The R2R Film Festival for Youth inspires and equips youth to analyze, appreciate, explore, create, and share independent media. This year’s event takes place from March 28 to April 6 and will include elementary school programs, high school programs, online shorts, a Sunday Funday and an Opening Film & Party. The three animated features and two short films being shown at the festival include:
GOODBYE, DON GLEES!
Saturday, April 1 - 6:30PM at VIFF Centre
Director: Atsuko Ishizuka. In Japanese with English subtitles
Teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, the trio fear they may be blamed for a nearby forest fire and set off into the woods to prove their innocence. Director Atsuko Ishizuka delivers her first original feature film, and what a remarkable anime it is! With luminescent hand-drawn work and lush backdrops, Goodbye, Don Glees! is a tender coming-of-age story about the fearlessness of being young and the bittersweet journey of self-discovery.
THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE
Saturday, April 1 - 4:00PM at VIFF Centre
(岬のマヨイガ) Director: Shinya Kawatsura. Dubbed in English
Ten years after Tohoku, Japan’s Great East Earthquake, in which many people lost their lives and homes, director Shinya Kawatsura adapted a story from a Sachiko Kashiwaba novel that pays tribute to the area and its people. Seventeen-year-old Yui is consumed by anger, and eight-year-old Hiyori has not spoken since being separated from her family. Both girls find themselves in a temporary shelter confronted by an unassuming elderly woman who has suspiciously taken an interest in their plight. A heart-warming story of new beginnings, personal growth and childhood wonder.
New Gods: Yang Jian
Saturday April 1 @ 8:30PM. VIFF Centre
(China) Director: Ji Zhao. In Mandarin with English subtitles
Thirteen years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, the once powerful god now scrapes by as a penniless bounty hunter. As Yang Jian confronts his past, he must face a host of dangerous vigilantes seeking the same treasure with the power to alter the balance of their worlds. This latest entry in the New Gods universe from Light Chaser Animation (White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn) features awe-inspiring action sequences set against breathtaking and wildly imaginative environments. Combining ancient lore with dazzling animation, New Gods: Yang Jian is a timeless adventure of epic proportions featuring one of China’s legendary mythic figures.
Animated Short Films
Sunday Fun Day: April 2 at the Roundhouse
Includes pancake breakfast from 9:30–11am
Shorty Short Shorts – Mixed Animation @ 10:00am
Inner & Outer Animated Worlds @ 11:15am
Family Matters @12:30pm
