With the application period having ended on September 10th, we are pleased to announce the selection of the three artists that have been invited to participate in “Animation Artist in Residence Tokyo 2012-2013.” This project, organized and run once again this year by the Japan Image Council on behalf of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, gives talented creators from other countries the opportunity to pursue their art while visiting Japan. It was established in order to contribute to the development of media art in this country through the promotion of international exchange and the educational opportunities for Japanese artists this kind of interaction provides.

This year we invited media art creators between the ages of 20 and 35 from all over the world to apply for this program between July 1st and September 10th, and in response we received 112 applications from 43 countries. Three applicants were selected to participate in the program after a process involving a preparatory selection meeting, first selection committee meeting and second selection committee meeting. These artists will spend 70 days living in Tokyo early January and mid-March 2013, during which time they will each produce a new work of art while participating in various programs including training sessions, screenings, visits to studios and the ateliers of animation artists, and exchanges with educational institutions.

Invited Artists (Gender/Nationality/Age)
Caleb Wood (Male/American/24)
Elli Vuorinen (Female/Finnish/27)
Emma De Swaef (Female/Belgian/27)

For more information please contact the Japan Image Council
Japan Image Council
Telephone: 03-6670-5676 Fax: 03-5466-0054 Website: http://japic.jp/

Invited Artist Profiles

Caleb Wood (Male/American/24)
Born in 1988. Graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Active as an independent animation artist, his works have been screened at film festivals around the world (“Little Wild” (2010) Stuttgart International Animation Festival, Reykjavik International Animation Festival; “Stay Home” (2011) Ottawa International Animation Festival, Melbourne International Animation Festival).
Website: http://calebdwood.com/

Previous Works
2010 “Wake”
2010 “Little Wild”
2011 “Stay Home”
2012 “Mobile”

Project Overview
“Good-Bye Rabbit Hop Hop”: A drawn animation that will utilize various materials to depict the relationship between a human being trying to approach a rabbit and a rabbit trying to keep its distance. It will address the relationship between humans and nature and the limits and consequences of human action.

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Elli Vuorinen (Female/Finnish/27)
Born in 1985. Graduate of the Arts Academy at Turku University of Applied Sciences. Received widespread attention in the animation world for two works made while she was still a student: “Benigni” (2009/co-directed with Pinja Partanen and Jasmiini Ottelinand) and “The Tongueling” (2010). “The Tongueling” won the Tricky Women Award of the city of Vienna (main prize) and the award for
Best Student Animation at Anifest 2011 in the Czech Republic.
Website http://ellivuorinen.com/

Previous Works
2009 Benigni
2010 Kielitiettyni (The Tongueling)

Project Overview
A strange story about a girl, her past, and some socks. The artist plans to do post-production work and complete this film while in Tokyo. This will involve the design of backgrounds inspired by Ukiyo-e and the addition of music created by a Finnish composer in collaboration with Japanese musicians/music students.

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Emma De Swaef (Female/Belgian/27)
Born in 1985. Studied documentary film at Sint-Lucas Brussels University College of Art and Design and received acclaim for “Soft Plants”, her graduation film in which she utilized stop-motion animation. Won the Grand Prix at the Holland International Animation Festival and Animafest Zagreb for “Oh Willy…” (2012/co-directed with Marc James Roels).
Website　http://www.emmadeswaef.be/

Previous Works
2008 Zachte Planten (Soft Plants)
2012 Oh Willy…

Project Overview
The artist will produce a single scene to be incorporated into her latest work, a dark comedy called “The Magnificent Cake” set during the period when Africa was being divided up by European nations. This footage will be edited into a one-minute standalone movie that will also be able to serve as a trailer for the finished work. The artist will again be working with Marc James Roels, the filmmaker she collaborated with on “Oh Willy…”