Japanese artist Masaaki Yuasa, creator of cult film ‘Mind Game’ comes to Animest.17

Director, screenwriter and animator Masaaki Yuasa, one of the most influential figures of contemporary animation, will visit Romania for the 17th edition of the Animest International Animation Film Festival (October 7-16, Bucharest). The Japanese artist will chat with the audience at the screenings in this year’s dedicated section of our festival, and share behind-the-scenes secrets of projects throughout his career in a masterclass. His portfolio includes the animated series Adventure Time, winner of eight Primetime Emmy Awards and two BAFTAs.

Internationally famous for his iconic unconventional style that constantly pushes against the boundaries of the genre and has turned him into one of the most acclaimed creators in the world, Masaaki Yuasa discovered his fascination with anime in his childhood. Although he enjoyed drawing, Masaaki was skeptical about his chances of rising to the top of the industry. Despite his self-doubt, he continued studying and creating. Inspired by animation veterans such as Osamu Kobayashi (one of the creators of Naruto), Masaaki Yuasa learned to accept his artistic quirks and established a personal style which tested the limits of traditional animation. At the beginning of his career, he worked on TV projects with the famous Ajia-do studio; later on, he freelanced for Studio Ghibli and worked with animation legends Kōji Morimoto (‘The Animatrix’) and Isao Takahata (‘Grave of the Fireflies’, ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’).

Mind Game, his debut feature, came out in 2004 and took the film world by storm with its melange of animation styles and techniques, completely different from what viewers were expecting. His experimental approach won him the appreciation of anime fans, making ‘Mind Game’ a cult movie. In 2013, Yuasa started his own studio – Science Saru, whose first two feature projects were the artist’s next films: Night is Short, Walk on Girl! – an animated teen romantic comedy in his already-famous unique style – and Lu Over the Wall, the story of a lonely teenager who undergoes a joyously hallucinogenic but family-friendly transformation after falling in love with a mermaid called Lu. The film won the artist his first award at the Annecy Animation Film Festival.

Masaaki Yuasa was back in the Annecy Official Competition in 2019, with Ride Your Wave, another example of his vision: an abundance of vivid colors, awe-inspiring visuals and music, as well as a coming of age story that allows the characters to evolve and outgrow their limits. In 2021, the Venice International Film Festival hosted the premiere of Inu-Oh, the artist’s latest feature – the story of the friendship between Inu-Oh, a dancer born with unique physical characteristics, and Tomona, a blind musician, set in 14th century Japan. The two artists conquer the world through their art, overcoming social rejection despite their physical differences.

All five films will be celebrated through special projections in the presence of their creator, on October 8, 9 and 10, in Bucharest. In the first weekend of Animest.17, Masaaki Yuasa will also offer a masterclass and share details of his work, talk about what inspires him and detail the creative process of writing, storyboarding, producing, directing, and animating the Adventure Time episode Food Chain alongside his crew. ‘Food Chain’ was nominated for both the Annie Awards and the 2015 Annecy Festival. 

In order to savor the full festival experience and access any and all of this year’s screenings, snag one of the few remaining passes available on the Eventbook platform. Are you a Masaaki Yuasa super fan? The Full Trip Pass gives you priority registration to this visionary artist’s masterclass at Animest 2022.

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The Animest Festival is a project organized by the Animest Association and co-financed through the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, Romanian Film Centre, Romanian Cultural Institute and Groupama Insurance, with support from the Goethe Institute and Studioset.

Animest.17 is co-financed by the Municipality of Bucharest through ARCUB, as part of the ‘București afectiv’ 2022 program. For detailed information on the ARCUB funding programs, please access www.arcub.ro.