The Gold Coast Film Festival announces WORLD PREMIERE of The Garden of Words

The Gold Coast Film Festival announces WORLD PREMIERE of The Garden of Words

Acclaimed anime director Makoto Shinkai to meet fans, April 28

TUESDAY April 2 2013: The Gold Coast Film Festival (GCFF: April 18 – April 28) presented by Pacific Fair has today announced it will screen the World Premiere of the anime film The Garden of Words on Sunday April 28 at 4.00pm at Pacific Fair Birch, Carroll and Coyle Cinemas at Pacific Fair. To celebrate this world exclusive event, the GCFF will also be welcoming the film's masterful Japanese director, writer and animator, Makoto Shinkai to Broadbeach for an up-close-and-personal exploration of his latest dramatic animation plus to discuss his body of acclaimed anime work. This is the first time Shinkai has ever visited Australia to present his work.

The Garden of Words is the fourth feature film from the revered Shinkai whose previous works - Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011), 5 Centimetres per Second (winner of the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Animated Feature Film, 2007) and The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) has garnered him a legion of global fans.

“I am extremely proud to be presenting the World Premiere of my latest film The Garden of Words at the Gold Coast this month. The Gold Coast Film Festival has been such a great supporter of my films, as have my Australian fans, and it is with this gesture of bringing the World Premiere down under ahead of the film's premiere here in Japan that I say ‘thank you’.”

- Makoto Shinkai, director and writer, The Garden of Words

As well as the intimate “In Conversation with Makoto Shinkai” prior to The Garden of Words premiere on April 28, Shinkai will be personally meeting with fans and signing a limited number of free posters in the cinema foyer immediately prior to the screening.

“We are honoured to have Makoto Shinkai as our special guest at this year's Gold Coast Film Festival. Every screenshot from his new anime masterpiece The Garden of Words could be framed and hung in an art gallery. Shinkai has again done the impossible - he has painted pictures of human emotions on the screen with such depth and clarity, it will take your breath away.

The Garden of Words is not just for the anime and Shinkai fans. If you have never seen an anime film before, this is the perfect moment for you to immerse yourself into a whole new film experience.”

- GCFF Director, Casey Marshall Siemer

The Garden of Words is a classical Japanese take on ‘love’ and a story of the ‘sad loneliness’ in yearning for someone. It is a theme that has seen the Seattle Times describe Shinkai as “the poet of heartbreak.” It is an exploration of a relationship between two individuals that precursors Japan's adoption of the Western concept of love and stars the voices of Miyu Irino and Kana Hanazawa.

Takao was skipping high school, sketching shoes in a Japanese garden, trying to become a shoemaker, when he encounters a mysterious woman, Yukino. They meet again and again, at the same spot and only when it rains, deepening their relationship and opening up to each other. Yukimo seems lost in life and Takao promises her he shall make her some shoes that will lead her to the right path. But the end of the rainy season soon approaches; does this also mean their relationship?

‘COOL JAPAN’ GOLD COAST

For the past three years, the GCFF has presented ‘Cool Japan’ Gold Coast as part of its lineup showcasing Japanese pop culture programming and events.

In 2013, alongside the World Premiere of The Garden of Words, the GCFF will also be screening: Wolf Children from director Mamoru Hosoda on Saturday, April 20 at 6:30pm; plus the documentary about legendary anime franchise Robotech, Carl Macek's Robotech Universe on Saturday April 20 at 1.00pm; as well as the Australian premiere of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 2 - The Battle for Doldrey.

Having recently collected the prize for ‘Best Anime Film’ at this month's 36th Annual Japan Academy's, Mamoru Hosoda's anime movie Wolf Children is his third film that has won the Academy Prize following his previous works The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars.

Wolf Children is a heart-felt tale of love and triumph and follows 19 year old Hana a 19-year-old student who falls in a "fairy-tale like" love with a "wolf man". Over the course of the 13-year story Hana gives birth to two children - older sister Yuki, and younger brother Ame, or "Snow and Rain". At first the family quietly lives in city trying to hide their wolf heritage, but when the "wolf man" suddenly dies Hana makes the decision to move to a rural town, far from their previous urban life.

The documentary about legendary anime franchise Robotech - Carl Macek's Robotech Universe – will feature interviews with cast and crew involved with the ground-breaking Robotech franchise that debuted in 1985 and show a collection of private photos and stories illustrating Macek's influence on the anime industry. It includes a special, global exclusive sneak peek at footage from Robotech: Love Live Alive (2013).

Robotech online creative and producer Steve Yun will be in attendance for a special Q&A appearance prior to the screening.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 2 - The Battle for Doldrey is the second film of a trilogy and follows on from the hugely successful screenings of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - The Egg of the King during Madman Entertainment's Reel Anime program in 2012.

Tickets to The Garden of Words World Premiere, Wolf Children, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 2 - The Battle for Doldrey Australian Premiere and Carl Macek's Robotech Universe are available now at gcfilmfestival.com

And as part of the Queensland Pop Culture Week (QPOW!) the Evangelion Art Exhibition will be presented by The Arts Centre Gold Coast, Madman Entertainment, The Japan Foundation and the Gold Coast Film Festival from Wednesday April 17 – Sunday May 5 at The Arts Centre Gold Coast ($5 admission.) The Consul-General of Japan, Mr. Junzo Fujita, will officially open the Evangelion Art Exhibition on April 17.

From one of the world's biggest anime film series, the Evangelion Art Exhibition will showcase a rare and extensive original collection of concept and production art, character drawings, books, statues and tapestries showing guests how original drawings, computer graphics and animation for these films were created.

Voice star of the Evangelion franchise Yūko Miyamura will be appearing at the Evangelion Art Exhibition for a one hour hosted talk on Friday April 19 between 4.00pm – 5.00pm. To secure your seat to this special event, email [email protected] or phone 07 5581 6567.

For all QPOW! (April 18 – 28 2013) event information visit queenslandpopcultureweek.com.au