From October 18-20, visit JAPAN HOUSE Library, Level 5 (located in Hollywood & Highland) to see Weathering With You storyboards created by Makoto Shinkai. This exhibit is free, visit www.japanhouse.jp/losangeles for more details.
Be among the first to experience new footage from Frozen 2, the breathlessly anticipated sequel to the 2013 phenomenon Frozen. For your guide, Director and Academy Award® winner Chris Buck takes you on a journey out of Arendelle in pursuit of the origin of Elsa’s powers. Featuring behind-the-scenes insight and footage from from the upcoming film, this … Frozen 2: Behind the Scenes
SPECIAL SCREENING AND DISCUSSION WITH COLOROOM FOUNDER, YI QIAO
FREE TO THE PUBLIC! SPACE IS LIMITED! Academy Award nominated director Max Lang will be here in-person to introduce the film and answer your questions afterward!
A true global fan favorite, ZOG won Audience Prizes in three different countries in 2019 (including, most recently, the USA’s New York International Children’s Film Festival). The latest from Magic Light Pictures – the Oscar nominated creators of THE GRUFFALO, ROOM ON THE BROOM and REVOLTING RHYMES – Zog tells the crowd-pleasing, family-friendly story of a young … Zog
MATTHEW A. CHERRY IN-PERSON! FREE TO THE PUBLIC! SPACE IS LIMITED!
Hair Love is a story about learning something new. In 2007, after retiring from the NFL, Matthew A. Cherry moved to Los Angeles, and switched gears to begin work as a production assistant. After working on over forty commercials, he developed his skills as a director, transitioning from music videos to his first feature film … Hair Love
Animation Is Film is proud to present this exclusive sneak peek at one of the most highly anticipated animated features of the year – Netflix’s KLAUS! Hear from filmmakers – director Sergio Pablos (live, via satellite) and Animation Supervisor Matt Williames (live, in-person) – about the production, and see never-before-seen footage of this groundbreaking new … Klaus: Behind the Scenes
When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy’s worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar winner … Klaus
Showcasing some of the best animated shorts directed by women in 2019, this special program features a diverse array of beautiful, thought-provoking short films from around the world. Ramen (Gobelins / Various / 1 min) Nuit Cherie (dir. Lia Bertels / Belgium / 14 min) Sister (dir. Siqi Song / USA-China / 8 min) Daughter … The Best of Annecy: Spotlight on Women Directors
A rare chance to see Steven, in all his singing glory, on the big screen in his biggest adventure yet. Presented with behind-the-scenes footage. Featuring a special Q&A with Co-Executive Producers Kat Morris & Joe Johnston. RUSH TICKETS AVAILABLE
Justin Chang is a film critic for the Los Angeles Times and for NPR’s “Fresh Air”,” and a regular contributor to KPCC’s “FilmWeek.” Before joining The Times, he was chief film critic at Variety. He is the author of the book “FilmCraft: Editing” and serves as chair of the National Society of Film Critics and … Justin Chang
Chicago native Matthew A. Cherry is a former NFL wide receiver turned filmmaker who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens. In 2007 he retired and moved to LA to pursue a career in entertainment landing work as a production assistant on over 40 commercials and as a director … Matthew A. Cherry
Suzanne Buirgy has created an impressive roster of credits in her 20-year career in Animation and Visual Effects. Suzanne began her career at Digital Domain, one of the premiere VFX houses in the country, where she spent nine years serving as DPM on a variety of films including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, XXX, The … Suzanne Buirgy
In a Parisian laboratory, a severed hand escapes its unhappy fate and sets out to reconnect with its body in this Cannes Critics’ Week selection. During a hair-raising escapade across the city, the extremity fends off pigeons and rats alike to reunite with pizza boy Naoufel. Its memories of Naoufel and his love for librarian … I Lost My Body
INTRO & Q+A w/ DIRECTOR JÉRÉMY CLAPIN AND PRODUCER MARC DU PONTAVICE Los Angeles Premiere, presented in partnership with COLCOA French Film Festival The most celebrated animated film so far this year, Jérémy Clapin’s I Lost My Body claimed the Nespresso Grand Prize in Critics’ Week at Cannes as well as both the Cristal for … I Lost My Body
Weathering With You is the highly-anticipated new film from director Makoto Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura, the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed, global smash hit Your Name. The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal … Weathering With You: Screening #2
INTRO & Q+A w/ CO-DIRECTOR JI ZHAO!
Weathering With You is the highly-anticipated new film from director Makoto Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura, the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed, global smash hit Your Name. The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal … Weathering With You
Featuring an introduction and a Q&A after the showing with Director Makoto Shinkai.
INTRO & Q+A w/ DIRECTOR ELÉA GOBBÉ-MÉVELLEC
Critically embraced after its Un Certain Regard screening in Cannes, Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec’s harrowing story of two Afghani couples living under the shadow of the Taliban (based on the novel by Yasmina Khadra) has enjoyed universal acclaim on the festival circuit. Summer 1998 – Kabul under Taliban rule. Zunaira and Mohsen are young … The Swallows of Kabul
From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl; Lu Over the Wall) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery.Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks … Ride Your Wave
INTRO & Q+A w/ DIRECTOR ANCA DAMIAN
With the release of her Cristal Award-winning Crulic – The Path to Beyond in 2011, Anca Damian’s presence was announced like a lightning bolt. Since then, the subjects of her films – the narratives and the documentaries, the live-action as well as the animation – are united by their abiding senses of empathy and humanity. … Marona’s Fantastic Tale
Children of the Sea is the latest feature from Japan’s Studio 4°C, the acclaimed studio behind AIF alumni MFKZ and Mind Game, and is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with a score by award-winning composer and longtime Studio Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro). The film is adapted from the manga of … Children of the Sea
INTRO & Q+A w/ DIRECTOR AYUMU WATANABE
Press LA Times: The world’s best animation lands in L.A. at Animation Is Film Festival Indiewire: Animation Is Film Festival Pits Indie Oscar Hopefuls ‘Weathering With You’ and ‘I Lost My Body’ in Competition Variety: Animation Is Film Festival Spotlights Some of China’s Top Toons Animation Magazine: Beijing to Showcase Animation Is Film Festival Spinoff
The latest film from award-winning Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children): When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s takin in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu … The Boy and the Beast
The latest from acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda – whose The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children and Boy and the Beast are also playing the festival. Mirai is a daringly original story of love passed down through generations and brings together two of Hosoda’s most resonant themes: the importance of family and … Mirai
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. “Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse” introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), and the limitless possibilities … Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Jennifer Yuh Nelson made her feature film directorial debut with Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), which earned more than $665 million at the worldwide box-office. She continued on to direct the franchise’s successful follow-up Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016). Nelson has lent her talents to a variety of DreamWorks Animation pictures, including as head of … Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Melissa Cobb is Vice President, Kids and Family at Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service. Cobb leads the content team responsible for bringing kids and family titles, both live-action and animated, to Netflix members in 190 countries around the world. Prior to Netflix, Cobb was Chief Creative Officer for Oriental DreamWorks, where she oversaw … Melissa Cobb
Born and raised in New York, IndieWire Editor at Large Anne Thompson has been a contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, The Observer, and Wired. She has served as film columnist at Variety and deputy editor of Variety.com. Anne was the Deputy Film Editor at The Hollywood Reporter, the West Coast Editor of Premiere, a Senior Writer at Entertainment Weekly, and West Coast Editor for Film Comment.
Carolyn Giardina is Tech Editor at The Hollywood Reporter and writes its Behind the Screen blog. In 2015, Carolyn was presented American Cinema Editors’ Robert Wise Award, which recognizes a journalist for contributions to film editing. She was the 2011 recipient of the International Cinematographers Guild’s Technicolor William A. Fraker Award for journalistic contributions to cinematography.
Peter Debruge is Variety’s Chief International Film Critic.
Mabel Tam is VP/Head Film Buyer of LANDMARK THEATRES. Landmark Theatres is the nation’s largest theatre chain dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent film. A 16 year veteran of the entertainment industry, she is a graduate of UCLA and resides in LA with her family.
Jorge R. Gutiérrez is a painter, writer and director born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana. Gutierrez has completed various films, cartoons, and paintings exploring his love of Mexican pop and folk culture.
An internationally respected critic and historian of animation.
Allison Abbate is an executive vice president at Warner Animation Group. Prior to assuming her post at WAG, Abbate was an executive producer on the global blockbuster The LEGO® Movie, and a producer on Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Brad Bird’s Iron Giant.