Aug 20th (Thu) 17:00～ @JMS ASTER PLAZA Medium Hall
HIROSHIMA MA-STARS 2026 presents new works by artists connected with Hiroshima through its rich animation history. The title “MA-STARS” reflects our respect for the history of animation as an art form that explores and manipulates ma (the intervals between frames), and was conceived to celebrate master artists who work with this unique sense of ma.
Guest: Taku Furukawa, Joe Hsieh
MC: Koji Yamamura
A man returns from Antarctica with a rare gift to his partner. The gift causes a change in their relationship, which is difficult to cope with. Has the man changed, or is it the woman who now sees him differently? A story about a shift of perspective in a relationship, about letting go, and the responsibility that comes with it.
Kaspar Jancis, born on the 8th of May 1975 in Tallinn, is a renowned Estonian animation director, scenographer, musician, and composer. He is the son of a Latvian pianist Valdis Jancis and Estonian ballet master and screenwriter Mai Murdmaa. His brother, Rainer Jancis, is a professional musician. Kaspar studied filmmaking at Tallinn University and Turku Arts and Media School. In Turku he made his debut film Romance (1999) that traveled to numerous film festivals and won awards in the student category. Since then, his films have been screened at top animation festivals internationally, such as Annecy, Animateka, Ottawa, Fantoche, London IAFF, Monstra etc, and have won numerous awards. In 2010, he was the laureate of the European Cartoon d’Or with his animated film Crocodile (Eesti Joonisfilm). His films are known for their distinctive hand-drawn animation style, blending meticulous visual detail with minimalistic dialogue and absurd humor in exploration of human relationships.
A praying mantis mutant seduces and preys on men out of desperation to save her child. A failed mission led to revelations of her past and dark secrets as the story unfolds.
Joe Hsieh, an independent Taiwan animation director whose works often explore the dark side of human nature and filled with horror and suspense. His films have captured attentions in many international film festivals. Meat Days (2006) was nominated in the Hiroshima Animation Film Festivals. The Present (2014) was nominated in the Sundance Film Festival. He collaborated in the production of No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019) which won Best Screenplay in the Venice International Film Festival. Night Bus (2020) was awarded Best Animated Short Film at Sundance Film Festival, Grand Prix Best Short Film at Animafest Zagreb, and received Public Prize at Ottawa International Animation Film Festival, and nominated for Best Short Subject at the Annie Awards.
Diplomacy fails and tensions mount when two cultural icons battle for no reason. This blockbuster action adventure is a test of wills and power spanning two islands - one volcanic, and the other municipal.
Janet Perlman is a Montreal-based animation director, writer, and illustrator celebrated for her absurdist humour, inventive storytelling, and distinctive visual style. Her internationally acclaimed short films have earned numerous honours, including an Academy Award nomination and an Emmy Award. Working both independently and with the National Film Board of Canada, she has created a body of work known for its wit, originality, and unconventional approach to animation.
In Montreal, at the dawn of the 20th century, a poor boy falls in love with a girl whose sorrow turns into pearls. He sells them to a ruthless pawnbroker, who hungers for more. Tempted by greed, the boy must choose between love and fortune. The choice could damn his soul. From the Oscar-nominated team of Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Madame Tutli-Putli), this meticulously crafted film is a testament to the magic of stop-motion animation. With handmade puppets, mesmerizing narration by Colm Feore and a haunting score by Patrick Watson, The Girl Who Cried Pearls is a timeless parable of desire, deception and the price of innocence.
Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Clyde Henry Productions) are award-winning writers, directors and animators. Their first film, Madame Tutli-Putli (NFB), received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short (2007). Lavis and Szczerbowski went on to adapt Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! (NFB, Warner Brothers) and direct Meryl Streep in the film. In 2016, the duo were recognized with a nomination for Best Art Direction at the Canadian Screen Awards for their work on Guy Maddin’s feature The Forbidden Room. In 2017, 20 years of artistic creation was celebrated with retrospectives at the Cinémathèque Québécoise (Montreal) and the Annecy International Animation Festival in France. Then, in 2019, they created the VR film Gymnasia (Felix & Paul, NFB), a unique blend of virtual reality and stop-motion animation, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win numerous awards, including a Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience. They recently collaborated with Montreal’s Compulsion Games and X-Box to direct a short stop-motion introduction to the game South of Midnight. Their 2025 NFB film, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
"A poem of love and struggle dedicated to the Palestinian people"
Born in Italy, Massi studied at the Art School of Urbino. Independent animator, he has conceived and realized a dozen small animation films that have been shown in 112 Countries and have collected over 1000 award.
A delivery of “Hino-na-zuke” arrives at a house in the Tokyo suburbs. At breakfast, an elderly couple watches the news on TV about the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Suddenly, the protagonist receives a message on his smartphone informing him that his older brother is in critical condition—. The story weaves through various COVID-related events: the distance between family members at funerals during the pandemic, vaccines, online drinking party, and sumo tournaments held without spectators. As the seasons turn, the “Hino-na-zuke” arrives once again. The elderly couple heads to the park. After gazing in awe at a single violet blooming beyond a large tree, they set off walking once more.
Inspired by Osamu Tezuka, Taku Furukawa began drawing manga during high school. While attending university, he started working at TCJ (now Eiken), where he participated in the early production of the television anime Tetsujin 28-go (Gigantor). After graduating in 1964, he joined the Kuri Experimental Manga Studio and assisted in the production of animated works by artists such as Makoto Wada and Tadanori Yokoo. In 1969, his film Oxhead was selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In 1975, his film Odorokiban received the Special Jury Prize at Annecy. His simple visual style and humorous worldview have earned him international acclaim. His creative activities span a wide range of fields including animation, illustration, manga, and picture books.