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In This Corner of the World Anime Film to Open in 23 Countries

Sunao Katabuchi's In This Corner of the World anime film will screen in 23 countries and territories around the world. The film is already slated for a premiere in Mexico on March 3 with Katabuchi and lead actress Rena Nounen in attendance, following by Spanish-subtitled and dubbed screenings. The film will also screen in Argentina, Chile, and other South American countries on March 17; Thailand on March 23; in Hong Kong on March 30; in the United Kingdom in June; in Germany in July; and in the United States and France in September. In addition, the Akiba Pass Festival is showing the film in 10 cities in Germany, Australia, and other countries, and the film will formally open in Gemany in July.

North American media company Shout! Factory and London-based distributor Animatsu Entertainment previously announced last month that they will distribute Sunao Katabuchi's In This Corner of the World anime film in the United States and Canada. Shout! Factory has licensed the theatrical, video on demand, digital, broadcast, and home video rights from Animatsu Entertainment, which holds the global rights for the film.

In This Corner of the World debuted in 63 Japanese theaters on November 12. It has earned over 2 billion yen (about US$17.58 million), and sold 1.5 million tickets as of Sunday. Due to the film's popularity, more theaters have been adding screenings.

The film is based on Fumiyo Kōno's To All The Corners Of The World (Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni) manga. The award-winning manga follows a bride named Suzu Urano as she moves to her new life in Kure City on the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture. Suzu perseveres through World War II with pluck and determination.

Director and writer Sunao Katabuchi (Mai Mai Miracle, Black Lagoon) had announced the feature film in 2012. Additional staff for the film includes Chie Uratani (Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail, Mai Mai Miracle, Tekkonkinkreet animation director) as assistant director and screen composition, Hidenori Matsubara (Oh! My Goddess, Sakura Wars, King of Thorn) as character designer and animation director, kotringo (The Bears' School, Gourmet Girl Graffiti) as composer, and Tarō Maki as producer at GENCO. MAPPA studio founder and producer Masao Maruyama is credited for planning. Tokyo Theatres Company is distributing the film.

The film won the Hiroshima Peace Film Award at the Hiroshima International Film Festival in November, and it screened at Annecy in a Work in Progress session in June.

Film magazine Kinema Jump named In This Corner of the World the best Japanese movie of 2016. In addition, the magazine awarded Katabuchi with the Best Director Award. The film also won the Japanese Movie Award of Excellence and the Noburou Oofuji Award at the 71st Annual Mainichi Film Awards.

Sources: Nikkan Sports, Oricon News