Millennium Actress

Director Satoshi Kon was a titan of the anime world who sadly passed away in 2010 at the age of 46. Although he left behind only four films of his own, each one is a classic. Released in 2001, Millennium Actress is Kon’s love letter to Japanese cinema, told through an interview with Chiyoko Fujiwara, an aging icon of Japanese films. As the interview progresses, the actress’s memories and movies flow together into a seamless story that takes her interviewer and his cameraman through a thousand years of Japanese history, as seen through popular films and Chiyoko’s roles. Millennium Actress is an eye-dazzling and mind-blowing journey that will ultimately break your heart.

Watch the trailer here.
Directed by Satoshi Kon and Kô Matsuo
PG; 87 minutes; Japanese with English subtitles

Welcome to Anime Fest at the Modern! See the full schedule and more information here. This year we feature two films by Naoko Yamada, one of Japan’s leading anime directors. To showcase her amazing work, we are excited to present Yamada’s award-winning classic, A Silent Voice (2016), and her newest feature film, The Colors Within (2024). Three additional films—Satoshi Kon and Kô Matsuo’s Millennium Actress (2001), Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s Ghost Cat Anzu (2024), and Makoto Shinkai and Yoko Suzuki’s The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)—highlight the range and depth of twenty-first century anime. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to anime, this selection invites you to explore the captivating worlds and intricate storytelling that these films offer.

All film screenings will be held in the Modern's auditorium. Tickets are $10 ($7 for all Modern members). Cinephiles who plan to enjoy the weekend’s entire selection of films will receive a discount for pre-purchasing all of their tickets at once.

Dr. Marc Hairston, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas, will introduce each film. A professional space physicist, part-time anime scholar, and Fort Worth native, Hairston has hosted annual Japanese animation festivals at the Modern since 2012. He is one of the founding editors of Mechademia, the first academic journal focused on anime and manga studies, and has written numerous scholarly articles about anime. With Dr. Pamela Gossin, also at UT Dallas, he has co-authored two books about anime and manga aimed at high-school-age readers, Cultural Guide to Anime and Manga (2023) and Exploring Anime and Manga (World of Art) (2024).