The Achievement of 'We Are Aliens'
The animated film 'We Are Aliens' was awarded the Best Feature Animation Award at the 59th Catalonia International Film Festival (Sitges Film Festival). With this award, director Kohei Kadowaki became the youngest Japanese director to receive this award. He had just turned 30 on October 14, and his winning at such a young age has become a hot topic.
Following Notable Predecessors
It has been six years since a Japanese film was awarded the animation prize at this festival, the last being Yuta Murano's 'Our Seven-Day War'. Previously, Makoto Shinkai's 'Your Name.' (2016) and Mamoru Hosoda's 'Mirai' (2018) also won the same award.
A Moving Tale of Friendship
'We Are Aliens' is a story about two boys, Tsubasa and Gyotaro, who were childhood friends but grew apart due to misunderstandings and reunite years later to face past events. The voice cast includes Ryota Tomono as Tsubasa, and Amane Okayama as Gyotaro, with youth voices provided by Yuto Maki and Yuto Nakagome. Other cast members include Ten Yamasaki from Sakurazaka46, and comedian Matsui Kemuri.
Growing International Recognition
The movie's diverse production team has also attracted attention, with the film being co-produced by Nothing New and Miyu Production and collaborating with a French studio. It has been screened at many international film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and Ottawa International Animation Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in the animated feature section.
The Talent of Director Kohei Kadowaki
Kohei Kadowaki is known for his work on the ending sequence of 'BEASTARS' Season 2 and music videos for YOASOBI. In this film, he was responsible for planning, scriptwriting, directing, storyboarding, and editing. The music was composed by Yaffle, who has previously worked on songs for Fujii Kaze and Kenshi Yonezu, while the theme song 'Sasakure' is performed by the artist adieu.
