International Honorary President

Animation festivals have always played an important role in my life because it's especially thanks to them that I've begun my career. Each festival represents a wonderful opportunity to open a window over the universe of creativity and allows artists to relate to each other directly, and to participate to the evolution of art in a very active way.

Hiroshima International Animation Festival, above all, is a festival that managed to create an essential bond with Japanese animation which, through its amazing creativity, has been giving the world the most original and innovatory films ever made in the past years.

Starting from my friend Yoji Kuri who in my days represented a drastic breaking point with the traditional canons of animation, and following with a so high number of great directors and animators that it would be impossible to list here, till the unmatchable Hayao Miyazaki, whom I personally regard as the Federico Fellini of the animation and who never stops amazing us with his imagination, poetry and stunning beauty of the his images and stories.

Being here with you in 2014 and taking part to this festival is a joy, not only a big honor for me. I wish that this year, too, new talents giving us the gift of new sensations and emotions may be discovered. I wish HIROSHIMA 2014 the biggest success!

Film Director

(B. 1938, Milan, Italy) Bruno Bozzetto created his first animated short "Tapum, the history of weapons" back in 1958 at the age of 20. This animated short was screened at Cannes and sparked interest amongst the audience as well as the critics, making it possible for him to meet Norman McLaren and John Halas, a very famous British film producer who offered him the chance of collaborating.
In 1960 the Bruno Bozzetto Film Company was established in Milan. This business covered film production, advertising and television too. That's when Bruno gave life to his very first and timeless character, Mr Rossi, still very popular today since he embodies the qualities of a middle class man bound to face the evergreen problems of our society. Starring in 7 shorts and 3 feature films made for both TV and theatres, Mr Rossi is often associated with Bruno as his alter-ego.
1967, The time had come for an Italian feature film to be released in over 20 years of stillness in the Country. "West and Soda" opened the doors to two more feature films, "Vip my brother superman" (1968) and "Allegro non Troppo" (1976), the latter regarded by the critique as the italian answer to illustrious "Fantasia" by Walt Disney, who strongly inspired Bruno throughout his career.

The fondness Bozzetto showed also for live action shooting was confirmed at the release of some live action films such as "Under the Chinese Restaurant" (1987), "Oppio per oppio" , "The Cabin", "Spider" and the "Sandwich" series.
Forever attracted to the world of nature and science, Bruno has always asserted that animation can clear out otherwise scientifically complex notions. Not by chance, he and the well-known scientist Piero Angela successfully created about one hundred shorts aired for the TV science show "QUARK".

Over the years more than forty animated shorts have been produced and still today they are being distributed, screened and aired all over the world. For the most noteworthy ones, he received much recognition as well as many awards including four Italian Silver Ribbons, ten Career Awards, The Golden Bear Award for "Mr Tao" at the Berlin Film Festival and an Oscar Nomination for "Grasshoppers" in 1991.
In 1995, "Help!" became part to the project "What a cartoon!" by Hanna & Barbera.
These were, besides, the golden years for the many TV serials produced by Bozzetto for RAI and for the Swiss Television RTSI ("Stripy", "Lilliput-put", "Mr Hiccup" amongst the most popular ones).

Since 2000, Bruno has been devoting himself to 2D computer animation, creating a significant number of short films, destined to the Internet, the very first of which "Europe and Italy" gained great success worldwide. Later on, by exploiting the same technique, he created "Yes&No", "The World's history for those who are in a hurry", "To bit or not to bit", "Adam", "Olympics" , "Otto in 17", "Life" , "Neuro", "Sex 'n' Fun".
Four big exhibitions dedicated to the Bozzetto production were set up in the cities of Milan, Bergamo and Torino.
In 2007, the University of Bergamo conferred an honorary degree on Bruno within the field of "Theory, techniques and management of all performing arts".
Always drawn to the potentials of technology and very much attracted to the world of 3D animation, Bruno directed his first three-dimensional animated short titled "Looo", winner of an Italian Silver Ribbon Award in 2005. The short is a clear homage to Pixar.
Today, Bruno cooperates with his new Studio of Production Studio Bozzetto&Co., and the whole team has been focusing its attention on 2D and 3D animation, completing a 2D series by the title "Bruno the great", commissioned by Disney Channel for a worldwide distribution.
The industrious efforts in the educational, cultural and entertainment field brought Bruno the famous De Sica Career Award handed directly by the Italian President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano.

Today, all classical feature films and part of the most outstanding animation shorts are back on the market on a digitally restored DVD version.

Bruno's mind goes on creating . "Rapsodeus", an animation short recently regarded as a follow-up of "Allegro non Troppo" condemns the nonsensical wars of mankind and unfolds over the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt.
Since 2012, Bruno Bozzetto has received a partnership with YouTube to settle his own official Channel. This also opens a new era, where the Internet, just like the traditional Media, will play a fundamental role in launching Bruno's newest films.
In 2013, he continues making short humorous films and supporting Studio Bozzetto&Co. in several projects among which the TV series "Tip the mouse" stands out.
Throughout the year the cartoonist is prized with two outstanding recognitions; first, the award "ASIFA Prize 2012" and later in autumn the opening of the exhibition "Bruno Bozzetto: Animation, Maestro", mostly dedicated to "Allegro non Troppo" and held at the illustrious Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

official site: www.bozzetto.com