*This article has been produced for CUEAFS and it is published here
Zipangu Fest has joined the Play for Japan fund-raising movement to support the victims of the recent earthquake. The project, led by the Japan Society in London, is aiming to round up fund-raisers among the UK through music and live performances. Zipangu Fest will be doing its share with a re-screening of the CALF Animation Programme in the Roxy in London Bridge on April 3rd.
The programme is a selection of innovative and uplifting short films from young award-winning animators Atsushi Wada, Mirai Mizue, Kei Oyama and TOCHKA (Takeshi Nagata and Kazue Monno).
“I’m really excited to be a part of this, I think it’s going to be a great fun event and I hope we can raise a decent amount”, said Jasper Sharp, curator of Zipangu Fest. “I know it will be a drop in the ocean compared with what Japan needs, but at the same time, I hope its sending out some sort of message of solidarity from us to the people of Japan, that we’re thinking of them and trying to do what we can.”
Zipangu Fest launched its first ever edition in November last year in the Cafe 1001 in London with a selection of UK and world film premieres and a few music events. Among the celebrity guests was director Tetsuaki Matsue, whose documentary “Live Tape” depicted the life of the “Bob Dylan of Japan” - a Japanese street musician Kenta Maeno. The film was an unconventional approach in documentary film-making and was a one tape/one take piece of filming.
Following the film, musician Kenta Maeno entered the venue and began his live set of vibrant rock and folk songs with an accompaniment of the haunting melody of an erhu – a Chinese harp, played by Yuki Yoshida.
“The event was a good opportunity to see recent work and people that are still very much a niche over here in the UK”, said Oliver Sharpe, one of the photographers at the scene.
In April, Zipangu will be travelling to Newcastle in collaboration with the Star and Shadow cinema, where the programme will show a Japanese Film Season programme selected from the festival's first year.
“We’re going to show some of the programme at an event in Tallinn in Estonia this Summer. But really we’re mainly focussing on finding some good films and events for this year”, added Jasper Sharp.
*Images by Oliver SharpeLabels: cueafs, prof experience |
