A special program titled "Tribute to Japanese Animation" at this year's Annecy International Animated Film Festival was announced at a press conference on April 18 at Institut francais du Japon-Tokyo. It was organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan/Tokyo Metropolitan Government/Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO). (Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/201904195608?p=images) The Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the world's largest and most influential film festival dedicated to animation, will take place in Annecy, France, on June 10-15. Each year, the festival focuses on one nation as its "Tribute Country," and introduces its animation culture. In 2019, and for the first time in 20 years, that country is Japan. The theme for this special program is "NEW MOTION: The Next of Japanese Animation." As technological innovation broadens diversity, what will Japanese animation set its sights on, and what direction will it take? At the festival, up-and-coming creators and state-of-the-art technology and animation will be presented to the world, while at adjacent international market MIFA, animation companies will be introduced who represent the next generation in the vast animation industry hub of Tokyo. At the press conference, numerous events were announced for Japan's year as Annecy's Tribute Country, including the festival's official screenings, live animation concerts and outdoor screenings at Annecy Castle, and large-scale displays and production announcements of new content at MIFA. Mitsuko Okamoto, General Director of "NEW MOTION," said: "More than 35 years ago, Osamu Tezuka visited Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and his artistic impressions of his experiences remain with us today. He depicted Annecy as 'Heaven on Earth.' I saw this as an opportunity for Japanese animation to contemplate its future, and devised the theme of 'NEW MOTION.' With this in mind, we will first focus on people by taking up young creators who represent the next generation of Japanese animation and introducing them to the world. Specifically, 26 up-and-coming creators nominated by animation professionals will be presented through a NEW MOTION Creators File, and some of their works will be screened in the festival's official program." For details, please visit: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/201904195608-O2-Sgl5cYij.pdf Source: Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO)