Japan’s living deity of animation, Hayao Miyazaki, believes that the golden age of anime is over, or so his son Goro told the press following the Cannes festival’s awards honouring his father and his famous Studio Ghibli this past spring. At Fantasia, we respectfully disagree with Miyazaki-sensei regarding the future of anime. There is nothing generic or uninspired about the titles in this year’s Anime no bento program, a showcase of wildly varied and innovative short works by Japanese animators—some well established, others taking their first steps forward—that demonstrate the incredible possibilities that still lie ahead for anime. – Rupert Bottenberg