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Hanabee to Screen Short Peace as Part of Japanese Film Festival 2014

Short Peace was announced by Hanabee during their Hanabee LIVE #7 Podcast (you can skip right to the audio-less trailer here). The collection of short films will be screened across Australia as part of the Japan Film Festival which will be running from the 10th of October in Adelaide and finishing on the 7th of December in Melbourne. Further details on when and where Short Peace will be screened and when a home video release will occur have yet to be released.

In addition, the podcast mentioned that Patema Inverted would be released to home video in December.

Short Peace

Short Peace is a multimedia project that comprises of four anime short films and a video game with the overarching theme of Japan. Katsuhiro Otomo assembled "top creators at the leading edge of Japanese animation, exploring possible future avenues of expression" to create the five separate parts. The name of the series was inspired by Katsuhiro Otomo's collection of manga shorts that was first published in the 1970s.

The collection includes Katsuhiro Otomo's Combustible, Shuhei Morita's Posessions, Hiroaki Ando's Gambo based on a original idea by Katsuhito Ishii and the Otomo scripted and Hajime Katoki directed Buki yo Saraba.

The anime compilation was licensed in North America by by Sentai Filmworks and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in August 2014. Eleven Arts screened Short Peace theatrically across the country in April.

The fifth part of the project, the PS3 game "Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day" was developed by Gōichi Suda or "Suda 51" (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, Liberation Maiden, Killer is Dead) and Yōhei Kataoka (Tokyo Jungle). Suda 51 handled the game's scenario, and Kataoka directed the game and handled the game design and artwork. Daisuke Uchiyama servinged as chief producer, and Makoto Asanuma served as executive producer.

Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day was released in Australia back in April 2014. The US has yet to set a release date.

You can view a overview of the entire collection below;

"Possessions" ("Tsukumo")

A lone traveler is confronted by unusual spirits in an abandoned shrine in the 2013 Academy Award-nominated Possessions (Tsukumo), directed by Shuhei Morita (Coicent, Kakurenbo). You can view the English subtitled teaser trailer here.

• Aoi Yuki as Komachi Sorimono
• Takeshi Kusao as Kaeru Hebisakka
• Screenplay, Director: Shuhei Morita (Kakurenbo, Freedom)
• Original Story Concept, Conceptual Design: Keisuke Kishi
• Character Design: Daisuke Sajiki (Kakurenbo - Hide & Seek)
• Music: Reiji Kitazato (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo)

"Combustible" ("Hi-no-youjin")

Grandmaster Otomo himself assumes the directorial reigns for a spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan with the multi-award-winning Combustible (Hi-No-Youjin). You can view the English subtitled teaser trailer here.

Details

• Aoi Yuki as Komachi Sorimono
• Takeshi Kusao as Kaeru Hebisakka
• Screenplay, Director: Shuhei Morita (Kakurenbo, Freedom)
• Original Story Concept, Conceptual Design: Keisuke Kishi
• Character Design: Daisuke Sajiki (Kakurenbo - Hide & Seek)
• Music: Reiji Kitazato (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo)

"Gambo"

A mysterious white bear defends the royal family from the predations of a red demon in the brutal Gambo, directed by Hiroaki Ando (Five Numbers!) from Redline's Katsuhito Ishii's original story with character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion). You can view the English subtitled teaser trailer here.

"Buki yo Saraba" (A Farewell to Weapons)

The focus shifts from supernatural to science fiction for the action packed A Farewell To Weapons (Buki Yo Saraba), as Mobile Suit Gundam designer Hajime Katoki helms Otomo's tour-de-force saga of men battling robotic tanks in apocalyptic Tokyo. You can view the English subtitled teaser trailer here

• Original Story: Katsuhiro Otomo
• Screenplay, Director: Hajime Katoki (mechanical designs in Gundam franchise, Super Robot Wars)
• Character Design: Tatsuyuki Tanaka (Tojin Kit)