ANIMANIA

Japanese language version – Sunday, March 9th at 7PM ET on OMNI.2
Encore – March 10 at 12:30PM; March 11 at 9AM; March 12 & 13 at 10AM

English Language Version: COMING SOON!

Rogers OMNI Television is proud to present the world television premiere of Animania, as part of the OMNI Television Documentary Special series. The 60 minute documentary launches to Japanese speaking audiences on OMNI.2, Sunday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. with an encore presentation the following day, Monday, March 10th at 12:30 p.m.

The latest production from Gorica Productions, Animania takes an intense look at the fascinating world of Japanese anime and how its zealous pursuit by youthful fans has become a phenomenon unto itself. From wearing costumes of their favourite characters, to living out their fantasy world at conventions, today’s teens are infatuated to the extreme with Japanese anime -- the biggest cultural phenomena out of the East since Godzilla.

Similar to Star Trek conventions, anime conventions are known for costume contests where anime fans dress up and try to impress the judges on stage. These competitors, known as “cosplayers,” show off elaborate handmade creations and role-play at “masquerades”. Animania follows four cosplayers of diverse ethnicity as they compete at Anime North in Toronto, one of the largest anime conventions; each one has found a different outlet to express a love of anime, but share a common love of all things “Japan-imated.”

This is one club you’ll not see featured in any high school yearbook!

What is the appeal of anime for teens? What is it about anime that makes fans spend hours watching videos and trying to become these characters? What do their parents think of this obsession?

Animania examines these questions and more, revealing as much about family, individuality and the Japanese identity, as it does about the teen psyche – for Japanese language audiences, Sunday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. on OMNI.2.

Animania was exclusively funded through OMNI's Independent Producers Initiative, a $32.5 million independent production fund that to date has supported over 200 new documentary programmes. Interested producers can access funding criteria at OMNI Television’s web site http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/info/funds