135 - Tribute to André Martin at the Hiroshima Festival
The Hiroshima International Animation Festival (HAS 2026) concluded on Sunday, August 23, offering festival-goers a rich program—including a special tribute to André Martin! Though I was unable to attend the festival in person, thanks to feedback from Yuuki Arai, I can share the details of this highly successful Japanese screening.
This session sparked strong interest among Japanese animation enthusiasts, as evidenced by this post about the program and Yuuki Arai’s presentation.
The lineup of animated films motivated many to attend. The audience included numerous animation professionals, filmmakers, researchers, journalists, as well as figures connected to Studio Ghibli and Koji Yamamura.
The Screening
The session began with a screening of André Martin’s animated short films.
For a detailed description of the films, see:
133 - Hiroshima Animation Season 2026 : Tribute Screening to André Martin in Japan !
Hiroshima hosted the world premiere of the beautifully restored version of "Mais où sont les neiges d’antan" ("Where Are the Snows of Yesteryear?", 1962) by Michel Boschet and André Martin on the big screen!
The screening was warmly received, followed by a comprehensive presentation by Yuuki Arai on André Martin’s career, with Kyle Yamada providing translation for non-Japanese speakers.
Yuuki Arai and Kyle Yamada also highlighted the Annecy Festival 2026 commemorative events, including an exhibition with its opening and a screening session, which—like this tribute—were part of the centennial celebration of André Martin’s birth.
Many in the audience had only a passing knowledge of André Martin before the session, but they were deeply intrigued by his connection to the term "film d’animation" (animated film), his pivotal role in the emergence of animation festivals, and the remarkable breadth of his later work.
Yuuki Arai also discussed "Maison vole" ("The Flying House") and how Martin’s interests evolved toward new forms of moving images and computer animation. This segment resonated strongly. Many were amazed that someone had already envisioned the future of moving images so early on. They were fascinated to discover that André Martin was not only a key figure in animation history but also a visionary who constantly reflected on the transformations and future possibilities of the moving image.
After the screening, many approached Yuuki Arai to express their excitement at discovering André Martin’s films and their newfound interest in his work and legacy. The discussions about Martin continued long after the screening, much to the presenter’s delight! She received highly positive feedback, praising the quality of the program and noting that this retrospective added depth and coherence to the festival.
Beyond the pride and gratitude of seeing this tribute to André Martin at Hiroshima—a land of animation cinema—I feel immense joy after 11 years of research, archival work, and outreach to see this "part of animation history" gaining such active recognition and promotion.
I warmly thank Yuuki Arai for her work, as well as the festival organizers for giving this tribute such a prominent place in their rich program.
GAMCA Animation continues its work on André Martin’s legacy… and so does Yuuki Arai! 😊
To be continued...
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