The Locarno International Film Festival is joining forces with one of the most prestigious of European Film Museums, in Turin, to organise an ambitious project for a retrospective and exhibition about the world of Japanese anime, particularly the close relationships with the comic strip books (manga) that provide much of its inspiration. Manga Impact will thus offer a fascinating journey through all their genres and styles – from the most commercial to the most cutting-edge – and exploring its more distant roots, from both narrative and graphic perspectives. This event will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication, with a wealth of written and iconographic content, intended as a reference work for anyone interested in discovering the diversity and originality of Manga and Anime.

Manga Impact aims to offer an opportunity to (re)discover, in detail, the world of Manga and Anime, whose significance and influence is only partially understood in the West. The intention is to break through the prejudices that often view Japanese animation as a merely commercial operation, to reveal its extraordinary range, in social, cultural and aesthetic terms. This will be achieved through a synthesis of various perspectives: including an examination of to the age-old traditions of manga, narrative and graphic, and an overview of genres and typologies of existing mangas and anime, in its extreme market fragmentation – with publications and films aimed at children, teenagers, and adults, male and female, and genres including erotica (in its numerous forms), historical epics, romance, etc. This enormous diversity of types and styles ranges from the most apparently ‘commercial’, to work by contemporary artists, and includes genre and « auteur » films. To provide a general overview of the world of manga and anime, Manga Impact also plans a large exhibition. Finally, this journey into the world of Manga will also look at all those who, from near and far, in Asia and in the rest of the world, are attracted and influenced by the spirit of manga.

Manga Impact will be organised around several components: an internet site that goes online from October 2 2008 (www.mangaimpact.com) that will release information on all the initiatives planned. A selective Anime retrospective (feature films, shorts, episodes of TV series, etc.), from the earliest Japanese animated shorts to contemporary productions. An exhibition, containing artwork, magazines, publications, illustrations, merchandising, toys, figurines, cos-play and video games.
And finally, a very comprehensive book that will offer a synthesis of all these aspects.

Manga Impact will take place during the 62nd Locarno International Film Festival from August 5 – 15, 2009, then at the Film Museum in Turin September 16 – November 15.

The project’s iconography and visual branding is generously supplied by the agency Ogilvy & Mather in Milan.
For more information and daily updates: www.mangaimpact.com