A northern Illinois theater is partnering with an educational institution to feature anime to the community.
This is the second year for the NIU Anime Festival. The festival is a collaboration between Northern Illinois University’s Division for Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Asian American Resource Center, Center for Black Studies, the NIU Anime Association and DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre.
Jeanine Holcomb is the marketing and communications director at the theater. She said this partnership is important.
“Especially when we can offer free programming that so much really speaks to students,” she explained, “as well as the general community at large. The more people we can get into our building without cost being a prohibitive factor is always really exciting for us.”
She said when NIU reached out last year the nonprofit theater realized that the festival worked perfectly with its mission.
Joseph Flynn, the executive director for equity and inclusion and associate professor of curriculum and instruction at NIU, said the festival is a great opportunity for families to bond.
“If you're a parent who doesn't necessarily know very much about anime,” he said, “this is an example of what anime is like, and you can actually have a lot of fun with your kids.”
The DeKalb game store, There’s Fun In Store, will be on site.
Two showings will take place – "Marai" opens the festival at 6:00 p.m. and the 1995 feature “Ghost in the Shell” will start at 8 p.m. The 8 o’clock movie has adult themes and is not kid friendly. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Saturday Sept. 30 at the Egyptian Theatre.
