April 18, 2011
News for Animazement 2011:
Kyoko Kon to dedicate Animazement 2011 in memory of her husband
Animazement Is Proud To Announce It Is Dedicating This Year's Convention To The Memory Of Satoshi Kon.
Satoshi Kon was born on October 12, 1963. While attending Hokkaido Kushiro Koryo High School, Kon aspired to become an animator. He studied at the Musashino College of the Arts, and in 1984, Kon made his debut as a mangaka with the short manga Toriko and won a runner-up spot in the 10th Annual Tetsuya Chiba Awards. He then moved to animation and worked as a background artist on many films, including Rôjin Z.
Soon, Satoshi Kon teamed with Studio Madhouse to begin a series of critically acclaimed films. In 1997, he directed his first feature film, Perfect Blue. In 2001, he finished work on his second feature film, Millennium Actress. Millennium Actress was followed by Tokyo Godfathers, which received an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival. In 2004, Satoshi Kon released the 13-episode television series Paranoia Agent. One of his last films, Paprika, won the Best Feature Length Theatrical Anime Award at the sixth annual Tokyo Anime Awards during the 2007 Tokyo International Anime Fair.
Satoshi Kon died on August 26, 2010, from pancreatic cancer. Animazement is pleased to have Satoshi Kon's widow, Kyoko-san, as an honored guest this year to help us dedicate the 2011 convention to Satoshi Kon and his amazing talent and the beautiful anime he has given us. Both "Paprika" and "Tokyo Godfathers" will be shown in one of the main ballrooms during the convention.