Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema
The Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema was an annual international film festival for animated feature films, held in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It ran for 13 years, from 2001 to 2013.
The festival was founded in to promote appreciation for animation as a narrative medium for mature cinematic storytelling, and to review and celebrate animated feature films in the venue they were meant to be seen: a theatre.
The festival was unique in its focus on feature animation. Its selection of films suggested a desire to create bridges: from audience to animator, from anime to non-anime, and most obviously from mature audiences to mature films, which simply happen to be animated. The programme was also surprisingly comprehensive - in its first year the festival was dedicated mainly to anime, but it later became much more international. Perhaps reflecting its focus, WFAC has presented more animated feature films in public exhibition than any other festival in the world.
One interesting development since 2003 was the festival's Tidbits programme, developed to search out and promote the creation of feature films by one single artist or very small groups, made possible by advancements in technology.
Festival history
2013
World Cinema selections: Canadian/North American/International premieres of AninA, L'Arte della Felicità, Até que a Sbórnia nos Separe, Uma História de Amor e Fúria ; also Ernest et Celestine, ベルセルク 黄金時代篇, Ma Maman est en Amérique, Elle a Rencontré Buffalo Bill, Couleur de Peau: Miel, The Congress, 009 RE:CYBORG, Persistence of Vision.2012
World Cinema selections: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Asura, Az ember tragédiája, Crulic - drumul spre dincolo, Heart String Marionette, Jensen & Jensen, Le Jour des Corneilles, Marco Macaco, Strange Frame, チベット犬物語, 図書館戦争 ~ 革命のつばさ, 虹色ほたる ; also Babeldom, Blood-C: The Last Dark, おおかみこどもの雨と雪, ももへの手紙, ヘルズ,Tidbits selection: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Anime Mirai - including Juju the Weightless Dugong, Pretending Not to See, Li'l Spider Girl, Buta.
2011
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Green Days, 마당을 나온 암탉, Adventures in Plymptoons!, Den kæmpestore bjørn, FIMFÁRUM – DO TŘETICE VŠEHO DOBRÉHO. Also Chico y Rita, とある飛空士への追憶, 鋼の錬金術師 嘆きの丘（ミロス）の聖なる星, El Sol ''.2010
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Piercing I, ГАДКИЙ УТЕНОК, Duga, ՍԱՍՆԱ ԾՌԵՐ, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, 仏陀再誕 ; also Redline, Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, Goodbye Mr. Christie, NA PŮDĚ ANEB KDO MÁ DNESKA NAROZENINY?, 夏日大作战, Surviving Life (Theory and Practice).2009
Retrospective screenings: СМЕХ И ГОРЕ У БЕЛА МОРЯ ; ТИГРЁНОК НА ПОДСОЛНУХЕ ; ПРОПАВШАЯ ГРАМОТА ; КРАДЕНОЕ СОЛНЦЕ ; СЛОН И МОСЬКА ; КОШКА, КОТОРАЯ ГУЛЯЛА САМА ПО СЕБЕTidbits selections: Panique au Village
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0: You Can Advance, Alisa's Birthday, First Squad: the Moment of Truth, L.A. Dolce Vita, 宮本武蔵 ―双剣に馳せる夢―, ПРО ФЕДОТА-СТРЕЛЬЦА, УДАЛОГО МОЛОДЦА, Technotise: Edit & I, Boogie, el Aceitoso ; also Mary and Max, Brendan and The Secret of Kells, and Metropia.
2008
Retrospective screenings: Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed from restored 35 mm print, with live score composed and performed by Miles and Karina; 20th anniversary screening of Hotaru no Haka from 35 mm print, with Frederik Schodt, Brian Ruh, John O'Donnell leading discussionTidbits selections: Sita Sings The Blues, We Are the Strange, Idiots and Angels, From Inside
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Piano no Mori, Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0: You Are Alone, Egon és Dönci, Donkey Xote, Summer Days With Coo, Only Love, Quirino Cristiani: the Mystery of the First Animated Movies ; also Genius Party, Genius Party Beyond, and Nocturna
2007
Retrospective screenings: Canadian/North American premiere of Rocky and HudsonTidbits selections: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Black Ceiling, Five Centimeters Per Second, The Killer of Montmartre, Anna and the Moods, SOS Metro Tokyo Explorers
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of The Pixar Story, RH+: the Vampiress of Seville, Flatland, One Night in One City, Wood & Stock: Sex, Oregano and Rock 'n Roll; also Aachi and Ssipak, The Ugly Duckling and Me, Film Noir, Free Jimmy
2006
Retrospective screenings: Princes and PrincessesTitbits selections: various
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Origin: Spirits of the Past, Fimfárum 2, Fire Ball, Khan Kluay, Pettson and Findus: Pettson's Promise, Prince Vladimir, Dobrynia Nikitich, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time; also Princess, The Book of the Dead, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Blood Tea and Red String
2005
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Alosha Popovich i Tugarin Zmey, Fragile Machine, A Place Promised in Our Early Days, Terkel in Trouble; also Frank and Wendy, Mind Game, The District, Strings, Winter Days2004
Retrospective screenings: Rock & RuleTidbits: various
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Appleseed, McDull: Prince de la Bun, Oseam, Y Mabinogi, La Prophétie des Grenouilles, Karlik Nos; also Steamboy, Kaena, The Legend of the Sky Kingdom, Hair High
2003
Retrospective screenings: Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Utena, Perfect Blue, EscaflowneTidbits: various
World Cinema: Canadian/North American/International premieres of Mari Iyagi, WXIII Patlabor, My Life as McDull, Princess Arête, Corto Maltese, Wonderful Days, Officer Down, Missing Persons; also Princes and Princesses