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Penguin Highway is a phenomenal anime that needs to be on your watch list ( Photo Credit – Prime Video )

In a world where anime fans obsess over the newest shonen battle or Studio Ghibli masterpiece, some cinematic gems quietly slip through the cracks. Penguin Highway is one of those rare films. It doesn’t have the mainstream buzz, but what it does have is a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet despite that, many anime lovers still haven’t given it a shot. So here’s all you need to know about Penguin Highway, a film that possibly may end up becoming your new favorite.

What Is The Story Of Penguin Highway?

Penguin Highway is based on a 2010 novel by Tomihiko Morimi and was adapted into an anime film by Studio Colorido in 2018. It was directed by Hiroyasu Ishida, with a screenplay by Makoto Ueda.

Based on Tomihiko Morimi’s novel of the same name,...

Alright, Studio Ghibli fans, gather ’round. You love Spirited Away, you cry every time Totoro appears with his umbrella, and Howl’s Moving Castle is basically your aesthetic dream, right? So, imagine this: there’s a film that’s full of all that Ghibli-level emotions, fun, and jaw-dropping animation, and you haven’t watched it.

What if we told you it even has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes? Yes, this little masterpiece is called Penguin Highway, and trust us, you’re going to want to drop everything and dive in.

Penguin Highway: A Studio Ghibli spirit in a new studio’s skin

So here’s the deal: Penguin Highway is this really awesome and slightly weird anime film by Studio Colorido (they’re like the cool new kids on the block). It’s an adaptation of a novel by Tomihiko Morimi, the genius behind The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl,...

Honestly, waiting for Dandadan Season 2 is such a pain. After Season 1 was such a wild ride with aliens, ghosts, psychic battles, and Okarun being such a clumsy mess all the time, how are we supposed to relax and not crave more of that wildness? So, as you’re scrolling your feed and trying to get any news about Season 2, there’s this really underappreciated anime movie on Netflix that could easily be your next binge.

It’s A Whisker Away, it’s sitting at a glorious 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. And guess who’s in it? The same voice actor who does Okarun’s voice! That’s right, Natsuki Hanae, our sweet, anxious cinnamon roll, is also in it. So if you’re missing Okarun and want something wholesome, enchanting, and a little offbeat, A Whisker Away is precisely what the anime gods had in store.

So, what’s A Whisker Away all about?...

The Orb: On the Movements of the Earth manga ran from 2020 to 2022 and was compiled in just eight volumes; a much smaller number than most major titles. Still, the manga became a proper cult classic with a loyal and devoted following, which was increased thanks to the anime adaptation.

And while the anime never reached the level of popularity of major mainstream titles, it drew solid numbers and while the anime ended on March 15, 2025, the franchise will continue, as a stage play has been confirmed for October.

Related: ‘Orb: On the Movements of the Earth’ Anime Adds Shōya Ishige

The stage play, titled Butai Chi -Chikyū no Undō ni Tsuite- (Stage Orb: On the Movements of the Earth), will have its premiere in October at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. The official poster has been revealed:

The cast will consist of Masataka Kubota, Tōko Miura, Yūsuke Ōnuki, Mitsuru Fukikoshi,...

The POKÉTOON Project is back with a new installment! This collection of animated shorts expands on the ever-growing world of Pokémon through mini-episodes focused on specific 'mons. In the latest installment, Wooper and Clodsire take the spotlight. The short is animated by Studio Colorido and introduces a Wooper-loving girl who's journeyed out to see her favorite Pokémon in the wild. But she's caught off guard by the presence of their much bigger Clodsire evolution. Have a look: Related: Catch the Bugs Bunny-Influenced Pokémon POKÉTOON Short on YouTube Past entries in the POKÉTOON Project can be found on the project's official website , with this year's features categorized on their own page . The POKÉTOON series continues to be a fantastic addition to the world of Pokémon , offering little bits of world-building and smaller stories off the beaten path of the main series. And there's always a chance that, like the little girl in today's short,...

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 268, showcased the King of Curses finally experiencing the sting of defeat as Yuji Itadori emerges victorious, avenging his sensei’s tragic death. Since the beginning of the series, Gege Akutami portrayed Sukuna Ryomen as the final villain of the series. Sukuna was the strongest sorcerer from the Heian Era, often referred to as the ‘Golden Age of Jujutsu.’

Spoiler Alert !!!Spoilers Ahead for Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Chapter 268!!

He became the reason for many powerful sorcerer’s death, including Gojo Satoru, and earned the title of the most powerful sorcerer in history. Thus, Yuji Itadori earned a notable feat that many renowned sorcerers failed to accomplish for centuries. However, Itadori only managed to kill the King of Curses, thanks to the surprising assistance of Nobara Kugisaki.

Yuji dealing immense damage to Sukuna in his domain expansion in Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 267 | Credits: Viz Media

Many readers were left awe-struck after witnessing Nobara’s return,...

Studio Colorido has made a name for themselves in producing a slate of well-received original, and at-times award-winning, animated feature films from Penguin Highway to A Whisker Away, alongside adapting Burn the Witch and working on the YouTube series Pokémon: Twilight Wings . The latest original feature film is the company’s third for Netflix following the release of A Whisker Away and Drifting Home , with A Whisker Away ’s director Tomotaka Shibayama returning to solo direct this latest feature. Shibayama has a respected career in the anime industry, rising from a cel animator at Studio Ghibli to working on key roles in almost all of Studio Colorido’s most respected work of the last decade. With his latest film released globally on May 24, Crunchyroll News sat down with the director to discuss his experiences working on the production of My Oni Girl and to find out what to expect from the creator’s newest movie.

Underrated anime movies offer entertaining and memorable experiences that deserve more recognition. These movies often tell simple stories dismissed as generic, but they are hidden gems worth watching. Each underrated anime movie has its own unique qualities, from colorful animation to emotional storytelling.

Anime movies have recently become an increasingly popular industry, with titles like Your Name and A Silent Voice taking the world by storm. However, those willing to look into the most underrated anime movies are sure to be rewarded with entertaining and memorable experiences that, for some reason or another, were unable to gain as much traction as they deserve.

From light-hearted romances to serious adventures and touching dramas, anime movies can follow just about any topic and tell any story. More often than not, underrated anime movies tend to tell stories that, due to their simple premise and setting, are likely to be dismissed as generic or unoriginal.

New York, NY (1/5/24) – Yen Press, LLC announced nine new titles joining its June 2024 lineup, including seven manga, one novel (Demons' Crest), and one artbook (Visions 2023__Illustrators Book).

A Sinner of the Deep Sea

By Akihito Tomi

The ocean covers about 70 percent of the earth's surface—a whole world, yet unknown to humanity… And in its depths, a nation, thousands of meters beneath the waves. There, the mermaid Jo has been whiling away her days in peace. But that tranquility is shattered when her friend Ryuu is locked away for breaking the gravest of undersea laws: that humans must never know of the world below.

But why would Ryuu let the secret slip? And who did she tell? The curtain rises on Jo's adventure to save her friend—and on her love..!?

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra

Original Story by Fehu Kazuno

Art by Yasaiko Midorihana

“I reincarnated as an evil god.” Takuto Ira,...

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | October 20, 2023: Mbc Anime – a strategic initiative by Mbc Group and Tokyopop dedicated to the licensing, promotion, and production of anime content in the region – announces investments in two original anime productions scheduled to debut in Japan and worldwide this month. They are “Kami.App” (カミエラビ) and “Protocol: Rain” (僕らの雨いろプロトコル).

The shows, which are from Fuji TV and TV Asahi, will stream exclusively on Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic-streaming platform by Mbc Group. In order to cater to current and future anime enthusiasts in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), Mbc Anime is also now part of the production committees of both Japanese broadcasters.

Streaming this week as a simulcast on Shahid, “Kami.App” is a battle-royale twisted action story where high school student Goro is pitted against rivals in a bid to become the ultimate kami, wielding the power to manipulate the...

A new anime adaptation is in the works for Tite Kubo's Burn the Witch manga.

According to Anime News Network, the 23rd episode of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War concluded with a special teaser for Burn the Witch 0.8, a follow-up to Studio Colorido/Team Yamahitsuji's 2020 film Burn the Witch. This Ova, titled Burn the Witch #0.8, is based on the titular manga's prologue chapter, which gives important context for the events of the main series. The official website for Burn the Witch confirmed additional staff and cast details about the upcoming production, but there is currently no official release window.

Related: The Best Isekai Anime Streaming On Crunchyroll, Ranked

Burn the Witch #0.8 features the same main cast as its predecessor. Asami Tano (Zombie Land Saga) and Yuina Yamada (Anima Yell!) are reprising the roles of Ninny Spangcole and Noel Niihashi, respectively. Shimba Tsuchiya, Rie Hikisaka and Hiroaki Hirata will also...

There's so much to watch on Netflix that it's tough to know where to start. Curious viewers looking for science fiction genre movies might turn towards established classics like "Blade Runner." They might return to the best superhero movies of all time, "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2." Perhaps they might even bust out "End of Evangelion," the shocking movie climax of the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" television series, just to feel something.

But there's more available on Netflix than just that. The following films include anti-capitalist fables, groundbreaking animated movies, and a Korean science fiction film that overcame the odds to find success. They represent only a taste of Netflix's original offerings in the genre. Rather than blindly follow the streamer's algorithm, sci-fi fans may be better served by bravely plunging into the catalog in search of the unexpected -- or letting us curate some selections for you. You may be surprised...

Written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the Chainsaw Man manga series is getting an anime adaptation from Mappa, and it’s coming to Crunchyroll on October 11, 2022

Crunchyroll is revving up the excitement for the October 11 launch of Chainsaw Man on its streaming service by unveiling the English dub cast for the highly anticipated anime series.

Crunchyroll will simulcast the series from Japan, subtitled and dubbed, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.

With Adr direction by Mike McFarland (Attack on Titan; Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood), the “Chainsaw Man” English dub cast includes:

Ryan Colt Levy (My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission; Moriarty the Patriot) – English voice of Denji

Suzie Yeung (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba; Wonder Egg Priority) – English voice of Makima

Reagan Murdock – English voice of Aki

Sarah Wiedenheft (Black Clover; Dr. Stone; Dragon Ball Super) – English voice of Power

The English dub of “Chainsaw Man...

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For his sophomore feature, “Drifting Home” (streaming on Netflix), director Hiroyasu Ishida (“Penguin Highway”) had a flash of inspiration that developed into a surreal anime about a group of sixth grade pals who inexplicably find themselves adrift at sea in an abandoned apartment building. “It began with the image of the apartment building drifting along the waters,” he told IndieWire. “And when I drew this, I thought this was quite interesting and something no one had ever seen. So it gave me the confidence to just run with it make a feature film out of it.”

Once he had his central image, Ishida began exploring the psychological ramifications for this group of lost kids, centered on his co-protagonists: Natsume and Kosuke, who are almost like siblings and who grew up together in the apartment building. But there are conflicts between the two friends that surface during the bizarre voyage to find their way back home,...

Yen Press, LLC announced the future release of Tomihiko Morimi’s Fox Tales, a collection of short stories taking place in modern Kyoto filled with mystery and intrigue. Celebrated as a prolific and critically acclaimed creator in Japan for years, Tomihiko Morimi has grown in fame and popularity in the western world due to the success of the animated adaptation of his works, such as The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl and Penguin Highway. Fox Tales will be the second Tomihiko Morimi release from Yen On in 2022, following the publication of his debut work, Tower of the Sun, in August 2022.

Fox Tales

A collection of four spooky tales for the modern era, all tied to a certain Kyoto curio shop. A basket wriggles, a masked man lingers in the dark, and things are offered, lost, and forgotten. What mysteries lie hidden in the city’s winding streets? Tomihiko Morimi...

Chainsaw Man Is Coming to Crunchyroll: "Crunchyroll has announced that a new series has made the cut and will be included in one of its upcoming seasons as it has acquired the streaming rights to the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man. Crunchyroll will simulcast the series from Japan later this year, subtitled and dubbed, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Dubs will include English, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and German.

Based on the widely popular and award-winning manga of the same name written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto and serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump, Chainsaw Man is directed by Ryū Nakayama (Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia; The Rising of the Shield Hero).

“With dark humor, dynamic characters and a sharp story, Chainsaw Man is one of the most anticipated new series this year, and we are wickedly excited to...

"How long will this go on for?" Netflix has revealed a short teaser trailer for an original Netflix-produced Japanese anime film titled Drifting Home, arriving in September later this year. Following the release of their first feature film Penguin Highway in 2018, Studio Colorido received worldwide praise for A Whisker Away, which played on Netflix in 2020. Now Studio Colorido is releasing their long-awaited third feature-length film, Drifting Home. With a visual style that takes the audience from reality to a fantasy world. Sixth-graders Kosuke and Natsume grew up in the same apartment building as childhood friends. During summer break, while playing in the apartment building that is set to be demolished, they find themselves caught in a strange phenomenon. All they can see around them is a vast sea. Will Kosuke and the others make it back to their world? A journey of farewells in summer has just begun. Featuring the voices of Mutsumi Tamura,...

A second teaser for Hiroyasu Ishida's "Drifting Home" has dropped, and it is an absolute delight to witness the beautiful, fluid animation style of the upcoming Netflix film. Produced by Studio Colorido, who received global acclaim for their 2020 fantasy romance, "A Whisker Away," "Drifting Home" is the animation studio's third feature-length offering, their first feature being 2018's "Penguin Highway." Ishida had helmed "Penguin Highway," which was a lovely coming-of-age adventure praised for its animation style.

Check out the teaser for Netflix's "Drifting Home" below, and be sure to be gripped by a sense of nostalgia for the bittersweet emotions attached to adolescence.

The trailer opens...

The post Drifting Home Trailer: A Sweet Summer Anime Movie Comes to Netflix appeared first on /Film.

To most viewers, director Nobuhiro Yamashita is known for his feature films as well as his works for Japanese television, but in the animated short “Lucky Owl With Shimako”, co-directed by Yoko Kuno, who previously worked on “Penguin Highway” or “The Case of Hana and Alice”, he delves into the art of animation. In the one-minute-short, he tells a story about the kind of encounters you can have in the city, along with the adventures you can experience.

Lucky Owl With Shimako is screening at Nippon Connection

At Ikebukuro station, four year-old Shimako is separated from her parents and is soon lost within the streets of the city. When she suddenly sees an owl statue, she engages in an adventure in the streets of Tokyo which not only makes her travel back in time, but also shows her the way to the apartment of a cartoonist, who once lived there.

In a year that has proven challenging for films and the venues that show them, the Screen Anime channel is delighted to announce that it will host the digital line-up of Scotland Loves Anime, a celebration of Japanese animation that has attracted tens of thousands of visitors over 11 years, and help to support the local cinemas that host it.

Andrew Partridge, CEO of Anime Ltd and founder of Scotland Loves Animation explains, “Supporting cinemas through what has been a tough year is something really important to all of us at Anime Limited and Scotland Loves Animation. We can’t wait to show off what the festival has to offer on Screen Anime and help out our friends at both the Filmhouse and the Glasgow Film Theatre as much as we can.”

From 25th October until 25th November 2020, enjoy a celebration of two iconic franchises – Monkey Punch’s charismatic master thief Lupin III,...

After much thought, and taking into consideration the health of our guests and viewers, Nihon Media announced that Japan Filmfest Hamburg cannot take place this year as a traditional film festival – and will be online instead. Under the motto ‘Breaking Free – From Japan with Love’, Nihon Media will collaborate with Videocity to stream its entire programme of 70+ films in around 40 blocks globally from 19th of August to the 2nd of September.

The 2020 film programme features 70 current productions, from full-length feature films to experimental short films, including many German, European, and international premieres. Most of the films are shown in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. One special highlight of our programme is the gangster-ballad originally planned as the opening film for the 21st Jffh, “Paradise Next” (2018) from director and film composer Yoshihiro Hanno (“Flowers of Shanghai”). An atmospheric road-movie about the travels of three lost souls living on the edges of society,...

It’s easy to appreciate why Netflix’s latest anime import has been retitled “A Whisker Away” for its worldwide release. Not only is it a cute and well-earned pun on “Spirited Away,” it’s also a pretty succinct way of cobbling together this movie’s two major selling points, childhood fantasy and giant-eyed felines. On the other hand, the project’s amazingly expressive original title — literally translated from Japanese as “Wanting to Cry, I Pretend to Be a Cat” — really cuts to the heart of the matter.

The latest feature produced by emerging anime powerhouse Studio Colorido (“Penguin Highway”), . A refreshing change of pace from the kind of sullen and withdrawn characters who tend to anchor coming-of-age sagas about loneliness and unrequited love, Miyo (voiced by Shida Mirai) seems to be the kind of kid who doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. Her classmates laugh and call...

It’s easy to appreciate why Netflix’s latest anime import has been retitled “A Whisker Away” for its worldwide release. Not only is it a cute and well-earned pun on “Spirited Away,” it’s also a pretty succinct way of cobbling together this movie’s two major selling points, childhood fantasy and giant-eyed felines. On the other hand, the project’s amazingly expressive original title — literally translated from Japanese as “Wanting to Cry, I Pretend to Be a Cat” — really cuts to the heart of the matter.

The latest feature produced by emerging anime powerhouse Studio Colorido (“Penguin Highway”), . A refreshing change of pace from the kind of sullen and withdrawn characters who tend to anchor coming-of-age sagas about loneliness and unrequited love, Miyo (voiced by Shida Mirai) seems to be the kind of kid who doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. Her classmates laugh and call...

To celebrate the launch of Screen Anime, All The Anime is offering a special offer on box sets for the films and series currently featured on the site. Titles currently streaming include, Wolf’s Rain, Penguin Highway, Promare and Patema Inverted. You can head over to the Screen Anime Site for more info, and you can check out All The Anime for current and future deals.

Launching on 25th May 2020, Screen Anime is a brand new online film festival from Anime Limited offering a curated selection of four films, one bingeable TV series and many more unique benefits each month for only £3.98/mo or for a reduced £39.98/yr.

Open and welcome to all, Screen Anime will represent an ideal opportunity for those new to the medium to discover quality hand-picked anime, while committed fans can enhance their experience by exploring extra features and much more.

Screen Anime is the next evolution of Anime Limited’s vision to bring the best of Japanese animated films to audiences across the UK & Ireland, following years of experience leading the genre both in cinemas and at home.

Andrew Partridge, CEO of Anime Limited explains the inspiration of Screen Anime; “Ever since founding the annual Scotland Loves Anime Film Festival, showcasing the best in theatrical anime has been a passion for...

No matter when Miyazaki decides to step down permanently (never probably), the spirit of Studio Ghibli is bound to live forever, with the impact the company and the Japanese master’s productions had and continue having being visible quite frequently in the whole spectrum of the anime world. “Penguin Highway” is a testament to the fact.

“Penguin Highway” screened at

Festival des Cinémas d’Asie de Vesoul

The story is based on the homonymous novel by Tomihiko Morimi, whose works include “Night is Short, Walk on Girl” and “The Eccentric Family” and revolves around Aoyama, a schoolboy who is very bright, headstrong, and with the general, inquisitive mentality of a true scientist. As fourth grade has just ended and summer vacations are upon him, he has to face a number of adventures.

The first one comes from a rather unusual event, since a number of penguins appear in the town,...

Camera Japan Festival 2019

Amsterdam 3-6 October

After a great start in Rotterdam, Camera Japan is now packing up and heading to Filmtheater Kriterion in Amsterdam. On their website, you can read programme and event descriptions, watch film trailers, and buy tickets for films and workshops. You can also download the all-important blokkenschema, the handy overview of films and events designed to help you put together the perfect schedule for Camera Japan.

In addition to the film programme, there are three workshops at Camera Japan in Amsterdam. The calligraphy workshop on Saturday October 5 is already sold out, but on Sunday, there are places left on Orimaki’s origami workshop on how to make lovely kusudama paper balls. Also on Sunday, Suzuki Takahide will teach you all you ever wanted to know about powdered green tea in his matcha workshop.

The Camera Japan Audience Award – The preliminaries

After counting all the votes...

This week, the /slash Film Festival, Austria’s biggest Fantastic Film Festival, starts its projectors in Vienna to screen a broad catalog of dark and twisted treats. From September 19 until September 29, the 10th edition of the Festival will also present a promising Asian selection.

Six Asian feature films and four animations are among the total number of 70 movies that can be seen in two charming old-town cinemas. The so-called “/asian” selection starts with “The Scoundrels” (2018), the debut of Taiwanese director Hung Tzu-Hsuan. From the Philippines comes Erik Matti’s “The Entity” (2019). An elegant horror-thriller about a secretive family history that is packed with suspense. In cooperation with the Japannual Film Festival, /slash presents the Japanese entry for the selection – “The Fable” (2019) by Kan Eguchi. The Manga adaption is a mixture of over the top action sequences and utterly disarming humor. Highly anticipated is also Won-Tae Lee’s “The Gangster, The Cop,...

No matter when Miyazaki decides to step down permanently (never probably), the spirit of Studio Ghibli is bound to live forever, with the impact the company and the Japanese master’s productions had and continue having being visible quite frequently in the whole spectrum of the anime world. “Penguin Highway” is a testament to the fact.

“Penguin Highway” is screening at Anime Film Festival 2019

The story is based on the homonymous novel by Tomihiko Morimi, whose works include “Night is Short, Walk on Girl” and “The Eccentric Family” and revolves around Aoyama, a schoolboy who is very bright, headstrong, and with the general, inquisitive mentality of a true scientist. As fourth grade has just ended and summer vacations are upon him, he has to face a number of adventures.

The first one comes from a rather unusual event, since a number of penguins appear in the town, all of which...

Camera Japan Festival has just announced this year’s full programme. The festival will be held in Rotterdam (LantarenVenster & Worm) from the 25th to the 29th of September, before moving to Kriterion in Amsterdam (from the 3rd to the 6th of October). Besides offering a rich variety of Japanese films, the festival also includes several cultural and culinary workshops, two photo exhibitions, a Camera Japan quiz and the yearly film brunch.

Film programme Camera Japan

The 14th edition of the Camera Japan Festival will open with the international premiere of “Little Miss Period” by Shinada Shunsuke. Other highlights of the 2019 selection are “Vision”, by the renowned filmmaker Kawase Naomi, “Jam” by Sabu and Melancholic, the prize-winning debut of Tanaka Seiji. The programme also includes a special screening of the classic 1932 silent film “I Was Born But…” by Ozu Yasujiro, which will be accompanied by a Live soundtrack. Anime fans can...

The brand new Anime Film Festival is taking place on Saturday 7th September in London’s West End, with a programme of visually stunning and captivating films from Japan which will keep keen anime fans, as well as families and younger audiences, spellbound.​

Anime Film Festival was created by Reuben Ramanah, an avid anime fan who has long felt that, despite its strong following in the UK, anime is rarely given the spotlight it deserves in cinemas here. Working with a team of close friends adept in digital marketing and partnering with Picturehouse cinemas, an exciting festival has been created that has already received the backing of Manga UK and Anime Limited as well as creative support from YouTuber Beyond Ghibli and Picnic Animation Studio.

Festival Programme

​Mirai (2018) by Mamoru Hosoda

From acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda comes “Mirai”, a daringly original story of the importance of family across generations, and...

Something is piping small, cat-sized penguins into the middle of a small-town field in “Penguin Highway,” an irresistibly out-there mystery that plays like a cross between “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Stranger Things,” if either of those influences’ sense of horror were replaced with wonder, and their weird happenings took place in broad daylight rather than more atmospheric darkness. Here, while most of the locals scratch their head in puzzlement, a booksmart kid named Aoyama (Kana Kita) has half a dozen hypotheses — perhaps they’re abandoned pets, or maybe they’re crows “that have undergone a sudden mutation to become fat” — and takes it upon himself to investigate.

An impressive first feature from director Hiroyasu Ishida, “Penguin Highway” sticks to the big-eyed, fine-limbed aesthetic seen in most adult-targeted anime, but fleshes out the characters at the screenplay level, such that the entire enterprise stands apart — a notch better...

Roster includes retrospective of Japan’s Mamoru Hosoda.

Gkids and Beijing Film Panorama will present an animation section within the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff) called Animation Is Film Beijing, featuring selections such as anime hit Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Buñuel In The Labyrinth Of The Turtles.

The roster of 15 non-Chinese animated features from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America is modelled on Gkids’ La-based Animation Is Film festival and includes many of the films appearing in that showcase’s 2018 line-up.

Among the titles are Oscar-nominated Mirai (pictured), European Film Award-winner Another Day Of Life, and This Magnificent Cake.

“People Still Call It Love” Passion, Affection and Destruction in Japanese Cinema

UK – 2 February to 28 March 2019

Belfast – Bristol – Chester – Colchester – Derby – Dundee – Edinburgh – Exeter – Halifax – Inverness – Kendal – Leicester – Lewes – London – Manchester – Newcastle upon Tyne – Nottingham – Sheffield – Stirling

Love, in all its semblances and dimensions, is a state so universally experienced by humankind that it has provided a perpetual source of inspiration in the long history of global cinema. Japanese cinema is no different. Love and the associated feelings of passion, affection, and destruction, in equal measure have all been channelled into a pivotal driving force behind the rise of many Japanese filmmakers, crystallising in timeless works which form part of the nation’s artistic repertoire.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019 features thoughtfully selected works, all focusing on this theme in one way or another. As the conventional binaries defining what it means to love continually give way to new understandings of this sweeping emotion,...

“Funan,” the story of a young mother trying to reunite her family during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia of the 1970s, won both the Grand Prize and the Audience Award at the Animation Is Film Festival, held Oct. 19-21 in Los Angeles. The film, directed by Denis Do, made its North American debut at the event.

“’Funan’ reminds us that animation can tell any kind of story. This versatile medium is by no means limited to fantastical or extraordinary subjects, but is in fact uniquely suited to incredibly personal ones as well,” said Peter Debruge, jury chairman and Variety’s chief film critic. “With ‘Funan,’ Do explores what his Cambodian mother experienced at the hands of the Khmer Rouge regime, finding unexpected beauty within the horror of the situation. The jury agreed that the profound result actually feels more powerful by virtue of being made in animation.”

In addition,...

Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai” will open the second Animation Is Film Festival, slated for Oct. 19-21 at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatre. Hosoda will attend the screening, which will be the North American premiere of the film, which debuted in Cannes.

“Mirai” is also among the initial films in competition announced by the festival, produced by independent animation distributor GKids in partnership with animation festival Annecy, Fathom Events and Variety.

Other competition titles hail from all over the world and include “Another Day of Life,” “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles,” “Funan,” “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas,” “Okko’s Inn,” “Pachamama,” “Penguin Highway,” “Ruben Brandt, Collector,” “Seder-Masochism,” and “Tito and the Birds.”

The Animation Is Film jury will once again be presided over by Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge, who will be joined by Warner Animation Group Evp Allison Abbate, NBA star and now Oscar winner Kobe Bryant,...

The second-annual Animation Is Film Festival (October 19 – 21) will once again offer a diverse range of indie features from Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. Just as last year’s festival drew many animation fans to the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, this iteration will impact the Oscar race because of the prestigious exposure.

Produced by GKids in partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Variety and Fathom Events, the festival will offer more than 30 titles, including 11 films in competition. Aif kicks off with the premiere of GKids’ Oscar contender, “Mirai,” a time-traveling story about a brother and sister from acclaimed Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda. There will also be a four-film retrospective of Hosodo’s work.

Aif will additionally spotlight footage from Disney’s Oscar contender, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” (November 21), and Sony’s highly-anticipated “Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” (December 14). There will also be a 20th anniversary screening of DreamWorks’ “Prince...

Adapted from Tomihiko Morimi’s Nihon Science Fiction Taisho Award-winning novel from 2010, Penguin Highway takes us into a world barely unlike our own. Directed by Hiroyasu Ishida from Makoto Ueda’s script, the film centers upon a Japanese fourth grader on the cusp of self-proclaimed greatness. With just under four thousand days until adulthood and his first Nobel Prize (he calculated it himself), nothing can peel Aoyama’s (Kana Kita) precocious interest from new, mysterious experimentations besides his crush: the town’s pretty dental hygienist he refers to as “The Lady” (Yû Aoi). She takes his affection in stride by chastising his infatuation with her breasts (the blatant lecherous gaze of children in recent anime is disturbing) and always looks forward to his company on the other side of a chessboard.

It’s almost serendipitous then that Aoyama’s latest scientific quandary concerns her too. Penguins have suddenly arrived in their fields,...

No matter when Miyazaki decide to step down permanently (never probably), the spirit of Studio Ghibli is bound to live forever, with the impact the company and the Japanese master’s productions had and continue having being visible quite frequently in the whole spectrum of the anime world. “Penguin Highway” is a testament to the fact.

“Penguin Highway” is part of the Asian selection at Fantasia International Film Festival

The story is based on the homonymous novel by Tomihiko Morimi, whose works include “Night is Short, Walk on Girl” and “The Eccentric Family” and revolves around Aoyama, a schoolboy who is very bright, headstrong, and with the general, inquisitive mentality of a true scientist. As fourth grade has just ended and summer vacations are upon him, he has to face a number of adventures.

The first one comes from a rather unusual event, since a number of penguins appear in the town,...

A massive, multi-week celebration of cinema in Montreal, the Fantasia International Film Festival is still going strong with a week of screenings to go. As per usual, the 22nd annual edition of the festival has been brimming with innovative films and eclectic perspectives that are reflected in the newly announced juried award winners:

Press Release: 24 July 2018, Montreal, Canada – The Fantasia International Film Festival is very proud to announce the award winners of the juried sections of its 22nd edition, which celebrates its Closing Night on August 2, 2018.

The festival’s Best Film Award was presented to Daniel Roby's Paris-set science fiction adventure Dans la brume, which opened Fantasia 2018 to massive acclaim and adoration. The epic apocalyptic thriller, which stars Romain Duris and Olga Kurylenko, sees The City of Lights covered in a deadly white fog that threatens the very existence of humanity.

The awards in each of Fantasia’s categories...

The Fantasia International Film Festival is very proud to announce the award winners of the juried sections of its 22nd edition, which celebrates its Closing Night on August 2, 2018.

The festival’s Best Film Award was presented to Daniel Roby’s Paris-set science fiction adventure “Dans la brume”, which opened Fantasia 2018 to massive acclaim and adoration. The epic apocalyptic thriller, which stars Romain Duris and Olga Kurylenko, sees The City of Lights covered in a deadly white fog that threatens the very existence of humanity.

The awards in each of Fantasia’s categories were chosen by carefully selected juries of filmmakers, scholars, journalists, and industry professionals.

The Cheval Noir Awards

Best Film: Dans La Brume (d. Daniel Roby)

Best Director: Nosipho Dumisa (Number 37)

Best Screenplay: Isa Mazzei (Cam)

Best Actor: Joshua Burge (Relaxer)

Best Actress: Kim Da-mi (The Witch Part 1: The Subversion)

Tim Matheson presided over Fantasia’s 2018 Cheval Noir Jury,...