CINCINNATI — A new kind of film festival has entered the Queen City and it's sure to pack plenty of animated punches.
The Cincinnati Anime Film Festival will celebrate its inaugural year this summer, according to a press release from organizers. It will screen movies weekly, starting in July, at the Hollywood Drive-In Theatre.
The festival will present films for all ages and across various genres of anime, presented by Manga Manga — a Japanese comic book shop located right next to the drive-in theatre.
"Manga and anime go hand in hand," said C. Jacqueline Wood, owner of Manga Manga and founder of the film festival, in a press release. "We are excited to expand the shop's reach and present films to the community that celebrate the art of Japanese animation. Many anime films originated as comics and we are excited to present films that started out on the page."
First up will be Ghost in the Shell — the 1995 version, so fans can breathe easy — which will be aired at The Woodward Theater in Over-the-Rhine during a festival launch event. The film, based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, will be screened in its original Japanese, with English subtitles. Tickets for the screening on June 3 will be $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
"Movies bring people together and the Cincinnati Anime Film Festival is just another exciting project in our mission to build community and celebrate Asian art and stories," said Wood.
The rest of the festival's planned lineup won't be released until that launch event, according to the press release. However, once that announcement is made, tickets will immediately go on sale that same day; fans will be able to join the screenings for $25 per car or $6 per person with a chair and their own radio.
The Hollywood Drive-In Theatre was born in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to halt restoration efforts on the Hollywood Theatre; the drive-in began as a way to provide family-friendly fun in a safe way during the height of the pandemic.
The drive-in was a significant success, hosting 65 showings that attracted — say it with me — over 9,000 in attendance.
In 2022, the drive-in was brought back for two special showings, but now it seems it will play host to plenty more.
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