Official Statement:
The Future of the International Animation Festival in Japan - HIROSHIMA
About the Hiroshima International Animation Festival
(above) Festival Site,
Aster Plaza, Hiroshima
(below) Official Poster of the First Hiroshima International Festival
illustrated by Yoji Kui
Hiroshima International Animation Festival (Hiroshima Festival) was held biennially in August in Hiroshima City, during 1984 – 2020, as the first festival endorsed by Association Internationale du Film d'Animation (ASIFA) in Asia. (Organized by Hiroshima International Animation Festival Organizing Committee, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima City Culture Foundation, and Co-organized by ASIFA-Japan.)
Hiroshima Festival was established in 1984, in the spirit of “Love and Peace”, as the first comprehensive international film festival in Japan specialized in animation. It was founded of a vision shared by Hiroshima City, which wishes for lasting world peace, and ASIFA, which aims the international development of animation as well as mutual understandings through animation, a medium common to all human beings transcending borders and languages. The creation of this festival was largely due to the earnest efforts of the two animation filmmakers --- Renzo Kinoshita, who at that time was serving as a Board Member of ASIFA and the President of ASIFA-Japan, and Sayoko Kinoshita, who was serving as the General Secretary of ASIFA-Japan.
In 1985, the first edition of the festival was held as a project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Since then, until the 18th edition in 2020, Sayoko (as of 2020, President of ASIFA and ASIFA-Japan) served as the Festival Director. She planned and coordinated all programs, invited important filmmakers, and directed the overall festival administration including international competition, special programs, seminars, symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, educational film market, etc., that was highly evaluated in Japan and abroad.
Together with Annecy, Zagreb, and Ottawa, Hiroshima Festival was known as one of the world’s “four great animation festivals”, as well as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards and Annie Awards, and it had been dedicating to the advancement of visual media art culture in general, by promoting international cross-cultural exchanges through the development of animation art. However, the history of 36 years was suddenly closed in 2020, with its 18th edition.
We at ASIFA-Japan would like to express our sincere gratitude for your warm support to our Hiroshima Festival 1984 – 2020.
“Hiroshima International Animation Festival (Archive)”
“Hiroshima International Animation Festival VR Photo Exhibition 2022”