Anime Masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies to be Presented by Panel of Leading Anime Scholars at Waterloo!

Anime Masterpieces, a new screening series highlighting the best in Japanese animated feature films, will be presenting Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies on Friday, November 14. The winner of several international film awards, Grave of the Fireflies chronicles the experiences of two children as they valiantly struggle to survive amidst the ravaged landscape of Japan during World War II. It is considered by many critics as one of the most moving anti-war films ever made.

The film, which critic Roger Ebert calls “an emotional experience so powerful it forces a rethinking of animation,” will be followed by a panel discussion with leading scholars and authors on the subject of Japanese animation. The panel will feature Frederik L. Schodt (author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics), Brian Ruh (Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii) and John O’Donnell (founder, Central Park Media).

The presentation at the Waterloo Festival will be the first and only Canadian stop for this programme to date, before it goes to the Smithsonian and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

The Festival is presenting the programme free to the public. Advance tickets can be reserved through the Festival’s online box office, or via phone at +1 (800) 838-3006.

Organised groups and educational institutions interested in reserving a block of seats are encouraged to contact the Festival by email to reserve seats.