News

Chicago's G-FEST XXIV to Host Shinji Higuchi, Michiru Oshima, Kiyotaka Taguchi as Guests

Chicago kaijū convention G-FEST XXIV has announced that it will host director Shinji Higuchi, composer Michiru Oshima, illustrator Yūji Kaida, actor Ryūki Kitaoka, director Kiyotaka Taguchi, and assistant director Kazuhiro Nakagawa as guests of the convention.

Higuchi is one of the co-founders of the animation studio Gainax. At Gainax, Higuchi worked primarily as a storyboarder on some of the studio's most iconic projects, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise, Gunbuster, Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water, and Otaku no Video. He also worked as a special effects director on all three of Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera films, and continued working as a special effects director in other kaijū films, including Godzilla films. He directed the live-action Attack on Titan films, and co-directed last year's Shin Godzilla film alongside fellow Gainax co-founder and Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno.

Oshima has composed music for numerous video games, anime, and films. Some of her anime works include Fullmetal Alchemist, Sound of the Sky, Boys Over Flowers, Queen Emeraldas, The Tatami Galaxy, Little Witch Academia, Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, and Snow White with the Red Hair. Her work in video games includes Arc the Lad, Ico, and some arrangements in Suikoden and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Her film work includes Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Kaida is renowned as a "kaijū artist" due to his large body of illustration work centering on Japanese kaijū films, most of which is collected in multiple books, including Kaijū Giga, Kaijū Garō, Kaijū Nendaiki Chronicles, and Godzilla Generation. He has also done illustration work for posters, CD covers, and model kits, the latter of which has allowed him to work on illustrating works from Gundam, Panzer World Galient, and Kamen Rider. He has also worked on the mechanical design for Space Carrier Blue Noah.

Kitaoka has worked as an actor and suit actor on such shows and films as Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, Ultraman Nexus, Garo: Makai no Hana, Sukeban Deka, The Last Samurai, Godzilla Final Wars, and ICHI.

Taguchi has directed such shows and films as Ultraman Orb, Ultraman X, Ultraman Ginga, and Daikaijū Eiga G, and has served as special effects director on Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., and Godzilla Final Wars. He has helped with performance operations and special effects with the Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt anime, and directed three episodes of The Next Generation -Patlabor- live-action series.

Nakagawa was the writer and director of Day of the Kaiju, and he also worked as an assistant director on the live-action Attack on Titan films and the Shin Godzilla film.

G-FEST XXIV will be held from July 14-16, at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare.

[Via The Tokusatsu Network]