Otafest
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| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Otafest |
| Dates: | 1999 - present |
| Frequency: | Annual, occasional mid-year events |
| Location: | Calgary, Canada |
| Type: | Fan run |
| Focus: | Anime |
| Organization: | (The Otafest Film and Cultural Festival Planning Committee |
| Founder: | |
| Founding Date: | 1999 |
| URL: | https://otafest.com/ |
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Otafest is an annual anime convention held in Calgary, Canada. It has customarily been held in the summer, either in May or July.
History
The convention began as a one-day event held in July of 1999 where the University of Calgary’s Dedicated Otaku Anime Club organized anime film showings for the public.[1]. Roughly 700 people attended the festival. This association with the University would continue for much of the event's history, with the con continuing to be held on its campus for the next 15 years.
In 2000, despite the convention's still very small status, Yasuyuki Ueda, the director of anime series Serial Experiments Lain was featured as a guest.[2]
Attendance continued to grow in the following years. Beginning in 2009, a smaller, one-day convention was also held roughly six months after the main con. Originally this was called Otafest Lite, with the name being changed to Otafest Aurora in 2012.
During the closing ceremonies of Otafest 2015, it was announced that in 2016 the convention would be instead be held at Telus Convention Centre, a large event space in downtown Calgary, as well as move to a new date of July 1-3. As many long-time attendees had fond memories of the campus, a party was held in May 2015 at "Cosplay Hill" on the University campus, for people to say goodbye to the location.[3]
The change in date and venue had mixed reviews. The date was chosen to be further into the summer season, with more chance of good weather and fewer people out of town. However, while new visitors increased, overall attendance did not. Holding a convention over the busy Canada Day Weekend resulted in curious crowds mixing with the con-goers. There were reports of cosplayers having their photos taken without consent and other security incidents[4]. Taking this feedback into account, the convention was moved back to it's usual mid-May dates from 2018 onward.
Con Reports
References
- ^ Otafest.com: About Otafest., Archived version Accessed September 11, 2020
- ^ Otafest 2000 Information - AnimeCons.ca; Archived version from October 17, 2018, Archived version
- ^ The Prairie Chicken’s Swan Song: A Finale at Cosplay Hill. InfiniteZenith, June 7, 2015, Archived version
- ^ Otafest 2018: Year in Rewiew. Otafest.com