Launch of "Animedon. San Sebastian Anime Fair"

2024.09.18

The 35th edition of the Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, to be held between 25 October and 1 November, sees the launch of a new section entitled Animedon – San Sebastian Anime Event.

Historically, the Festival has offered a space for fans of Japanese animation, regularly scheduling the most distinctive and appealing works in the cinematic genre.

From this year onwards, though, the organisers aim to go a step further. The programme will include not only films, but also accompanying activities such as exhibitions, talks and workshops connected with the world of anime from a multifaceted perspective.

With the rise in streaming platforms, anime is seeing a real audience boom in the West. Some studios claim that 42% of Generation Z, born between the early 1990s and the dawn of the new millennium, watch anime every week. Aware of the need constantly to encourage new audiences into the cinema, Animedon invites young people to enjoy the very latest releases on the big screen. The feature films scheduled for Animedon will not necessarily lie within the Horror and Fantasy genres, as at the Festival itself, but instead represent a broader thematic offering.

The first edition of Animedon will involve special contributions from Tabakalera, FNAC, EITB and Japan Foundation.

“Dragon Ball” tributes and exhibitions

The Basque population have always had a particular affection for anime, as this type of content was shown in Basque on public TV for many years. The most memorable series was Dragon Ball, known in Basque as Dragoi Bola, an adaptation of the manga by Akira Toriyama, who died in March this year the age of 68, while still fully involved in projects connected with the series that influenced so many people. And so the first edition of Animedon will be aiming to recall his life and work, on the façade of the Teatro Principal itself, this year under the artistic direction of Mikel Herrero from the Innovart studio, who will be decorating the building with figures from the series.

The main tribute event will be held on Sunday, 20 October, at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Theatre. Entitled Son Gokuk euskaraz hitz egin zuenekoa, it will pay homage to the actors who dubbed Dragoi Bola into Basque.

The tribute to Toriyama will also be rounded off in the form of two exhibitions. Dragoi Bola-tik infinitura. Akira Toriyamari omenaldia, curated by Jorge Madejón, will be on display in the Activities Gallery of the Municipal Library (San Jerónimo), presenting the work of 26 illustrators who have reinterpreted the oeuvre of the mangaka.

Lastly, as part of Euskadi Fantastikoa, the Central Library (Alderdi Eder) will be hosting a retrospective dedicated to Bilbao's Nacho Fernández, author of Dragon Fall, a parody of Toriyama's series which is currently being republished in complete volumes.

The graphical image of Animedon, and its mascot Tokiko, have been designed and created by the Ondarroa-born producer, editor, animator and scriptwriter Angel Aldarondo.