©Shigeyoshi Tsukahara/KURAGARI Production Committee
The Niigata International Animation Film Festival revealed its feature film competition lineup on Friday, including two Japanese films: Kurayukaba (pictured right) and maboroshi. A total of 12 films will be screened in competition at this year’s film festival.
Netflix began streaming the original anime film Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Kōjō (Alice and Therese’s Illusory Factory) by Mari Okada and MAPPA titled maboroshi on January 15. The film premiered in Japan on January 15. September.
Shigeyoshi Tsukahara and Twiflo’s original anime series project Kurayukaba will open in Japan on April 12, and a spin-off anime series titled Kuramerukagari will also open in Japan on April 12 .
This year the festival will take place on March 15-20.
The first Niigata International Animation Festival was held in March 2023 and had Mamoru Oshii as president of the jury committee. The festival screened the live-action film adaptation of Katsuhiro Ōtomo’s Domu manga along with a retrospective of Ōtomo. The festival also screened the animated short film “A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot” by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) and the animated short film “Roots” (Tsuru no Mai) by Shuhei Morita (Freedom, Tokyo Ghoul).
The festival is planned to be held annually and aims to be the largest anime series festival in Asia.
Niigata hosts the Niigata Manga and Anime Festival as well as the Niigata Manga Awards. The city is also home to several animation studios.
Source: Niigata International Animation Festival, Natalie Comics
