For 36 years the biannual Hiroshima International Animation Festival was highly appreciated by the worldwide animation community as one of the few, most important animation festivals, commensurate with Annecy, Zagreb, and Ottawa. Its special quality was based on the tradition of unparalleled hospitality, organization and professionalism, as well as the consistent embracing of new tendencies and developments in animation. Established and sustained through a cooperation between the city of Hiroshima and ASIFA-Japan, and officially endorsed by ASIFA International, it was successfully and sensitively headed by festival director and ASIFA president/ ASIFA-Japan president, Sayoko Kinoshita. Hiroshima festival is an example and model for many other festivals worldwide, sharing Japanese culture and a welcoming attitude to guests from all over the world.

Recently the City of Hiroshima decided to end this successful cooperation and to replace the animation festival with a commercialized art festival designed to attract tourists and commercial vendors.  The international animation community is devastated to lose such a long-standing platform for independent voices that facilitated peace and cultural exchange through the art of animation.

By signing this petition you can support the continued cooperation of ASIFA, ASIFA-Japan and the City of Hiroshima for offering the Hiroshima International Animation Festival.

I want to support the continuation of the Hiroshima International Animation Festival as a cooperation between the city of Hiroshima, ASIFA and ASIFA-Japan.