Production I.G Featured at the 11th HAFF

October 20, 2006

The forthcoming 11th Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF), one of the world's most respected animation film festivals, will dedicate a special showcase to Production I.G. Along with the Dutch premiere of Mamoru Oshii's Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters, and the screenings of Ghost in the Shell (1995), Innocence (2004) and Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003), the festival features a special program that will be focusing on some of I.G's less known aspects, such as promo videos and commercial films. For this reason, the program has been entitled "Production I.G in Detail". Fans of more "traditional" yet state-of-the-art animation should not miss the screening of the full first episode of Le Chevalier D'Eon, Kazuhito Furuhashi's gothic mystery TV series currently aired in Japan on WOWOW.

Some titles have also been selected for the HAFF's competitive sections, being another opportunity to watch "unusual" I.G's works: Milène Farmer's acclaimed video clip Peut-être toi, Katsuhito Ishii's commercial films for Kirin Beverages, and two of our best TV opening films: Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2nd Gig (made for Japan's domestic terrestrial broadcasting) and the third opening from Blood+, definitely a little masterpiece of hybris figurative styles, directed by one of I.G's most promising young animators, Naoyoshi Shiotani.

Furthermore, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, President & CEO of Production I.G will be attending the event as member of the jury for the International Short Independent Films Section.

WORKS SELECTED IN COMPETITION

Peut-être toi (4'22", 2006)
Profile: Naoko Kusumi - Kusumi has a long career at studio Madhouse, where she worked as assistant director in world-famous classics such as Rintaro's Kamui no Ken (The Blade of the Kamui, 1985) and Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Yoju Toshi (Demon Beast City, 1987). She assisted Rintaro again in Metropolis (2001), and in 2004 she worked as 3D sequence director for Mamoru Oshii's Innocence. Peut-être toi (Maybe It's You, 2006) is the fifth video clip from the 2005 double-platinum album Avant que l'ombre... by French music diva Milène Farmer. For this clip, a joint-collaboration between Production I.G and Geneon Entertainment (USA), Kusumi teamed again with the top creators that made Innocence, such as character designer/animation director Kazuchika Kise (Otogi Zoshi) and background artist Shuichi Hirata (xxxHOLiC - A Midsummer Night's Dream).
Artist: Milène Farmer Song Title: Peut-être toi Director: Naoko Kusumi
© Stuffed Monkey 2006

Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C 2nd Gig Opening Film - Terrestrial Version (1'30", 2005)
Profile: A.T. - Real name: Takeshi Asai. Born in Tokyo on August 8, 1970. Freelancer since 1988, he directed commercial films for Sony, Honda, Nissan, Coca-Cola and NEC, as well as several music videos. The Opening Film for the TV series Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C 2nd Gig was produced in 2005 for the terrestrial broadcasting of the series (originally distributed exclusively through PPV with a different opening film in 2004).
Director: A.T. CG: Masato Endo (finitto Inc.), Sora Matsumoto Editing: Kazumasa Shibata, Maya Watanabe (IMAGICA) Song: "Christmas in the Silent Night" Music: Yoko Kanno
© Shirow Masamune·Production I.G/KODANSHA

Blood+ Opening Film Ver. 3 (1'30", 2006)
Profile: Naoyoshi Shiotani - Born in in 1977, he's one of Production I.G's most promising young creators. His main works include Windy Tales (2004, TV series, animation supervisor), Blood+ (2006, TV series, animation supervisor), Dead Leaves (2004, movie, inbetween checker) and served as key animator in a number of I.G works, such as Otogi Zoshi (TV series, 2004), The Prince of Tennis - Two Samurai: The First Game (movie, 2005), Tsubasa Chronicle - The Princess of the Birdcage Land (movie, 2005). Colors of the Heart is the third opening from the TV series Blood+ directed by Junichi Fujisaku, and has been used from episode 26 (air date: April 8, 2006).
Director/Storyboard/Animation Supervisor: Naoyoshi Shiotani Song: "Colors of the Heart" Music: UVERworld
© 2005 Production I.G · Aniplex · MBS · HAKUHODO

Kirin Lemon 77: Enter the Seven Sevens (0'30", 2005)
Product: Kirin Lemon 77 Director/Character Concept: Katsuhito Ishii Character Design/Key Animation Supervisor: Satoru Nakamura Client: Kirin Beverage Corporation
© 1997-2007 Kirin Beverage Company. All Rights Reserved.

Kirin Lemon Black: Monster Blacks Fights Back (0'30", 2005)
Product: Kirin Lemon Black Director: Katsuhito Ishii Sequence Director / Animation Director: Kazuto Nakazawa
Character Design: Satoru Nakamura Client: Kirin Beverage Corporation
© 1997-2007 Kirin Beverage Company. All Rights Reserved.

Profile: Katsuhito Ishii - Born in 1966, Ishii started out as a TV commercial director, but later he successfully turned to full length live action films such as Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998) and The Taste of Tea (2004). He often worked in the world of animation, his credits including the character design for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1 animation segment (2003). Kirin Lemon 77: Enter the Seven Sevens and Kirin Lemon Black: Monster Blacks Fights Back are the two commercial films he directed for Kirin Beverage in the 77th anniversary campaign of the popular Kirin Lemon sparkling drink. For Kirin Lemon Black, Ishii teamed up again with Kazuto Nakazawa, director of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 animation part.

Special Program: PRODUCTION I.G IN DETAIL

Production I.G Promo Reel (3'30", 2003)
Junichi Uematsu, the film editor behind Innocence, IGPX and Dead Leaves, cleverly shuffled some of the most edgy sequences picked-up from I.G's vast library of works to produce this high-speed promo reel

Oval x Over (9'00", 2005)
The dual masterminds behind the outrageous anime Dead Leaves - director Hiroyuki Imaishi and illustrator Imaitoonz - have teamed up once again, to create this promotional animation for the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 Mile Race. The narrative style itself is a clear parody of the sports anime classics of the '70s.
© 2005 Imaitoonz/Production I.G

UIA 2011 Tokyo En - Kaleidoscope Showcase (3'38", 2005)
The Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) chose to showcase Tokyo in a more futuristic light and in quite a novel way for its international audience of professional architects at the 22nd congress of the International Union of Architects (UIA). The video, directed by Emi Kurata, is a unique mix of scenes from Innocence, Otogi Zoshi, live footage from Mamoru Oshii's HD documentary Tokyo Scanner and Mori Building's archive footage. The music score is by Kenji Kawai.
© IG/VAP/NTV

HAL Institute of Computer Technology (0'15", 2005)
World-famous mechanical designer Atsushi Takeuchi (Ghost in the Shell, IGPX) combined fully computer-generated animation and live action footage for this commercial film featuring a robot and a bionic moth.
© Taiyo Kikaku

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 Animation Segment (15'00", 2003)
The animation segment in Quentin Tarantino's world-hit Kill Bill: Vol. 1 depicts O-Ren's harsh childhood and her transformation into a cold-blooded killer. Directed by Kazuto Nakazawa, with character design by Sho-u Tajima and Katsuhito Ishii.
© 2003 Miramax Film Corp, All Rights Reserved.

Tough Guy! (8'03", 2005)
An aggressive and martial arts-devoted mantis kicks cans and hunts down cicadas, bringing havoc into the life of a couple of humans. This personal opus by Shintaro Kishimoto, now steady collaborator of Production I.G's 3D crew, won the prestigious Ofuji Award in 2005.
© Shintaro Kishimoto

Carnival Segment (excerpt from Innocence, 2'53", 2004)
One of the most representative sequences from Mamoru Oshii's masterpiece Innocence (2004), the so-called Carnival Segment was also screened at Siggraph 2004 Electronic Theater. Visually inspired by a Taiwanese festival dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, it can be considered one of art director Shuichi Hirata's most remarkable creative achievements.
© 2004 Shirow Masamune/KODANSHA·IG, ITNDDTD

Le Chevalier D'Eon - Recit 1: D'Eon et Lia (26'03", 2006)
The latest TV series in Production I.G's lineup, Le Chevalier D'Eon is a high profile gothic mystery directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Get Backers, Rurouni Kenshin) and written by Science Fiction Grand Prize-winner novelist Tow Ubukata (Mardock Scramble).
Paris, XVIII century. D'Eon de Beaumont, member of the secret police, is investigating a series of murders of young women, including his sister Lia. But as he goes after the case, a history of taboos opens its door...
© Tow Ubukata·Production I.G/Project Chevalier 2006

Dutch Premiere: Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters (IO4', 2OO6)
Mamoru Oshii's satirical mockumentary features a cutting edge new visual experience called 'superlivemation'. "I started out as an animation director, and later took up live-action movies as well", Oshii explains. "This technique is innovative, since it more or less eliminates any discontents I had for either of the other methods".
© 2006 MAMORU OSHII, Production I.G / TACHIGUISHI RETSUDEN Committee

SCREENING SCHEDULE AT HAFF 2006
TITLE / PROGRAM	DATE	TIME	PLACE
Competition Applied Animation I (Ghost in the Shell: 2nd Gig OP, Blood+ OP Ver. 3, Mylene Farmer's Peut-etre toi)	Nov 2 (Thur)	10:30	Kikker
	Nov 5 (Sun)	12:30	Hoogt II
Competition Applied Animation II (Kirin Lemon 77, Kirin Lemon Black)	Nov 2 (Thur)	16:30	Kikker
	Nov 5 (Sun)	14:30	Hoogt III
Production I.G in Detail (69') (New Directions: Japan - Imaginative Power section)	Nov 2 (Thur)	12:30	Kikker
	Nov 3 (Fri)	22:15	Kikker
	Nov 5 (Sun)	14:30	Studio
Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 80', 1995)	Nov 2 (Thur)	22:15	Camera
	Nov 4 (Sat)	20:30	Camera
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Mamoru Oshii, 100', 2004)	Nov 4 (Sat)	22:15	Camera
	Nov 5 (Sun)	14:30	Hoogt I
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino, 111', 2003)	Nov 3 (Fri)	22:30	Camera
Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters (Mamoru Oshii, 104', 2006)	Nov 3 (Fri)	20:30	Camera
	Nov 5 (Sun)	18:45	Camera

Screening schedule may change. Please refer to HAFF official website: http://haff.awn.com

The Holland Animation Film Festival (HAFF) is an internationally recognized animation festival and offers a unique, state-of-the-art selection of animated films for a diverse public. The intimate environment guarantees a great opportunity for the interested public, filmmakers and producers. Its 11th edition will be held in Utrecht from November 1 to 5, 2006.

For more info please visit HAFF official website:
http://haff.awn.com