【120 Years of Short Animation】Koji Yamamura
At Hiroshima Animation Season 2026, we have organized a special feature titled "120 Years of Short Animation (1906-2026)" to celebrate the rich history built by short animation. This commemorates the 120th anniversary of "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" (1906), a work often considered one of the origins of animation.
This special booklet compiles the results of a survey conducted among visiting artists and award winners of Hiroshima Animation Season, primarily those from the Pan-Pacific and Asian regions that the festival focuses on, based on the following theme.
This project does not aim to create an "authoritative list," but rather a "passionate archive" of those who love animation.
Below is the response from Koji Yamamura, Artistic Director of Hiroshima Animation Season.
Official trailers and other publicly available materials can be viewed below.
The following films selected in this response will be screened at Hiroshima Animation Season 2026 (August 19–23). We hope you will enjoy them at the festival!
→Short Competition 3
Friday, August 21, 2:45 PM
JMS Aster Plaza – Grand Hall
https://animation.hiroshimafest.org/program/00001111/
・Demon Love Song — Seiichi Hayashi (1971, Japan)
→the Legendary Comic Magazine GARO and Animation
Friday, August 21, 2:45 PM
JMS Aster Plaza – Medium Hall
https://animation.hiroshimafest.org/program/00001811/
・Milch — Igor Kovalyov (2005, Ukraine / Russia / USA)
・Jeu — Georges Schwizgebel (2006, Switzerland / Canada)
→Contemporary Classics (World)
Saturday, August 22, 12:15 PM
JMS Aster Plaza – Medium Hall
https://animation.hiroshimafest.org/program/00001551/
・Breakfast on the Grass — Priit Pärn (1987, Soviet Union / Estonia)
→Priit Pärn Retrospective
Sunday, August 23, 2:30 PM
JMS Aster Plaza – Medium Hall
https://animation.hiroshimafest.org/program/00001744/
Tickets for Hiroshima Animation Season 2026 are available via Peatix:
https://has2026.peatix.com/
Please purchase either a One-Day Pass or a Festival Pass. Free U25 tickets are also available.
At the festival venue, we will also be selling Your Favorite 12 Animated Short Films From the Past 120 Years 1906–2026 for ¥1,000. The booklet includes responses from all 68 participants, along with an appendix featuring a chronological list of every film mentioned in the survey. We hope you will have a chance to pick up a copy.