Hosted in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, this programme is a rare opportunity to see some of the best independent Japanese animation of recent years on the big screen.

Anime is a global phenomenon. But there is much more to Japanese animation than the franchises and studio productions that get the lion’s share of attention. Filmmakers working independently, sometimes almost alone, are creating some of the wildest, most beautiful animation out there, as they experiment with artistic techniques and ways to tell a story.

Clay waves that speak poetry, pointillist landscapes bursting with colour, a candid documentary about periods, an absurdist conspiracy thriller about small people with hats: the short films in this programme, all made by Japanese directors in the past 12 years, cover a dizzying range of styles and narratives.

The programme’s curator Alex Dudok de Wit will introduce the screening.

Mimi, Lisa Fukaya, 4 mins 17 secs, Denmark,  2018

I’m Late, Sawako Kabuki, 10 mins 36 secs, France/Japan, 2019

Maku, Yoriko Mizushiri, 5 mins 25 secs, Japan, 2014

Airy Me, Yoko Kuno, 5 mins 39 secs, Japan, 2013

Datum Point, Ryo Orikasa, 6 mins 41 secs, Japan, 2015

Small People With Hats, Sarina Nihei, 6 mins 51 secs, UK, 2014

A Bite of Bone, Honami Yano, 9 mins 45 secs, Japan, 2021

Bird in the Peninsula, Atsushi Wada, 16 mins 9 secs, France/Japan, 2022

Trigger Warning: This programme contains references to abortion, invasive medical procedures, cremation; graphic violence (including injury detail, animal harm, and allusions to self-harm and suicide).

Established in 1972, the Japan Foundation promotes international cultural exchange between Japan and the rest of the world by organising projects as well as providing financial support through grant programmes in the fields of Arts and Culture, Japanese Language Education, and Japanese Studies. The Japan Foundation currently has its Head Office in Tokyo, with offices and centres in 25 countries outside of Japan.