>>PREVIEW
OTAFEST 2007
May 19 and 20
MacEwan Hall and Science Theatres (U of C)
How much entertainment can you get for 12 bucks? Quite a lot really, if you’re an anime fan and plan to be at the University of Calgary (U of C) campus this Saturday and Sunday. Otafest, the U of C’s annual anime festival, is once again bringing its impressive repertoire of surprises and delights to Calgary’s growing community of animation aficionados. You’ll have the run of the place for the whole two days once you register. If you want to take in the panel discussions, buy DVDs and comics, compete in a game show, witness an "Iaido" demonstration, check out the crazy costumes, or just veg out watching ’toons all day, it’s all up to you. As usual, seven screening rooms are showing back-to-back anime, including brand new stuff and old favourites, but there’s a lot going on in the other venues. You know – those rooms where the lights are actually switched on.
The "Cosplay" competition remains a deeply peculiar and hilarious experience. "Lego Robot Wars" is exactly the kind of game show competition you’d expect from the title, and a brand-new, audience-participation-friendly event, "Mystery Otaku Theatre 3000," sounds irresistible to those of us whose senses of humour run to the snarky side. (Are any non-geeks still reading this? Oh well; more fun for the rest of us.)
Japanese culture is also celebrated by language seminars, Taiko drumming, voice acting seminars, a tea ceremony, tips on having your own sushi picnic, and a samurai sword speed-drawing demonstration by Iaido expert Dave Rathnow.
Local animators are represented too, as the talented animation gurus from Calgary’s own Fifteen Pound Pink Productions share trade secrets, and show their terrific short film, Mr. Reaper’s Really Bad Morning (2006).
The animation lineup includes such classics as Golden Boy, Ghost in the Shell, Full Metal Panic! and Gunbuster, along with such tantalizing new stuff as Death Note and many others. There’s also a surprising selection of live action films, something that’s been missing from Otafest for many years.
If you’re new to the whole Otafest experience, here are a few tips for getting the most out of it.
· Bring snacks. Trust me.
· You don’t need a costume. Sure, you heard that a lot of fans dress up, but really, most of us get by fine in street clothes. Of course, if you’re really itching to dress up as Afro Samurai or Pac-Man, go nuts.
· Bring photo ID. It’s an all-ages event, so if you want in to an 18A-rated show, you’re gonna get carded.
· Bring your kids. Ages 6 and under get in free, and the staff take steps to make sure the little guys don’t see anything that’ll mess ’em up too bad.
· If your costume includes a sword the size of a coffee table, read up on the weapons policy. Regulations are there to protect people and nobody wants to get impaled on your shoulder pads.
· Bring a camera, or else nobody will believe that you met a hot girl dressed as Pikachu.
· If the cartoon you’re watching is boring, get up and leave. There’s like six other shows playing across the hall, and they might be awesome.
· Bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Campus Food Bank. It’ll shave a dollar off your admission price and give you a nice, warm feeling.
Have fun! |
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