Few figures in the history of Japanese animation have achieved the same cultural impact and longevity as Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), the mind behind Astro Boy. Tezuka is credited with singlehandedly creating the Japanese comic book tradition of manga, and is considered the godfather of the wildly successful contemporary phenomenon of anime. His vast body of work constitutes one of the most impressive uses of the imagination to express the uncertainties and anxieties arising from a new atomic age, the waning of Japanese power, and the veritable tsunami of cultural influences thundering upon Japanese shores from the United States of America after 1945. In 2010, the OIAF is honored to present a rare look at a selection of Tezuka's short films, and a special presentation by the Tezuka Foundation on the impact of Tezuka's work today.
- Chris Robinson, Curator (with text by Tom McSorley)

You need to be alone sometimes: Secret World of Japanese Indies Part 1 & 2 

Hiding behind the monolith that is "Anime" is a special world where independent Japanese animation resides. Coming to life usually as small private productions, many of the films position us as "peeping toms", secretly peering into uniquely private worlds. This sense of isolation and alienation reveals the uniquely personal styles and mindsets of the artists. As the films take inside the complicated minds of different generations of Japanese animators, these two programs also introduce us to a wide range of independent animators ranging from masters to emerging talents.
- Nobuaki Doi, Guest Curator

Handsoaps and Fools: the films of Atsushi Wada and Kei Oyama

- Chris Robinson, Curator

Furniture of my Mind
From “El Hotel Electrico,” by the Catalan trickfilm-meister Segundo de Chomon, to “Roof Sex,” by the New York stop-motion-meister PES, 100 years later, there is a tortuous lineage from gag cartoons to introspective meditations on the relationship between humans and their intimate environments. This archeological mash-up of styles and periods poses variations on the dilemma of “modern man” at war with himself and the synthetic world he has created for his own leisured pleasure.
- George Griffin, Guest Curator

Czech Animation: Solve Et Coagula
A showcase of Czech animators, who infuse personal style and political and social beliefs into their work. Although every animator's work is distinct, many address the legacy of living under totalitarian rule through their art.
- Kaspar J. Saxena and Milada Kovacova, Guest Curators

Winnipeg DIY Animation: Improvised Art Explosions or Cheapskates
This program focuses on Winnipeg’s overlooked animators, those who chose to improvise and create animation on the cheap rather than get left behind. With pencils sharpened by butter knife, lights borrowed from a friend's grow-op, hilroy-style lined paper, and grandmother's bifocals for the detailed work, the jiggly lines in these films are not for aesthetic purpose but because they had no heat in the winter and suffered a 24 cup a day coffee addiction. While standouts Cordell Barker and Richard Condie deserve all the accolades they get, this program highlights work by those from the lesser known gang, including local trouble/film makers Greg Zbitnew, the thrifty nifty Daniel Barrow, the obsessive Ed Ackerman, and the frugally fantastic Leslie Supnet.
- Mike Maryniuk, Guest Curator

XX in Animation: Taking a peek at work by women
There are lots of women who make animation. Lots. Plenty are regularly making some of the best out there. Over the last five years a large collection of new work by women about women has emerged, and XX in Animation brings a selection together. These animators, including Michèle Cournoyer, Laleh Khorramian, Michaela Čopíková, Susan Justin, and Frances Leeming, produce work diverse in style and approach, each contributing towards new cultural understandings by turning popular themes inside-out and taking the piss out of old assumptions about women’s lives, cares and capabilities. Challenging and intended for all, XX in Animation sets out as so many have - seeking to map out the terrain of 'future woman' to better understand our lives today.
- Gjen Snider, Curator

Under the Sun: Bravo!FACT at 15
CTV’s Bravo!FACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) is Canada’s largest funder of short films, bar none. And 2010 marks its 15th anniversary of starting and making careers, and seeding its vast catalogue of animation, dramas, dance films, music videos and documentaries; all of them under six minutes! This programme features highlights from Bravo!FACT’s animation oeuvre, from breakout hits like the Oscar®-nominated I Met The Walrus through mobile phone delights like Theodore Ushev’s Sou, to mesmerizing music video from young geniuses Kid Koala and Monkmus.
- Michael Fukushima, Guest Curator

LET'S GO CRAZY
While crazy behaviour has long been a basic ingredient in comedy, historically dramatic film rarely depicted mental illness, except for token mad scientists, criminally insane masterminds, or rage-filled monsters.  In recent years a handful of animators have pioneered new styles of animated storytelling able to portray the serious side of life and the complexities of mental health. Let’s Go Crazy brings together a selection of animation portraying mental health, from Looney Toons to new independent shorts, each depicting how minds work in unique ways.
- Karl Cohen, Guest Curator                                                                              

 

OIAF 2010 Signal Film by J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc.

Every year the OIAF commissions (as a sponsorship) a short film that introduces each program. 

J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. is a design and animation studio started by J. J. Sedelmaier and Patrice Sedelmaierin 1990. It produces both print campaigns and animated films in avariety of styles and techniques. The company's talents are alsocontracted for creative consultation and speaking presentations.

Although known primarily for their cutting-edge commercial animation, such as Speed Racer, Slim Jim, FootJoy, Hotwire, 7UP, etc...the studio has also been integrally involved with some of the mostimportant ground-breaking animation series work of the past decade.JJSP was the studio entrusted by MTV to animate 120 minutes of thefirst season of MTV's " Beavis & Butt-Head "; they were responsible for the animation used for the relaunch of " Schoolhouse Rock " for ABC ; and were co-creators, with Robert Smigel, of the " Saturday TV Funhouse " cartoons for NBC's Saturday Night Live.

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