What's going on, Japan?

As winter draws in, we become all the more inclined to go to the cinema and embark upon a cultural voyage of discovery. CULTURESCAPES TOKYO gives us a closer insight into the fascinating arts and cultural traditions of Japan. As part of this, Fantoche is set to screen three programmes of Japanese short films in Basel, Bern and Zurich. We recommend that kids and teenagers around Switzerland show off their talents and enter the competition at bugnplay. ch.

The Japan programme captured the imaginations of anime and manga fans at this year’s Fantoche festival. Japan, which has one of the highest outputs of animation anywhere in the world, boasts a thrilling independent scene away from the mainstream. Together with Nobuaki Doi, one of the leading experts on Japanese animation, Fantoche curated exclusive programmes of short films and screened enchanting feature films. As part of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Switzerland, three programmes of short films are now being taken on tour around Switzerland thanks to the cooperation with CULTURESCAPES. In addition to contemporary trends in Japanese animation, the programmes also reflect social change in modern-day Japan.

Prize draw for tickets: Kino Xenix in Zurich will be showing “Girls on the Run” at 7 PM on 2 November 2014, with an introduction by Prof. Hans Bjarne Thomsen, Professor of the History of East Asian Art at Zurich University. Fantoche is holding a prize draw for three pairs of tickets to attend that evening. To enter, please send an email with your full address to promotion@fantoche.ch by the evening of Monday, 27.10.2014.