GENIUS PARTY. (C)Genius Party

STUDIO4°C, an animation studio that has gained international fame for the stunning quality and fresh visuals of hits like The Animatrix and Tekkonkinkreet, has come out with its latest project, Genius Party. The new work will be premiered in February 2008 at a festival of Japanese culture to be held in Washington, DC.

A "Party" of Seven Geniuses
STUDIO4°C is a highly innovative studio that produces one masterpiece after another with distinctive coloration and original worldviews, and its every move is now watched by anime fans the world over. Under the slogan "Zero limit to creativity," the cream of Japanese anime have gathered under the studio's roof to launch a project aimed at creating original works in an entirely free environment. The first fruit of this project is Genius Party, a collection of never-before-seen anime shorts.

Genius Party is an omnibus work consisting of seven short stories. In each can be glimpsed the universe of its creator, the future of anime, and today's Japan. The stories include "GENIUS PARTY," an original Japanese fantasy crowned with the film's title; "DOORBELL," the tale of a young man's inner struggle; and "BABY BLUE," which depicts a day in the life of two high school students.

The lineup of directors is like a roll call of anime pioneers. Kawamori Shoji directed the anime feature Chojiku Yosai Macross (Super Dimension Fortress Macross) and created the mechanical designs for Ghost in the Shell. Kimura Shinji was the artistic director for Steamboy and Tekkonkinkreet, while Fukushima Atsuko designed the characters in the video game PoPoLoCrois. Fukuyama Yoji is the author of the manga Madomoazeru Motsaruto (Mademoiselle Mozart), Futamura Hideki was part of the Animatrix team, Yuasa Masaaki is famous for the popular television series Crayon Shin-chan, and Watanabe Shin'ichiro won fans with his direction of Cowboy Bebop. Moreover, the equally impressive voice cast includes Yagira Yuya, who was named Best Actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and Kikuchi Rinko, a 2006 Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress.

DOORBELL. (C)Genius Party

BABY BLUE. (C)Genius Party

World Premiere in the United States
It is no wonder that this star-studded project should come under the international spotlight. Genius Party has been chosen for screening as an example of contemporary Japanese culture at JAPAN! culture + hyperculture, a festival to be held in February 2008 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. This will be the film's world premiere.

The festival is a gala of Japanese culture featuring an eclectic range of arts, from the traditional to the cutting edge. Numerous eminent figures will be presenting aspects of contemporary Japanese culture, including theater director Miyamoto Amon, stage director Ninagawa Yukio, architect Ando Tadao, and Nomura Mansai from the world of noh and kyogen.

Having been selected as an ambassador of anime, one of Japan's leading cultural exports, Genius Party is all set to take the movie world by storm.