The international anime film festival “Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2023 (TAAF2023)” will be held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from March 10 to March 13, 2023. To commemorate the awarding of the festival’s “Animation of the Year” category, a selection of the anime “SPY x FAMILY” will be screened at the festival. A special program to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Canadian animation artist Frédéric Back has also been announced, as well as a talk show featuring the directors and staff of the films screened at “TAAF2023”.
The “Tokyo Animation Awards Festival” (TAAF), the 10th time of which will be held in 2023, is an international anime film festival that is an independent development of the Tokyo Anime Awards, which had been held as part of the Tokyo International Anime Fair since 2002. TAAF aims to discover and nurture new talent, to contribute to the promotion of anime culture and industry, and to convey the attractions of Tokyo and contribute to the promotion of tourism in Tokyo.
Under the slogan of “Tokyo becoming the hub of anime,” the festival will screen works of high quality and originality from around the world in Tokyo. The festival aims to promote exchanges with anime lovers around the world, to provide creators and audiences with stimulation and inspiration, and to transmit a new wave of animation from Tokyo to the rest of the world based on such excitement and stimulation.
The anime “SPY x FAMILY,” which has been selected for screening, is a spy comedy based on the manga series by Endo Tatsuya, serialized in Shueisha’s “Shonen Jump +.” Season 1 was broadcast from April 2022, and received great support both in Japan and abroad. The production of a movie version has also been announced, and its future development is also attracting attention.
In the program, the first episode “Operation Strix,” the second episode “Secure a Wife” and the third episode “Prepare for the Interview” from Season 1 will be screened at the theater.
In addition, the “Frédéric Back 100th Birthday Special Program” will screen works by Canadian animator Frédéric Back, whom director Takahata Isao called “my mentor”. After the screening, Élise Labbé, Chief of Festivals and Theatrical Screenings at the National Film Board of Canada, will take the stage to talk about the appeal of his works.
“TAAF2023 Talk & Talk” will feature talks by the festival’s participating creators, who will delve deeply into the appeal of their works and themselves. Admission is free, no pre-registration is required, and the event will be broadcast live on TAAF’s official YouTube channel.
“Tokyo Anime Awards Festival 2023 (TAAF2023)” will be held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from March 10 to 13, 2023. For more details, please check the official website.
(C) Endo Tatsuya /Shueisha, SPY x FAMILY Production Committee
