Anime Film Festival

January 12, 2004

In conjunction with the current ICA exhibition Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happens, ICA & the International House Film Program presents an evening of Japanese animation by the popular Gainax productions on Wednesday, February 4 at 7pm. The first episodes in five of Gainax's most popular series will be screened back to back at the International House. The screening will start with one of the most popular anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, set in a dark and apocalyptic future. Two other futuristic series will also be screened: FLCL and Mahoromatic. Rounding out the five films are the more romantic series Nadia-The Secret of the Blue Water and His and Her Circumstances. Complete descriptions on all films below. Admission is free. Penn Professor Lewis Harrington, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, will introduce the films. ICA will offer a free tour of the Yoshitomo Nara exhibition prior to the screening, at 6pm.

What is anime?
Anime is a style of animation developed in Japan and characterized by stylized colorful art and futuristic settings. It is said to generate more than half of all domestic box office revenue in Japan, and is gaining popularity in the U.S. Today's anime is a far cry from what many Baby Boomers experienced watching "Speed Racer" in the 60's. It often focuses on adult issues such as eroticism and death, as well as such child-friendly concepts as science fiction, drama, comedy and animal antics. With a devoted following, anime appeals to children and adults alike.

Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever Happens
These films are presented as part of the programming for the Yoshitomo Nara exhibition. Simultaneously cute and menacing, Yoshitomo Nara's images of young children and childhood pets offer an engaging and enigmatic Pop Art for the new millennium. 'Nothing Ever Happens' is the first major U.S. exhibition of this Japanese artist's painting and sculpture. Yoshitomo Nara is a huge fan of anime and it is a significant influence in his work.

Anime Screening Descriptions

• Neon Genesis Evangelion
  Copyright Gainax. Directed by Hideaki Anno. Episode 1, approximately 25 minutes.
  High-tech action, blistering battle sequences, soul ripping drama and spectacular visuals are seamlessly merged in this space opera that questions the very nature of what it is to be human!
  
  In the year 2015, as the remnants of the human race cower in subterranean cities, a deadly war is being waged for what if left of the planet. On one side are the mysterious beings know only as the Angels; on the other, the secret agency NERV with mankind's last hope, the awe-inspiring Evangelions. Piloted by a special team of young warriors, these giant bio-mechanical humanoids are the only thing that can withstand the force of the Angels' defense fields long enough for the to tackle the massive invaders in brutal hand-to-hand combat! At the same time, NERV struggles to pierce the veil of mystery surrounding the enigmatic Angels.
  
  
• FLCL
  ©Gainax/KGI. Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki. Episode 1, Fooly Cooly, 30 minutes.
  FLCL takes animation to yet another level. A freaky show about adolescence, expectations and intrigue, plus an alien girl on a Vespa. Naota has enough to deal with at home. His older brother went to the US to play baseball. And his father and grandfather never behave like normal adults. Not to mention his brother's girlfriend is now making advances on him. Plus there's a so-called alien girl hitting on him. Literally. With a bass guitar. Oh, did we mention the robots that keep springing from his head?
  
  
• Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden
  ©Nakayama. Directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. Episode 1: In An Hydrangea Garden, Approx. 25 minutes
  The story of one combat android's battle with her guilt and her place in the universe during her last remaining days of operation. Suguru's horrible cleaning skills have his friends calling his home the "haunted house," and being an orphan, he needs help! Enter Mahoro, a beautiful 19-year old that catches bullets in her fingers, claims to be an android, and who wants to be his maid! Now, his school friends are suspicious and his well-endowed teacher is going over the edge with jealousy. How will he react when he discovers that Hahoro only has 398 days to live and has chosen him for a reason?
  
  
• Nadia - The Secret of the Blue Water
  ©NHK. Director: Hideaki Anno. Episode 1: Girl at the Eiffel Tower, approx. 30 minutes
  Inspired by Jules Verne's masterpiece 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this is one of the most popular anime series in Japan. The World's Fair, Paris, 1889: a young inventor crosses paths with an enigmatic girl and her pet lion. Suddenly they find themselves pursued by villainous trio intent upon stealing the magical Blue Water. Join Nadia and Jean as they travel the high seas in search of Nadia's homeland and her past with the jewel she wears as their only clue. Can they unravel the Secret of the Blue Water before it is too late? Discover Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water, the animated series beloved by millions, and find out for yourself!
  
  
• His and Her Circumstances
  ©2002 Masami Tsuda. Written and directed by Hideaki Anno. Episode 1, 30 minutes
  From studio Gainax comes a high-tension story of the heartrending rivalries of a first love. Like a drug, Yukino Miyazawa was addicted to admiration and praise from those around her. She worked hard to become the perfect student, the perfect girl. But that was before... him. Souichirou Arima. The instant she met him, she hated him. Without even trying, he snatched the very glory from her hands by easily acing the high school entrance exam that should have made her the class representative. To take back what is rightfully hers, Yukino is putting all her efforts into plotting her revenge; but was love part of the plan?

The ICA is located at 118 South 36th Street at the University of Pennsylvania. The ICA is open to the public, except during installation, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday through Friday and from 11:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for students over 12, artists, and senior citizens; and free to ICA members, children 12 and under, PENN card holders, and on Sundays from 11:00am to 1:00pm. For more information, call 215-898-7108/5911.

^

Copyright © 2000-2010, Institute of Contemporary Art. All rights reserved.
Institute of Contemporary Art @ University of Pennsylvania
118 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 · 215 898-7108 · contact us
Hours: Wed 11-8 · Thu-Fri 11-6 · Sat-Sun 11-5 · Mon-Tue closed

Find us on: facebook · twitter · miranda

Website developed by Zero Defect Design LLC.