The inaugural Taichung Comic Arts Festival kicked off Aug. 11 in central Taiwan, featuring a collection of the latest and greatest animated films and comic artworks produced by talents from home and abroad.
Organized by Taichung City Government, the 45-day event at the city’s cultural and creative industries park focuses on European comics—a departure from the Japan manga standard adopted by many local festivals in the past.
At the event’s launch ceremony, Taichung City Deputy Mayor Lin I-ying said the decision to spotlight European content is in line with local government efforts to broaden the cultural horizons of residents. It also represents a commitment to building the metropolis into a truly international hub for animation, comic and games industries, she added.
According to TCG, one of the highlights of the festival is the first-ever Asian exhibition of pieces by award-winning Brecht Evens of Belgium. The four-set collection comprises comic books “The Making Of,” “Panther,” “The Wrong Place” and a book containing 100 drawings of Paris.
Winner of the prestigious Prize of Audacity at 2011 Angouleme International Comics Festival, Evens is renowned for his bold takes on color selection and signature style of producing work absent traditional panel layouts.
Also taking place at the event is an exhibition documenting the history of comics in Taichung and another introducing a selection of leading artists from Taiwan, Belgium, France and Italy.
Festival curator Lin Li-tsing said central Taiwan is home to a great number of the country’s premier comic artists, including Hong De-lin, Kao Yung and Zhou Yi-pin. There is every reason to believe that with the city government’s continued support, Taichung can springboard off the creative power of this talent base and develop into an incubator of world-class animation and comic artists, she added.
Other activities scheduled at event include five Q&A sessions involving international talents, festival curators and publishers, as well as book markets, screenings of 15 animated films and workshops. (CPY-E)
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