Foreign Exchange: Anime Inspirations & Visionaries with LeSean Thomas
Foreign Exchange: Anime Inspirations & Visionaries with LeSean Thomas
November 15-17, 2024
Bronx-born LeSean Thomas is one of the few Black Americans working in the anime industry in Japan. Beginning with television projects including The Boondocks and Legend of Korra, he would transform his career when he moved to Japan to create Children of Ether, Cannon Busters, and his most recent work, Netflix’s Yasuke, a project LeSean created, directed and executive-produced. By collaborating with heralded Japanese TV animation studios, Thomas has introduced original Black-coded spectacle through the lens of anime. Whether in the Japanese TV industry or in the U.S., he believes that Black American creators have the capacity to develop original TV animated narratives across multiple genres and demographics, and that these narratives can demonstrate the boundless possibilities of Black creatives when granted the freedom to innovate. Through Foreign Exchange, Japan Society presents retrospective screenings which spotlight the works that inspired LeSean and celebrate the luminaries across the anime world including Masahiro Ando, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Takeshi Koike, Yutaka Minowa, Kenichi Shima and the late Satoshi Iwataki with whom LeSean has had the honor of collaborating. Appearing in-person throughout the series, LeSean will discuss his history with anime, his cross-cultural productions with Japanese creators and the artform’s deep impact with diverse audiences, including talks with The Imagination Project Inc. offering guidance for the next generation of creators, directors, producers, artists and animators.
Co-organized with the Japan Foundation, New York and the Imagination Project Inc.
Special Features
Yasuke Exhibit
Japan Society will present a limited time pop up exhibit featuring Yasuke production art personally selected by LeSean Thomas. See this exhibit free on Japan Society’s A Level before or after screenings. This exhibit will include never-before-scene sketches and storyboards from legendary Japanese creators.
Yasuke Art Book
Attendees will be able to take home Foreign Exchange: The TV Anime Creations of LeSean Thomas Vol. 1 – Yasuke, a companion art book to the Foreign Exchange film series collecting art and stories from the production of Yasuke. A limited number of books will be available for purchase at the event all pre-signed by Thomas.
Admission Information
Tickets
Ninja Scroll with Reception: $20 / $16 members
Behind-the-Scenes of LeSean Thomas’s Yasuke Talk: $12 / $8 members
All Other Screenings: $16 / $12 members
High School and College Students Talks: Free with RSVP (For Students and Educators Only)
Foreign Exchange Bundle – Get tickets for all screenings and the Yasuke talk at a discounted price. To get bundle pricing, please add all events into your cart. Discount will automatically be applied. Please note this bundle does not include the High School and College Student Talks. $80 / $55 Members
Prices are inclusive of fees, where applicable. All events will take place in Japan Society’s auditorium, located at 333 E. 47th Street in New York, NY.
Full Lineup
Behind-the-Scenes of LeSean Thomas’s Yasuke
LeSean Thomas is one of the few Black Americans working in the anime industry in Japan, with his most recent work Netflix’s Yasuke—a project LeSean created, directed and executive-produced. In this talk, LeSean will share rare behind-the-scenes Yasuke footage and discuss the creation of the series. The event is a glimpse into the synergy that arises when diverse talents from different backgrounds come together to tell stories.
Ninja Scroll with Opening Night Reception
Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and animated by studio Madhouse, Ninja Scroll tells the story of a lone warrior and his battle against a team of supernatural ninjas. A nonstop tour de force, Ninja Scroll continues to be praised over 30 years after its release, and it is often cited by animators and filmmakers as the film that opened their minds to the possibilities of animation.
Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 1993, 94 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Sword of the Stranger
Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Directed by Masahiro Ando and animated by studio Bones, Sword of the Stranger is a fresh telling of a wandering swordsman tale. In it, a samurai from a strange land must not only battle dangerous mercenaries, but he must also come to terms with his past. The film concludes with a dauntingly choreographed battle that’s one of the most praised fight scenes in animation history.
Dir. Masahiro Ando, 2007, 102 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Redline
Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Directed by Takeshi Koike and animated by studio Madhouse, Redline is a ferociously animated far-future action-adventure spiraling around an intergalactic race. While a box office flop upon its initial release, it would go on to become a classic beloved by cinephiles, animation fans and industry professionals on both sides of the Pacific.
Dir. Takeshi Koike, 2010, 102 min., Digital, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Set in a lawless future heavily drawn from inspirations including American science fiction, cyberpunk, noir and westerns, the Cowboy Bebop saga is praised for its seamless blend of genre, music and storytelling. In Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, bounty hunter Spike Spiegel must unravel military conspiracies and hunt down an old soldier before he releases a weapon that could destroy all life on Mars.
Dir. Shinichiro Watanabe, 2001, 115 min., 35mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Demon City Shinjuku
Introduction by LeSean Thomas. Based on a novel by Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Demon City Shinjuku is a pulpy film emblematic of the anime popular with American audiences 30 years ago, when LeSean Thomas himself was growing up. And while essentially a Japanese grindhouse flick filled with supernatural action and grotesque monsters, it was the work of tremendous anime industry talents.
Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 1988, 82 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Talks for Students
Inspiring The Next Generation: Creating TV Anime in Japan – High School Talk and Screening
Free Talk and Screening for High School Students. LeSean Thomas will present his anime Children of Ether and share with high school students his story, from growing up in the Bronx to directing anime in Japan. His goal is to return to his hometown of NYC and inspire the next generation of creators, artists, animators and directors.
The Business of Creativity: Behind-the-Scenes of TV Anime Creation
Free Talk and Screening for College Students. LeSean Thomas will present the first episode of his anime Cannon Busters and walk college students along his path to work in the animation world, recounting his journey from New York, to LA, to Korea, and then Japan. He will discuss the details of anime production, the skills he needed to work in this field and recommendations on getting a start in animation.
About LeSean Thomas
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South Bronx-born LeSean Thomas is among the distinguished few Black Americans making their mark in the TV anime industry and is currently the only Black American to successfully create, produce and direct original TV anime series in Japan. His journey began with projects like The Boondocks, where he served as Supervising Character Designer and Co-Director on the NAACP Image Award-winning series, and continued with Black Dynamite: The Animated Series, where he took on the roles of Producer and Supervising Director. His talents further extended to Studio Mir’s The Legend of Korra while living in Seoul, Korea. These foundational experiences paved the way for his transformative move to Japan, where he created and directed notable works such as Crunchyroll’s Children of Ether and Netflix’s Cannon Busters, produced in collaboration with the renowned studio Satelight. LeSean’s most recent triumph is the critically acclaimed and NAACP Image Award-nominated Netflix series Yasuke. Its unique blend of historical narrative and fantastical elements, set against a backdrop of increasing demand for Black creative inclusion in adult, sci-fi, adventure and fantasy spaces in media, propelled Yasuke into a resonant project that captured the imagination of audiences worldwide.
Top & Inset Images: © 2021 Netflix.
Co-organized with the Japan Foundation, New York and the Imagination Project Inc.
Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Anime NYC and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumarann, and Film Circle members.
Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program.
