Celebrate the work of three anime legends whose cultural influence and boundary-pushing films have come to define the peak of the art form. 

Anime has become a mainstay in American popular culture thanks to beloved series like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Sailor Moon. For decades, however, filmmakers have been using the medium to expand our notion of what cinema can be and inspire both viewers and fellow artists alike. Literally translating to “author” in English, auteur theory originated as a concept in French film criticism to describe a filmmaker with an immediately recognizable style who returns to similar themes throughout their career. While the theory has often been used to discount the collaborative elements of film, the writing, directing, and animation styles of these three filmmakers are undeniably singular.

Kicking off the series is a double feature of work by Mamoru Oshii. Beginning with his most iconic and well-known film, Ghost in the Shell (1995), followed by his more abstract, hard-to-find collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano, Angel’s Egg (1985). Playing next is the avant-garde head-trip from Masaaki Yuasa, Mind Game (2004). To close out the series, we’re screening the sci-fi psychological thriller from the late Satoshi Kon, Paprika (2006).