Hiroshima International Animation Festival

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Hiroshima IAF

The International Animation Festival Hiroshima (広島国際アニメーションフェスティバル) is a biannual animation festival hosted in Hiroshima, Japan. The festival was founded in 1985 by Association International du Film d'Animation or ASIFA as International Animation Festival for the World Peace. The city of Hiroshima was one of the sites of nuclear bombings in 1945 at the end of the World War II and it was chosen to inspire thoughts of unity through the arts.[1] The festival is now considered one of the most respected animated festivals, along with Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, and Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films.

The first two festivals were held in odd years (1985 and 1987); since 1990, the festival has been been held biennially in even years. In 2008, the 12th Festival takes place for 5 days (Aug. 7-Aug. 11). The city of Hiroshima co-hosts the festival, which takes place in Aste Plaza near the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park at the center of Hiroshima city.

The beginning of the festival is largely credited to Sayoko Kinoshita and her late husband Renzo Kinoshita. The married couple were renowned figures in independent animation world and also founders of ASIFA's Japan chapter. [2] Sayoko Kinoshita has been the festival director since the first festival and is now also the president of ASIFA.

In festival's first year in 1985, the Grand Prize was awarded to "Broken Down Film" by Osamu Tezuka and the animator became one of the members of the jury for the following festival. This cycle has often repeated and many of the grand prize winners have become judges for the following festival.