Yoshiaki Nishimura
Based on the award-winning novel “The Imaginary” by A.F. Harrold. The main character of The Imaginary is Rudger. Born from a young girl’s imagination, Rudger is a boy no one can see who lives in a world where imaginations can live and be eaten by others. The Imaginary is an extraordinarily touching and beautiful hand-drawn fantasy film in which Rudger and his new friends in “The Imaginaries Town” embark on an adventure no one can see at the risk of the futures and fates of those they love.
A new hand-drawn / hand-painted animated short film by Studio Ponoc & director Yoshiyuki Momose
Yoshiaki Nishimura discusses Studio Ponoc's founding, their creative principles and the inspiration behind their three "Modest Heroes" shorts.
In a world of magical creatures, Kanini and Kanino are tiny humanoid siblings who live underwater in a stream. Their father currently takes care of them while their pregnant mother has gone away to give birth. When a heavy current carries their father off, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey to find and rescue him.
From director Hiromasa Yonebayashi: “Kanini & Kanino”; “Life Ain’t Gonna Lose” directed by Yoshiyuki Momose; and “Invisible” directed by Akihiko Yamashita. These leaders of animation draw tales of modest heroes of our times.
A salaryman is not only invisible but also needs to hold on to a heavy weight to stay on the ground. Throughout one day, he is always ignored by everyone else, and he nearly floats away when he loses the fire extinguisher he uses to hold himself down. But then a blind man speaks to him, making him feel better about himself. The invisible man then suddenly has an opportunity to be a hero.
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her - but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.
Follows the behind-the-scenes work of Studio Ghibli, focusing on the notable figures Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.
A light-hearted portrayal of three strange days in the life of a high school girl who is told she will die in three days. The best entertainment of student films, which became a legend. Many students aspired to film after seeing this film and many others gave up directing at the time.
