that these shorts will provide some support to mothers who may be feeling under pressure due to the pandemic.

 

All of these heart-warming films are fun for all ages and can be viewed by all family members. Hug your kids and enjoy!

 

 



Menywod yn Animeiddio: Animeiddiadau Byr o Japan

Curadwyd gan Ŵyl Animeiddio Japaneaidd Kotatsu

I ddathlu Diwrnod Rhyngwladol y Menywod, gwahoddodd Clwb Ffilm Merched WOW Eiko Meredith o Ŵyl Animeiddio Japaneaidd Kotatsu i ddewis detholiad o ffilmiau animeiddiedig byr a wnaed gan animeiddwyr benywaidd addawol sy’n gweithio yn Japan.


Mae'r holl ffilmiau calonogol hyn yn hwyl i bob oed a gellir eu gwylio gan aelodau’r teulu cyfan. Rhowch gwtsh i’ch plant a mwynhewch!


 

Dress Flowery (Hikaru Haruta)

I produced the animation representing the history of the fashion of the Japanese woman.

 

Tiny World (Yuri Matsumoto)

This is a work that looks a little at such a small world. However, the things that are placed there actually have their own lives and may have various feelings. Many stories may have been born and gone.

 

Out of the Box (Hwang Dasom)

This work portrays the process of the protagonist, who has spent an entire life in a small box, mustering up the courage to try to communicate with others after starting to feel sadness.

 

Blue Dog (Ji Zhaoqi)

Blue and happy.

 

To Bee Continued (Aki Ezure)

The girl lived on a vinyl-covered ship, a little away from the bees and the people who live there. One day, the bees make a fuss about something. The joy and stress of connecting with people that I felt in my daily life was made with a positive feeling. Please leave difficult things and enjoy them as entertainment.

 

It is Love (Akiho Shimizu)

A love story for parents and children that expresses the importance of communicating love.

 

Nekoze Kansatsuki (Hikari Yamashita)

A short animated work that portrays a parent penguin who worries about their child penguin, who has a hunched back.

 

Blessing 0-5 (Arisa Wakami)

Live-action stop-motion (pixiliation) with a newborn and child, animated at various stages between ages 0 and 5 years old.

 

Mommy (Yusio+Arisa Wakami)

This is the music video of a song that was inspired by the relationship between a mother and her daughter, a theme that has become increasingly relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep people at home. The song by YUSHIO portrays the daughter's abiding love for her mother as well as her mother's noble love which the daughter only discovers after becoming a mother herself. The audience will be drawn into this incredible world featuring the story of mothers and stop-motion animation of sand art.

 

Turtle's Stroll (Matsuoka Minori)

One day, a pet turtle named Kamesuke decided to go out alone. It should have been all that he had hoped for and yet he couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

 

While You Sleep (Kano Ikeda)

On the night of the blue moonlight, a girl has a magical dream. She meets a mushroom fairy who takes her to their festival.

 

Indoor Days (Asaki Nishino)

On days I don't want to leave the house, I enjoy watching TV and videos on my smartphone. I'm supposed to be at home but the screen keeps taking me elsewhere and I lose my grip on my whereabouts and reality.

 

House Rattler (Shinobu Soejima)

The house rattling spirit has lived in this old house for generations. But the elderly woman who lives there as the final resident can no longer hear the noises it makes, which leaves the house rattler filled with a sense of longing.

 

Bath House of Whales  (Kiyamamizuki)

In this small town somewhere in Japan, the mothers in the neighborhood end their day at the public bath. When a little girl goes along with her mother, she is awed by the sight of a group of bathing women who behave very differently from the others. Within that group is her mother and she blends in perfectly.

 

Good Night  (Makiko Nanke)

For these twin boys, a little sibling rivalry is an everyday occurrence. And no matter how minor the infraction, as far as they're concerned, each quibble is like an act of war. It's easy to imagine that for them, every single day is as thrilling as an action movie, playing out in their heads. They're fighting with all they've got... and even in dreams, the battle rages on. Our story peeks in on these two boys, and we have a chance to look on as they grow.