Ever since Cinema Daily US was launched in March of 2021, our director and editor-in-chief Nobuhiro Hosoki, made it the outlet’s mission not only to narrate the work of people from the film industry, through reviews, interviews and feature articles, but also to serve as a window for fledgeling talent and inspiring film festivals.
Throughout the months, this New York-based platform has given exposure to multiple film festivals across the USA, and now we are pleased to bring the spotlight to our first European Film Festival: The Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival. The serendipity of our editor being from Japan, just like the founding director of this festival makes it even more magical.
The Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, was created by Eiko Meredith, eleven years ago, in Wales where she now lives. Inspired by the table that is unique to her country of origin, the Kotatsu — that is draped in a cloth and has a heater underneath to keep you warm during the winter nights — Eiko decided to name her festival after this object that allows people to gather during the cold season and share ideas. This festival not only promotes Japanese animated motion pictures, but it also features workshops that allow audiences to delve into the charm and elegance of the Nipponic culture.
Furthermore, the festival has not one, but two locations in the Celtic nation, one in the South, where there is the capital, and the other one in Mid-Wales, in the city where Prince Charles spent a semester at university to study Welsh. Hence, audiences can enjoy the films at Cardiff’s Chapter on September 25th – 26th and at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre from October 1st until the 3rd.
I’m delighted to be part of the Jury this year, along with British Journalist Andrew Ormond and anime critic from Japan Ryota Fujitsu. We will bestow the Film Critics Award at the end of the festival. In the meantime, I encourage you to see this video, where I describe the line-up of the 11th Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival.