Baltimore, MD (June 25, 2013) – Otakon is pleased to announce that this year will feature a special HD screening of the entirety of the Anime Mirai project (also known as the Young Animators Training Project) as part of its 20th year programming. Presenting the showcase will be veteran YTV producer Michihiko Suwa as well as Yuzuru Tachikawa, one of the featured directors.

Michiko Suwa

Anime Mirai is sponsored by the Japanese Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) and the Japanese government’s Agency of Cultural Affairs, and is in part a response to increased outsourcing of Japanese animation projects. The intention is to ensure that up-and-coming animators have opportunities to pursue their own works and gain experience leading projects. Each year, four studios are selected to produce short films, which play in theaters and may serve as springboards to larger projects. The first showcase was in 2010, and two more showcases appeared in 2012 and 2013.

Yuzuru Tachikawa

Producer Michihiko Suwa has been part of the selection committee and an ardent supporter of the program since its inception, and brings 30 years of experience to bear. His credits include Detective Conan (Case Closed), Lupin III, Inuyasha, Black Jack, Magic Knight Rayearth, and City Hunter. Joining him is director and storyboard artist Yuzuru Tachikawa, whose first solo effort, Death Billiards, is one of the showcased shorts.

Otakon is the first overseas event to feature the entirety of the showcase; the convention’s focus on animation and its underlying cultural and educational mission made it a natural fit for the Anime Mirai project.

Otakon 2013 will be held August 9-11 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twentieth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore’s few large, city-wide events, drawing over 32,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 89,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.