Some of my recommendations from another thread:
Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen) Heartbreaking fact-based story about the effects of the Hiroshima bomb, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. the
Schindler's List of anime. Based on the directors own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor.
Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies) Another heartwrencher. About an orphaned boy and his little sister struggling to survive during WWII. Based on the semi-autobiographic novel by the same name. Pulls no punches.
And the epic
Ghost in the Shell - Poetic reflection on identity and humanities relationship with technology. They pretty much remade this and called it
The Matrix. Some of the most iconic scenes and set pieces in
The Matrix are lifted straight from this animation, as well as some of the philosophy and a lot of the art direction. Also a great little philosophical narrative on artificial intelligence and transhumanism. And one of the best opening credits of any movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA0EVZbnOW4Maybe a little too dated to be the kind of state-of-the-art visual feast you're looking for, but my faves nonetheless.