Top 3 Recommended animations of 2010-2011 that I am dying to watch.

There have been many animations I set my eye on but never had the time nor/or the means to see them. Well... I guess this could be subbed as my "to-watch" list. I better get started then...

 1. Tatsumi (2011)

Directed & Writer by:  Eric Khoo

*Starring: Tetsuya Bessho, Motoko Gollent , Yoshihiro Tatsumi (narator)

Produced by:  Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd., Zhao Wei Films

Director & Author

An animated biography based on Tatsumi Yoshihiro's 13th Osamu Tezuka Cultural prize winning manga A Drifting Life and his many short works. The movie was first shown at the 64th Cannes Film Festival and again at the 5th Brussels Animation Film Festival (ANIMA 2012).

The well made animation is supposed to capture the feeling of his short stories on the screen and carefully mimic Tatsumi Yoshihiro drawings, which should've worked due to the fact that the whole project was supervised by him. This drama-biography is a gate way to the life and works of a Gekiga veteran and manga pioneer.

(Read more here)

Awards won (so far):

• Best Animated Feature Film; Asia Pacific Screen Award
• Best Film; 8th Dubai International Film Festival
• Asian Film Award - Special Mention; 24th Tokyo International Film Festival

 2. Paths Of Hate (2010)

Directed & Writer by:  Damian Nenow

Produced By: Platige Image

A short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the power to push people into the abyss of blind hate, fury and rage. From IMDB 

Damian Nenow

Paths Of Rage is a polish war-drama animation directed and written by Damian Nenow. While I do admit that I know only little of this movie also due to the lack of resource and distribution. I can say that the comic-like visuals drew me to it as I found out that it was screened at the ANIMA 2012-Córdoba Animation Film Festival (Not to be confused with the one in Brussel).

 Despite its low interest rate and distribution, it seems to rival with it's more popular peers. if this movie is half as good as I think it is, then this could be up for review as soon as I can find a copy of this animated action-adventure.

  Awards won (so far):

• Grand Jury Price; ANIMA - Córdoba International Animation Festival
• Best Animation & Best Action/Adventure Short; San Diego Comic-Con international Independent Film Festival

  3.  From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)

Directed by: Gorō Miyazaki | Written by: Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa

*Starring: Junichi Okada, Masami Nagasawa

Produced by: Studio Ghibli

From Up On Poppy Hill (コクリコ坂から Kokuriko-zaka Kara) is a Japanese animated Drama based on a manga written by Tetsurō Sayama and illustrated by Chizuru Takahashi. 

A Miyazaki movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son and written by the one and only Hayao Miyazaki (obviously). I gotta say that gets my blood boiling, especially knowing that the later wants his son to stand on his own to feet without his support or funding (much like Jackie Chan did with his son... without the obvious failure that is). 

The movie got it's share of possitive feed back much like it's predecessor The Secret World of Arrietty and won a Japanese academy award for 'Best Animation Film'. Something to be expected from a Studio Ghibli Film.

  Awards won (so far):

• Best Animation Film; 35th Japanese Academy Prize

That's about it...

Well... I think that it's pretty obvious that I saved my best pick for last. But I am really looking forward to see all of them and to focus on more recent works (non-Ghibli this time...). 

Expect more to come and more to be revealed.

M.

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