Masaaki Yuasa To Curate New Animation Marquee Series For TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival continues to expand its animation-focused programming as part of its year-round umbrella of initiatives, with a new fall marquee series curated by one of anime’s most celebrated contemporary filmmakers. TIFF announced today that Masaaki Yuasa will guest curate Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation, a two-month screening program set to run at TIFF Lightbox in November and December.

According to TIFF, the series will present a wide-ranging survey of animation history, artistry, and innovation, with a particular focus on anime and the creators who continue to expand the art form’s visual and narrative possibilities. The organization described the lineup as a showcase of groundbreaking storytelling that will look at both influential legacy artists and contemporary voices shaping the future of animation.

The new initiative further signals TIFF’s growing interest in animation programming over the past several years. In 2023, the festival launched the anime-focused Pop Japan! marquee series, while TIFF Cinematheque has steadily expanded its Animate programming strand with repertory screenings and filmmaker spotlights. TIFF has also increasingly embraced animation within its festival programming, including last year’s announcement of a dedicated animated short competition with its own official award.

TIFF announced the Yuasa program alongside a major summer retrospective dedicated to Christopher Nolan, which will feature screenings of all 12 of the filmmaker’s features on 35mm and 70mm film.

Of his program, Yuasa said the TIFF series will reflect both his personal influences and the current state of anime as an evolving art form.

It is an honor to curate this series for TIFF. Yuasa said in the announcement. As I begin shaping the lineup, I am excited to look back at the works that sparked my own imagination from a young age, and to curate a series with a focus on the artists who have defined the genre and the incredible creators who continue to push the visual possibilities of anime today.

Yuasa is one of the most globally respected names working in Japanese animation today. After getting his start on productions including Crayon Shin-chan, he broke out with the experimental modern classic Mind Game before directing acclaimed projects such as The Tatami Galaxy, Ping Pong the Animation, Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Devilman Crybaby, and Inu-Oh.

The TIFF announcement also arrives during a transitional moment in Yuasa’s career. After co-founding Science Saru in 2013, the filmmaker launched a new studio, ame pippin, in 2025.

Specific films and screening dates for Drawn Universes: Visions in Animation will be announced later.