Anime Mid-Atlantic is an anime convention

Anime convention

An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...

 held in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, USA, normally Fathers Day Weekend every June. Founded in 2000, Anime Mid-Atlantic's goal is to provide a place where anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 and manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 fans can gather together and share in their common interest in a festive and fun atmosphere. Those familiar with the convention often refer to it as AMA, for short.

Programming

Typical AMA programming includes:

• Two or more video rooms in which live action
  Live action
  In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
  
   Japanese films and anime are shown in various rooms on big screens throughout the convention. Fan-produced anime music video
  Anime music video
  An anime music video is a music video consisting of clips from one or more animations set to an audio track ; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. An AMV can also be a set of video game footage put together with music which is known as a GMV...
  
  s, in which anime film clips are set against the background of a particular song, are also shown.
• Panels and Workshops on subjects such as voice acting
  Voice acting
  Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
  
   or how to draw manga. Expert guests discuss or show tricks of their trade and field questions from the audience.
• A Dealers' Room in which commercial vendors such as publishers and retailers set up booths and sell their merchandise.
• The Artist's Alley in which amateur and professional artists may sign up for a table and display, advertise, sell, and auction their artwork.
• A video game room in which attendees may play a variety of console
  Video game console
  A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
  
  , arcade
  Arcade game
  An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
  
  and participate in tournament
  Tournament
  A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
  
  s.
• Cosplay
  Cosplay
  , short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
  
  and live-action role-playing. Many attendees spend most of the convention in costume as their favorite anime, manga, or video game character. Those seeking recognition for their costumes may enter the more private Hall Costume Contest, or may opt for the "big stage" in the formal Cosplay event, held on Saturday night.
• Musical guests, Concerts, a mock-rave
  Rave
  Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
  
  -style dance and a karaoke
  Karaoke
  is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
  
  competition.
• Asian Cultural Events have also become a staple of the convention.
• Charity Events Supporting Charities such as Make A Wish Foundation for a number of years and Save the Children Japan and the Japan Relief Effort in 2011.

Event history

Dates	Location	Atten.	Guests

2010

Lifetime achievement award was presented posthumously to Carl Macek

Carl Macek

Carl F. Macek was an American writer and controversial anime pioneer and producer of the 1980s and 1990s.-Robotech and Harmony Gold USA:...

. Other categories included:

• Best Comedy
• Best Sci-fi Fantasy
• Best Action/Adventure
• Best Romantic Comedy
• Best Horror
• Best Live Action Movie
• Best Theatrical Anime
• Best Classic Anime
• Best Musical Score
• Best Director/Producer/Writer
• Best Domestic Anime
• Best All Around Anime
• Best Anime Network
• Anime Industry Award
• Best Voice Actor
• AMA Guest Fan Favorite
• Most Dedicated Guest

External links

• Anime Mid-Atlantic Website