Michael Dudok de Wit answers questions at the “Frame-In” after his retrospective program.

Then, oh then, came the opening ceremony at 5:30. The usher seated me in the front row of the Grand Hall. How come? It’s easer to watch films from the center of the theater? The young usher said I would find out why when they start showing the films. Sayoko welcomed the couple thousand people in Japanese with an interpreter. She repeated my name several times. Why? I couldn’t quite hear the interpreter and didn’t understand why the ushers kept reiterating, “Get up on the stage. Get up there!”

Yoji Kuri, a most famous film artist in Japan, followed me with a framed picture. Naturally I thought I was just being thanked for my work. Yoji handed me his painting and of course, I thanked him profusely. I was told to talk into the mike. I mentioned that Bill Littlejohn and I had tried to bestow an Oscar on animated features about 15 years ago and that it was finally realized over three years ago.

I asked Clare Kitson later why I was given the honor. It was an international award given by ASIFA for the art of animation. I hoped that I was gracious enough in expressing my gratitude. And now what that animation artists and fans came to see — the first 19 films in competition. Hadn’t I seen one of these films before? Nibbles by Christopher Hinton. It had been nominated by our short branch of the Motion Picture Academy. Well, it was a special prize this time in Hiroshima. After the ceremony, a huge party with an elegant Japanese women’s dance group and tables filled with sumptuous food, Japanese and European, sake, whiskey, soft drinks. We mingled with friends, animators, filmmakers from around the world, even the mayor of Hiroshima. A spectacular occasion.

Then off to bed for the next day’s screenings.

Friday, August 20
At 9:15, The Grand Hall featured Marcell Jankovics’ Songs of a Miraculous Hind, followed by Richard Williams’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and various shorts and commercials. Odd that I played Lena Hyena and one of the weasels in Roger Rabbit, that it should be shown the same day of my seminar. Unfortunately, in the medium hall, Paul Bush from the U.K. was having his retrospective at the same time. There I go again, running from hall to hall, also trying to see stars of students in the small theater.

At 12:15 came my seminar. Sander Schwartz from Warner Bros. was generous in sending shorts, Broomstick Bunny by Chuck Jones, Friz Ferleng’s Honey’s Money, Tugboat Granny, Robert McKimson’s The Honeymousers and Baby Looney Toons. Of course, they screened Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes. Many of the young Japanese women and men were not fluent in English but they knew and loved all animation. My lady interpreter possessed a terrific sense of humor. It was the most rewarding seminar that I can remember having given.

Koji Yamamura wins Grand Prize for Mt. Head/Atamayama.

The afternoon screening in the Small Hall started at 9:15 with the latest starting at 4:00 pm. Competition 2, with 15 shorts, commenced at 6:30 pm. I should have but I didn’t fill out the audience voting form. I know better, because every vote counts.

Saturday, August 21
At 9:15 animation for children began in the Grand Hall. Of the 21 films from all over the world, only two emanated from the U.S., The Birdcage King by Christopher McGee and the Velveteen Rabbit by Lindsay Van Blerk. At the same, time, 9:15, in the Medium Hall showed four features, French Raining Cats and Frogs, the Persian Work & Thought, the French Black Mor’s Island and the Italian Kate —The Taming of the Shrew. Again at 9:15, 46 Stars of Students shorts, followed by 16 Japanese Animation Today shorts.

Back to the Grand Hall at 3:40 pm, the Best of the World with 18 shorts. Fortunately the hallways had booths selling not only DVDs, but also packaged food. Hey I kinda got used to eating Asian food with chopsticks. Then off at 6:30 to see the 7:15 Films in Competition 3. The only American film, The Simpsons “Three House of Horror XIV.” As I said before, it was impossible to see everything.