Anime: A Celebration

Exciting animated films from Japan
at Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley
Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2

Presented in celebration of the 150th anniversary of U.S.-Japan relations, Pacific Film Archive's showcase of animation from Japan shines a spotlight on two pre-eminent studios: Studio Ghibli and Tezuka Productions. The series includes the Northern California premiere of Ghibli's latest, The Cat Returns, an enchanting tale of a schoolgirl transported to a feline kingdom with producer Nozomu Takahashi in person and, following the screening, a panel discussion with Takahashi, Mark Andrews of Pixar; and cultural critic Kaori Shoji.

Also screening are Space Firebird 2772, an exuberant tale of a young pilot and the robot girl he loves; Only Yesterday, a touching and beautifully designed story about the importance of an ordinary life; Black Jack, a film whose dynamic visual flair propels a futuristic tale of an outlaw surgeon who saves victims of genetic experimentation; and the beautiful Nausicaå of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece about genetic manipulation and ecological disaster.

This series will be presented at the PFA Theater, located at 2575 Bancroft Way near Bowditch Street. General admission is $8 for one program and $10 for double bills. "Anime: A Celebration" is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan, San Francisco; The Japan Society of Northern California; and the Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley, with support from The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. For more information on these screenings, please phone (510) 642-1412, or consult the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive website: http://bampfa.berkeley.edu .

Screening Schedule:

Saturday, November 1
4:00 pm: Space Firebird 2772 (1980), directed by Suguru (Taka) Sugiyama, written and produced by the great manga artist Osamu Tezuka.

7:00 pm: Only Yesterday (1996), directed by Isao Takahata. Producer Nozomu Takahashi in Person. 9:45 Black Jack, (1996), directed by Osamu Dezaki, Fumihiro Yashihara.

Sunday, November 2
3:30 pm: The Cat Returns (2002). Directed by Hiroyuki Morita. Northern California Premiere! Followed by a panel discussion with producer Nozomu Takahashi, Mark Andrews of Pixar; and cultural critic Kaori Shoji.

7:00 pm: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.