Otaku AniVerse: Explain what you do? Like what do you on a daily basis?
Kathryn Williams: Umm what don't I do? Well it depends on my day. As I said, I just got bored and just started doing anime as a, well it used to be a hobby. And now it became studying of an art form. And now I study everything in association to it. Do artwork as well and do stuff for conventions, video editing and history and anything else that will keep me busy!

OAV: Explain what is the Shoujo-ai Film Fest all about?
Kat: It started because, another con for women's animation said that Shoujo-ai doesn't exist, and that lesbians are for men. This got a bunch of girls really angry, I stumbled across them a year and a half ago. And said "How badly do you want this to happen?" And they said "Well we do!" So I said, "Good, I've got an idea". And I started helping them get the word through cons and they became ALC, which is now Yuricon. And now we travel around doing shows and discussions all over North America. Since a lot of people aren’t going to be able to make it to the one in New York and the New York one also has an age restriction of 18+. I decided to make one in Toronto. So I made a small one day, 'teaser' to show people what we're trying to do. Because there's a lot of jokes going around saying that Yuricon is going to be one big thing for, sorry to say this but 'drooling fan boys'. There's also jokes about people saying that old men are going to be there. And that it’s not going to be any fun. I tell these people "No we've got quite a few lesbians going to be there! And it’s run by lesbians and its going to be quite interesting.”

Because at the actual con, instead of a normal dance, it’s a singles dance. There having auctions, where people actually willingly auction them selves off to be a slave for the week. (Laughs) We also have all sorts of odd things that no other con has put together.

And it all has to deal with the lesbian community, because we decided to be more of a community oriented thing, and not just a con. Cons don't even meet or inter-mingle. We have been at, I believe 20 conventions in the last year. Where we've done discussions, been guests of honour and things like that. I was put on as guests of honour, but every guest of honour positions I've had, I don't like just sitting around and waiting for the con. I like trying to bring anime to the rest of the world, and make it the best show possible. So I end up working for them doing artwork. AnimeNorth I did mascot art for a few years, I lend my collection (of anime), I do discussion groups, teach lessons, anything to make the convention more a fuller and fun experience for anyone!

And it’s sort of my drive to "culturelize" all of North America. It gets annoying hearing people saying (anime) is for children -- When it’s NOT for children. I think Alien 9 is going to be one of the big ones proving it’s not just for children.

OAV: How many people are you expecting to show up for the festival?
Kat: Umm... I don't know (laughs) It all depends on if more people will get a hold of me, I have like, several interviews, and it all depends on what the draw will be. So far I think we have somewhere around 20 but that's about it... It’s a big thing, because Shoujo-ai is like, unknown. It’s not even talked about in Japan. We found out that Yuricon is the first ever. This one, (Shoujo-ai film festival) is going to be the first ever collective film festival of Shoujo-ai in the world. And Yuricon is going to be the first full weekend of this. There are actually having people from Japanese lesbian magazines coming to this, we've heard about a flight of Japanese lesbians are coming to Yuricon because it’s something that has never been done before. There is no spot for it; we were actually told that currently it is the year of shonen-ai and yaoi. And we were like "But shonen-ai and yaoi isn’t really a culture! It’s just fan girls!" It’s like a Hental con, because it’s just girls drooling over guys together. Yet we have girls drooling over girls together! (Laughs) But that's allowed! (I dunno, laughs)

OAV: What seems to be the most challenging part, while working on this?
Kat: Getting people to take you seriously... Walk into a place and say you're putting together a film festival for lesbians in animation... You will get laughed at. Because the instant they think, it's porn... And they want to have nothing to do with it. So it’s a fighting battle, I would have to go out with my bag filled with stuff (being anime). I have had to do screeners, decision groups, write huge essays and saying "HERE! IT'S NOT PORNOGRAHIC!" I've had to bring books with me and everything I can think of to prove to them it’s not what they think it is. It's sweet, it's innocent, it can be sexual... but that's the yuri section.

Yuricon is trying to focus on up to rated R. She did say she was going to have Hentai rooms... but that's going to be late at night, and what she wants to play. This is the funny thing, it’s a lesbian organizer who's playing what she wants to play (laughs) So... oh god the weird things, I don’t know if you've seen this one... It's about the mysterious masked woman that wears just a mask... nothing else! Oh no wait! She wears boots... that's it! (laughs) And she fights crime that way! And saves cutie girls all the time! (laughs)

OAV: How much time, planning and work was needed to get this going?
Kat: I started planning it, back during pride (week in Toronto). I tried to see if anyone wanted to help out, I got a lot of people enthusiastic about it... then they all vanished. So I ended up in charge. The only good thing was I owned everything. So all I needed was someone to help me convert my collection to VHS, then we found out we have a DVD player as well so I had to buy a DVD... Actually two, Miyuki-chan in Wonderland because I want to give away a copy. And Adolescence of Utena. Those two are the only two DVDs I had to buy for this. Everything else came as I went along. Now we're just panicking trying to put everything together.(laughs)

OAV: Okay, moving away from the film fest for a bit. What part of CPMs Alien 9 North American localization are you assisting with?
Kat: My essay was just given to John O'Donald, and he wants to put it on their site. And he's giving it to the production staff, so they can figure out the best way to advertise the film and how to tackle the negative energy that's coming from some of the people about it. Which is why he liked the fact of finding me, I have already been tackling some of the issues that he never even knew existed. In truth, I don't know if they would even be prepared for what was going to happened when they brought this film out. Because I've seen people spit at the screen, I've seen people swear, scream. Never mind the fact that how many people want to kill Yuri, which just drives me mad. I mean reading review about someone wanting to turn a shotgun on a little 12 year old (girl) made me want to cry. And I know these people, I looked at him (the reviewer) and went "I know you; you hate me, why am I even listing to you?"

But John asked me to send all the reviews I could find about Alien 9 so they can get a better perspective on what they are dealing with.

OAV: How long did it take you to work on the Alien 9 paper?
Kat: The essay, it started off with me doing a discussion on the film at AnimeNorth 2002. And people actually applauded the discussion even though it was heart wrenching and nearly fell apart. They asked me if I was going to put all my thoughts on paper. I said, "I'll think about it." And I thought about it. And god! Going over the film, doing the music video, I went over that film 20 times! And I mean frame by frame! To the point, I was like "Oh my lord look at the detailing!" I wasn't until, talking to John O'Donald that I (said) I should get this done, because CPM wants it. I wanted to do it for my fans, but there was no time and if I did it on my website, how many people would it get to? Now there stating that they're going to be putting it on the Alien 9 North American webpage. That means more people will see it. So it will get to everyone it will get to... Which I hope is a lot of people.

OAV: Finally what are some words you have for people looking forward to this?
Kat: I state to everyone that Alien 9 is the most disturbing thing I have seen. But the must beautiful, it is so prefect. But if you are not ready for it, if you are an abuse survivor it can cause flashbacks. I've seen people start shaking watching it, but they forced them selves through it. I've seen this help people, cope with there own problems. Someone wrote to me after reading the essay that not only it gave them insight on the anime, but it gives an insight on your self on how you felt after the anime was over. And I went "Oh didn't expect that!" because everyone talked about how horrible it was, but they don't realize that this stuff happens all the time. Sure it’s not aliens, but the whole confusion about the suicide and everything. And everyone is sort of lost saying what the heck is going on? And people angry because the story had no happy ending. And my remark to them is "There are no such things as happy endings." It’s a rollercoaster, there's ups and downs, but there is no happy endings... Just a new beginning.

OAV: Okay thank you!

-- Eddie Hicks, Otaku Aniverse