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Japanese Film Festival Streams 'Gon, the Little Fox,' Tokyo Marble Chocolate, 9 More Anime Films In India
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) will stream 11 anime films in India from December 4-13 as part of 2020 festival. Registration for the online festival are available now. Each film streamed during the festival will remain online for 24 hours from its scheduled date as follows:
December 5
Gon, the Little Fox will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
When Gon, a playful orphaned fox, finds that young Hyoju has lost his mother, he tries to comfort him and make amends for his own earlier mischiefs by secretly bringing small gifts to the boy every day. But Hyoju doesn't realize who is behind the anonymous gifts, and the two are headed for a heartbreaking climax.
The short is based on Nakichi Niimi's 1932 novel Gongitsune, and stars Masato Tanaka as Gon, and Miyu Irino as Hyojyu. Takeshi Yashiro, who previously produced the shorts "Dear November Boy" and "Norman the Snowman," is the director and animator for the short, and he also penned the script.
The short screened at the New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF), which was held in New York City from February 21 to March 15, and at the Kotatsu Festival in Cardiff and Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom in October 2019.
December 6
Tokyo Marble Chocolate will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.
JFF describes the anime:
Serious and generous, but a bit shy, Yudai has been unsuccessful with the opposite sex. Chizuru is an energetic and cheerful girl, but when it comes to boyfriends, she's been unlucky and clumsy, and never had a steady relationship. This is the first Christmas the couple spends together. Chizuru loves animals and Yudai plans to give her a rabbit in a box, but it turns out to be… a mini donkey?! As the funny creature escapes, Chizuru goes after it, and Yudai loses sight of them both…
The 2007 OVA marked the directorial debut of Naoyoshi Shiotani, and it commemorated the 20th anniversary of both Production I.G and the music company BMG Japan. The film was inspired by two songs from BMG artists SEAMO and Sukima Switch.
The anime was named the winner of the feature film category at the 12th annual Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF) in 2008. It screened in Toronto in August 2010 as part of AMC Independent's Fan Expo Anime Film Festival.
Drawer Hobs (Tansuwarashi) will also stream Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
Unfulfilled call-center employee Noeru lives alone in a cheap apartment in a big city. One day, without notice, her mother sends her an old and bulky chest of drawers. Not exactly the most welcome piece of furniture for Noeru's tiny place! But from that day, breakfast is ready in the morning although she doesn't recall of having cooked any. And the kitchen is clean and tidy instead of the usual mess. And… wait, what are those weird kids doing in her room?
The anime short was created as part of the Young Animators Fostering Project in 2010, and was the directorial debut of Kazuchika Kise (Ghost in the Shell Arise). Anime Limited released the anime as part of a short film collection in March 2019.
December 7
Sumikkogurashi: Good to be in the corner (Eiga Sumikko Gurashi - Tobidasu Ehon to Himitsu no Ko), the anime film of San-X's "Sumikko Gurashi" (Living in the Corner) characters, will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
Sumikko and friends discover a pop-out picture book in the basement of Cafe Sumikko, their favorite coffeeshop. As they look at the book, the pop-ups suddenly start moving and Sumikko and friends get sucked into the book.
The anime film opened in Japan in November 2019. Mankyū (Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Theater, Jaku-San-Sei Million Arthur) directed the film at Fanworks. Takashi Sumita (Europe Kikaku) penned the script. Kaori Hino (Napping Princess, In This Corner of the World) was the art director.
Sumikko Gurashi debuted in 2012 as slightly negative characters who like to stay in the corner of a room. The characters include "Shirokuma," a polar bear who is sensitive to cold; "Penguin?" (with a question mark in its name), a penguin who is unsure if it is actually a penguin; "Tonkatsu," a piece of pork cutlet that was left uneaten; "Neko," a shy cat; and "Tokage," who hides his nature as one of the last dinosaurs.
Li'l Spider Girl (Wasurenagumo) will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
Everything started from an old book telling the story of an expert magician who defeated a giant spider monster in ancient times. Antique book dealer Amane Suzuri, who is trying to sell the book in order to pay the rent, would have never imagined that after reading this story to Mizuki, the building owner's young niece, he could find himself face-to-face with a scared, twenty-centimeter-tall, eight-legged baby arachnid girl. And she's the sweetest thing in the world… or not?
Toshihisa Kaiya directed the anime short as a segment from the 2012 Anime Mirai project, which was shown in Japan from March that year. The project won the Grand Prize in the Feature Films category of the 17th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF) in 2013. Anime Limited released it as part of a short film collection in March 2019.
December 8
NORMAN THE SNOWMAN -The Northern Light- will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the anime:
As the first snow falls on a town in the northern country, a boy sneaks out of his house to board a northbound train with his friend “Norman the Snowman.” They are off to witness the beautiful wonders of nature that Norman had always talked about.
Takeshi Yashiro directed the stop motion animation film. The film debuted in 2016.
December 9
Kick-Heart will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
Kick-Heart is a love story between Romeo, a successful pro-wrestler, and Juliet, a nun who lives a secret double-life as a female pro-wrestler. Romeo's secret is that he enjoys taking a beating in the ring, while Juliet feels invigorated when facing her opponents as a wrestler. When the two meet in the ring, the fireworks fly. Will Juliet reveal her true identity to the one she loves? Will Romeo be able to share his secret to the world?
Masaaki Yuasa and Production I.G crowd-funded the animated short film and released it for backers in December 2012. The anime won Best Animated Short Film at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival in 2013.
December 10
NORMAN THE SNOWMAN-On a Night of Shooting Stars- will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the anime:
Tomorrow is the night of the shooting stars! A new chapter of “Norman the Snowman” begins as Norman and the Boy embark on another venture to see the star-filled sky.
Takeshi Yashiro directed the stop motion animation film. It won the Japanese government's Ministry of Cultural Affairs' Japan Media Arts Award for Jury Selections in the Animation Division in 2018.
December 11
Pigtails will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.
JFF describes the anime:
The earth shook. The sea roared. And then… There is a small house solitary standing by the seaside. A pigtail-braided girl has been living there alone since that fateful day. Mail is no longer delivered, but even this morning, she's hanging out the laundry as usual. A thought-provoking fable of hope and rebirth in a cruel and gentle world after an unnamed disaster.
The 28-minute animation was part of a mixed-media stage production that ran in Tokyo in October 2015 and was based on Machiko Kyō's Mitsuami no Kami-sama (Braided Pig-Tail Deity) manga. Yoshimi Itazu (Miss Hokusai chief animation director) helmed the short film as his directorial debut.
The short made its international debut in April 2016 at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, where it won the Platinum Remi Award in the Classic Cel Animation Category.
Pigtails has won multiple awards, including the Diamond Award in the Animated Film category at the 2016 California Film Awards and the Special Jury Award at 2017's North American Film Awards.
Anime Limited released the anime as part of a short film collection in March 2019.
December 12
The Girl from the Other Side will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the short:
Touch not the Outsiders, lest ye become an Outsider. But when two creatures belonging to opposite kinds -a lost little girl from the Inside and a demonic beast-looking Outsider- initiate an impossible coexistence on the same side of the forest, their bond seems to transcend their incompatible natures and the unnamed curse that has divided the world. Based on Angouleme-nominated, eponymous best-selling graphic novel by manga artist Nagabe.
Yūtarō Kubo and Satomi Tani directed the anime at Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, The Ancient Magus' Bride). The studio used the film to test a type of animation that uses a "new expression technique." It premiered at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal in August 2019. The anime has a DVD that bundled with the limited edition of the manga's eighth compiled book volume in September 2019.
The short is based on Nagabe's The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún manga, which will end in its 11th volume on April 10, 2021.
December 13
Moon of a sleepless night will also stream in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
JFF describes the anime:
A squirrel and a boy set out on a journey together to restore daylight. They must find and release the moon stuck high up on a tree somewhere far, far away.
Takeshi Yashiro directed the stop motion animation film. The film debuted in 2015.
JFF announced on August 27 that it will stream the films slated to screen at New Delhi's event on Vimeo.
The Japan Foundation hosts the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) annually in major cities across India. The Foundation hosted the JFF 2019 event in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangaluru, New Delhi, Gurugram, Chennai, and Guwahati. The JFF screened films such as Children of the Sea, Garden of Words Your Name, Weathering With You, Lu Over The Wall, and live-action Tokyo Ghoul in 2019.
The Japan Foundation established its South Asian chapter in New Delhi in 1994. The Foundation promotes cultural and intellectual exchange as well as Japanese Language education abroad.
Source: Japanese Film Festival's website
