Animation DayASIFA --- Association Internationale du Film d’Animation --- is the only international non-profit organization for animation in the world, which aims to promote animation art globally and to attain international friendship and mutual understanding through animation.
ASIFA was founded in 1960 by masters of animation, including Norman McLaren, John Hubley, Paul Grimault, Ivan Ivanov Vano, Karel Zeman, Alexander Alexeieff, Lev Atamanov, Jiri Trnka, John Halas, etc., and it’ s headquarter is registered in Annecy, France. Today, approximately 5000 animation artists and professionals are active ASIFA Members, and unfolds its activities for the promotion and development of animation via mutual co-operation world-wide. ASIFA is an international organization composed of individual members, but the members are allowed to set up its Group in their country or region to enhance its activities. Today, there are more than 40 National/Regional Groups & Offices throughout the world.
In 2010, ASIFA will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. And, it is a great honour for ASIFA as well as for our animation industry as a whole that, this summer, just before such celebration, "Neighbours" (1952, 8:00), an animation short made by Norman McLaren, the first President of ASIFA, was added to the UNESCO's Memory of the World Registry. Especially, since "Neighbours" is a film describing anti-war, this news have very much encouraged the spirit of ASIFA --- to pursuit world eternal peace through animation art.
ASIFA-Japan was established in 1981, in accordance with the rules and regulations of ASIFA. The current 61 ASIFA-Japan members are consisted of the leading animation artists and animation professionals in Japan.
One of the main activities of ASIFA-Japan is to organize Hiroshima International Animation Festival, biannually, together with the City of Hiroshima and Hiroshima City Culture Foundation, and the annual celebration of International Animation Day, etc.
Hiroshima International Animation Festival was founded by Renzo and Sayoko Kinoshita in 1985, and it is an over-all cultural manifestation consisted of international competition, special screenings, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and so on. Sayoko Kinoshita, President of ASIFA-Japan and President of ASIFA, has been serving as the festival director since its first edition. Hiroshima Festival has been recognized as one of the top-notch high quality festivals of the world because of its excellent programs and organization. It is also known as the place where new talents are discovered and recruited, and thus, animation professionals as well as every corner of media give their most highest attentions.
The next festival HIROSHIMA 2010 will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and it will be held from August 7th to 11th, 2010.
Link
ASIFA
Hiroshima International Animation Festival Office