What is it about seeing a movie on the big screen? You may have seen a particular film one, two, three hundred times and yet when the lights go down and the curtains part, it’s like you’re seeing it for the very first time. Popcorn probably helps, too — particularly if it’s Cinerama’s famous chocolate variety.
So color me excited about Cinerama’s latest news: a 23-movie festival to devoted to all things anime, which runs from April 25 through May 3 (tip: book early). This is the independent movie theater’s first Anime Movie Festival but if early ticket sales are any indication, it won’t be the last.
Keep the fun going at home
Get ideas for Cinerama's Anime Movie Festival or host your own with these ideas on the top 10 Hayao Miyazaki films to share with kids, a few non-Miyazaki ideas and other foreign film ideas.
You can view the whole line-up (including how many seats are left) here. While not all of the selections are kid-friendly — as often denoted by the movie’s late start time — plenty offer the perfect excuse for a family movie night.
A few ideas: Ponyo (10 a.m., Saturday, April 29), Spirited Away (1:30 p.m., Sunday, April 30) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (7 p.m., Wednesday, May 3).
All tickets are $16 each; you can buy them ahead of time (remember: Cinerama has assigned seating, which is a good thing if you buy the tickets early, not so good if you wait). The festival runs Tuesday, April 25, through Wednesday, May 3.
Note that all movies will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles except for Ponyo (dubbed in English) and the 2017 Oscar nominee The Red Turtle (dialogue-free).
And if you’re feeling particularly flush, the nearby TanakaSan, a Tom Douglas restaurant, will offer a special menu inspired by the festival including Lin’s balcony steamed buns (inspired by Spirited Away), Satsuki and Mei’s vegetable dream garden salad (Totoro) and "I WANT HAAAAAAAM” ramen (Ponyo).
So call a family meeting. You’ve got some film festival planning to get to.
