Anime All Nighter - Sci-Fi-London 7 May 3, 2008

The notorious animé allnighter delivers back-to-back movies with breaks to answer the call of nature, load up on caffeine and take on some more sugar.

Things kick off at midnight and wrap up at around 9.00am. There will be DJs in the bar and the MangaWall for you to show off your artistic talent!

APPLESEED EX MACHINA (2007, JAPAN, SHINJI ARAMAKI)
Ahead of the release on Blu-Ray and DVD (June 2nd) we present the UK Premiere of this fantastic animated feast.

Following the non-nuclear war that killed half the world’s population, the city-nation of Olympus stands as a beacon of hope in a world of chaos and conflict. The utopian metropolis is governed by Gaia, a vast artificial intelligence, and administered by genetically engineered humanoids known as Bioroids, whose designer DNA suppresses strong emotions. With Bioroids being half of its population, peace and order are easily maintained. DEUNAN, a young female warrior, and BRIAREOS, a veteran cyborg-soldier, are both partners and lovers. As members of E.S.W.A.T., the elite special forces serving Olympus, they are deployed whenever trouble strikes. The two fighters find their partnership tested in a new way by the arrival of a new member to their ranks Stunning, brilliant, awesome? Nothing really describes how fantastic this looks.

THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME (2006, Mamoru Hosoda, Japan)
One of the most acclaimed animé features in recent years, THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME is an animated adaptation of a 1965 young adult novel that had been an instant sensation in Japan, spawning countless films and TV programs over the ensuing decades. Director Mamoru Hosoda updates the tale to present-day Tokyo, all while remaining true to the same enchanting story of a girl who learns to time-travel.

TEKKON KINKREET (2006, Michael Arias, Japan)
Two orphaned brothers; the tough CANNY KURO and the childish, snot-nosed SHIRO live in the streets of ‘Treasure City’. Together they are known as Neko and they are homeless, living out of a car in a junkyard. These children also serve as the city’s superhero guardians. Arias, a veteran CG artist who produced ‘The Animatrix’ project, is American, but his filmic world here is deeply, nostalgically Japanese, looking like an alternative universe built from the more fantastic bits of Showa-era (1926-1989) architecture and design fallen into a tawdry grandeur. This metropolis is a sprawling, gorgeous mess.

VEXILLE (2007, Fumihiko Sori, Japan)
In the year 2077, Japan withdraws from the world community after defying international treaties on the development of bio-technology. With a force field to stop people getting in or out, nobody beyond the fortress country has any idea what’s happening within its borders.

An elite team of commandos – the SWORD unit, led by the beautiful VEXILLE (Meisa Kuroki) is sent in to Japan to bring back information on their robotics programme. What she finds there comes as a major shock, prompting a series of exciting set pieces as Vexille and a small rebel force go up against the country’s corporate bosses.

With Redbull, Purbeck ice-cream and a goodie bag you’d be mad to miss it. Our line-up this year features the best collection we have ever had.

Part of the Sci-Fi-London 7 programme. For the full program see http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2008/ and details on the Upcoming event at http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/463300/

Official Website: http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2008/programme/all-nighter/anime.php