What kind of productions and events are you planning ?

First, I mention a site ‘e-showcase’ introducing profiles. It is on MeX Web and creators and studios can introduce themselves in it (free of charge, no limit for times of update). Also associations or companies such as contests or events can appeal to find creative people. This showcase is aiming at making opportunities to start new things with attractive partners. I also hope to help the registrants to do something.

Then, we are going to screen European CG short films. This will be held at Toriwood theater for short films, in Tokyo. Moreover, we are planning to show them in other area in Japan. For example, it could be at internet cafes in various cities with archives of the films. We will invite some of works for the road show at MeX Web.

Furthermore, in September, Film Gallery will be held in World PC Expo, Makuhari. This short film road show is thanks to the cooperation with Annecy International Animation Festival as well as World PC Expo. There will be excellent works from Annecy 2001.

We are going to hold an European-Japanese exchange event with internet live as the closing event of MeX in November. Before that, we are going to set an animation championship with characters from Banja, a popular web community in Europe. Then, we will have the present ceremony in the closing event. We will give these information on the MeX Web.

Do you have any particular favourite area of art or design, and why ?

I do not have special one. Either I am not interested in art history (Who create what when). For me, the power to move people is important to see contents. I am not attracted to just beautiful, shocking, something new, or real CG. I personally hope to help creators who are looking for contents with energy to move their mind.

What or who are you inspired by ?

I have liked Japanese comic story tellers and French movies since I was a child. They might have influenced on me to be interested in contents. We can see American films anywhere even with low quality, but there are not so many opportunities to see films from other countries. This tendency would not be only in Japan. I guess it is because people having money have grabbed contents market for these few decades. Entertainment does not mean only American style films. The word ‘entertainment’ sometimes imply cheep nonsense, but I think different. The contents enable people to move their mind into happiness should be the heart of entertainment. They will be getting bored with entertainment always towards the same direction.

Any plans for the immediate future ?

MeX 2001 will be completed till the end of November, because all the members of MeX is working as a volunteer staff and it is hard to work for long time. However, I hope to set a platform for the creative not only from Europe and Japan but also from all around the world in 2002 coming. To realize it, we need sponsors and official organization supporting us. This year, French Embassy Cultural Section, Germany Cultural Center, Finland Center have supported MeX. Also private companies has given us mental and material support. We really would like more people, especially Japanese official association to aid us. Of course, funding support is very welcomed.

Any message to global design community ?

Japanese people have linguistic wall. Due to it, there are lots of people who is afraid to communicate with people from foreign countries (people from the other groups). While in fact, there are also many who have desire to start something new through the communication with people from ‘the other groups’. Let’s produce contents to move your mind having respect to each culture and creativity. We are getting the new tool that broad band internet. Let’s create contents to maximize this tool. Then we can make a business platform for creative people live with their main occupation.

MeX 2001
Online/Offline Media Exchange 2001
Place: Axis Gallery etc.
http://www.mex2001.net