August 8, 2008

Mamoru Oshii's latest animated feature film and Golden Lion nominee The Sky Crawlers has been officially selected for the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), to be held in Toronto, Canada from September 4 to 13, 2008.

The Sky Crawlers will be screening in the Visions section. Visions focuses on the innovative. It spotlights work that challenges our notion of mainstream cinema and explores new territory. Featuring unusual approaches to storytelling, experimental filmmaking techniques and new technologies, Visions is an exciting programme featuring the work of brazen newcomers and veteran filmmakers alike, pushing the boundaries of contemporary cinema.

With around 300 works selected every year from more than 4000 submissions and an annual attendance exceeding 300,000, Toronto International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious international film festivals in the world.

The screening in Toronto marks the The Sky Crawlers' North American premiere.

"As the sidereal bard of Japanese anime, Mamoru Oshii has always pushed the boundaries of his creativity, blurring the lines between philosophy and science fiction, history and fantasy, and entertainment and social commentary. He has constructed a fascinating, utterly unique body of work that adds up to an evolving installation of total art, and has found a special place for his genius in the nirvana of global filmmaking. [...]

Positioning this moral tale in the distant coldness of a video game, Oshii presents his images with a disturbing tactile quality. He confronts the audience with issues crucial to today's Japan, including the increased crime rate among adolescents. A modern ukiyo-e printed on celluloid, The Sky Crawlers haunts us with fantasies too close to scalding reality." (Giovanna Fulvi, TIFF Programmer)

SCREENING DATES AT TORONTO 2008
Public Screening 1
Date: September 5, 2008
Time: 12:00 am
Place: Scotiabank Theatre 1

Public Screening 2
Date: September 6, 2008
Time: 9:00 am
Place: Ryerson

Public Screening 3
Date: September 13, 2008
Time: 12:15 pm
Place: Scotiabank Theatre 2

Press & Industry Screening 1
Date: September 7, 2008
Time: 9:00 am
Place: Varsity 1

Press & Industry Screening 2
Date: September 11, 2008
Time: 12:00 pm
Place: Cumberland 4

Screening schedule may change. For further information, please check the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival official website:
http://www.tiff08.ca/default.aspx/

Check The Sky Crawlers official website and trailers (Japanese only):
http://sky.crawlers.jp/

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