Animation Is Film Festival This Weekend in Hollywood

Japan House Los Angeles continues its partnership with the Animation Is Film Festival for the 2024 edition, to be held Friday to Sunday, Oct. 18-20, at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, located in Ovation Hollywood, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood.

Produced by animation distributor GKIDS in collaboration with Annecy International Film Festival and Variety, the Animation Is Film Festival aims to spotlight animation as a global art, and each year presents a diverse program of the world's best animated cinema.

"Continuing our successful collaborations in previous years, we are once again serving as a community partner, dedicated to promoting the Japanese films and filmmakers showcased in this popular festival and offering a special 25% discount code (japanhouse-24) to enjoy the festival's selection," Japan House Los Angeles said in a statement.

This year's festival features a rich selection of Japanese films, including several North American and U.S. premieres, as well as a special program inviting director Naoko Yamada ("The Colors Within") to talk on the state of animation as an industry and present a live drawing session hosted at Japan House Los Angeles.

From a colorful teen romance ("The Colors Within") to a cult classic anime film ("Redline"), from a tale of an adorable supernatural cat ("Ghost Cat Anzu") to a dark and twisty mystery ("Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain"), and a documentary tribute to the iconic animator Hayao Miyazaki ("Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature"), join us to immerse in the magic and creativity of Japanese animation on the big screen.

Info/tickets: www.japanhousela.com/events/animation-is-film-festival-2024-the-colors-within-naoko-yamada-gkids/

• "The Colors Within" (2024, 100 minutes), North American premiere, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. (Oct. 18 screening is sold out.) All ages.

Naoko Yamada, of "A Silent Voice" and "Liz and the Blue Bird" fame, returns to cinemas with her latest exploration of adolescence in "The Colors Within." Totsuko is a cheery girl with a unique secret: she can see the "colors" of others. This take on synesthesia paints Totsuko's interactions in beautiful, expressive pastels and leads her to set her sights on one hue in particular.

Kimi, a reserved, guitar-playing classmate at Totsuko's school, has the most beautiful color of all. Hoping to form a band, Totsuko and Kimi begin a friendship along with Rui, a quiet boy they meet at a local bookstore. Together, rehearsing songs at an old church on a remote island, the trio grows closer, sharing their hidden fears and dreams for the future. Side by side, will they be able to embrace their true "colors"?

• Live talk and drawing with Naoko Yamada, Oct. 20, 2 to 3 p.m. at Japan House Los Angeles (Salon, Level 5).

A rare in-person talk and live drawing session with AIF's Opening Night filmmaker. Witness Yamada's creative process in real time while she shares with Animation Is Film programmers her insights on the animation scene today. This unique dialogue offers a broad view of the animation landscape from one of its biggest stars, perfect for fans and aspiring animators looking for behind-the-scenes knowledge of a dynamic industry.

Seating is subject to availability and will be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis. Note that admission isn't guaranteed with a RSVP.

• "Redline" (2009, 102 minutes), 15th anniversary screening, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. Not rated.

The 15th anniversary of Takeshi Koike's "Redline" is off to the races with this special screening of the cult classic anime film. Every five years, Redline, an illegal, galactic, no-holds-barred racing tournament, is held at a mystery location, revealed only moments before the starting whistle blows. This year the destination is Roboworld, a dangerous planet subject to militant government rule by overlords determined to put a stop to the tournament by any means necessary.

Sweet JP, a daredevil intent on victory, and Sonoshee McLaren, an alluring rising star in the circuit, compete for keeps, attempting to outwit the mob, the government, and other bloodthirsty racers in order to reach the golden finish line alive. A wildly exhilarating and visually inventive ride from Studio Madhouse and winner of the Utopiales Audience Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, "Redline" is a theatrical experience like no other.

• "Ghost Cat Anzu" (2024, 95 minutes), California premiere with filmmaker Q&A, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. Rated PG.

Karin, 11, finds herself abandoned at the steps of her grandfather's house. Her down-on-his-luck father introduces the two of them and then flees to settle some debts. Karin's grandfather, a small-town monk, tasks Anzu, his capricious ghost-cat, to look after her.

While their own spirited personalities often clash, Anzu agrees to accompany Karin into the city to get answers on her missing father and to pay respects at her mother's grave. The trip quickly takes unexpected turns that leads them to alternative worlds and imposing characters but ultimately to answers they never anticipated finding.

"Ghost Cat Anzu" is the unique blend of two visionary filmmakers, each with their own cinematic methods. The unusual production process results in a film that combines emotionally affecting, humanistic performances with charming and inventive visual storytelling. Like Karin, the audience is dropped into a strange and new world.

• "Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain" (2024, 91 minutes), U.S. premiere, Oct. 19 at 8:30 p.m. Rated R.

A supernatural psychological horror film directed by Kenji Nakamura based on the "Mononoke" anime television series, which in turn is a spin-off of the "Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales" anthology series, both created by Toei Animation. Two young girls start their service at a harem and are immediately thrown into a world full of scheming and competition, but there is something even more sinister skulking in the shadows. A mysterious man calling himself a Medicine Seller will open everyone's eyes to just how terrifying demons of the human heart can be.

• "Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature" (2024, 84 minutes), North American premiere, Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. Not rated.

Hayao Miyazaki was born into a war-torn Japan, having survived several bombings that devastated the land he called home. The experience caused him to question the relationship that humans have to the earth, a rumination that would inspire his directing work in later years. He went on to command a singular vision in his films. Luscious landscapes and colorful worlds speak to the regard he has for the planet and its natural state. The emphatic need to conserve the world is a theme he explores time and time again.

Director Leo Favier makes the ecological connections throughout Miyazaki's career with testaments from his son and fellow Ghibli director Goro Miyazaki, producer Toshio Suzuki, and the philosopher Tim Morton. Across 40 years and 12 films, the environmentally conscious heart of Miyazaki is unearthed and explored.