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Yasuhiro Yoshiura's Patema Inverted Anime Film to Premiere at Annecy
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
France's Annecy, the world's largest animation festival, announced its official selections of feature films on Wednesday. Yasuhiro Yoshiura's (Time of Eve, Pale Cocoon) Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema) film will host its world premiere at the festival, and is screening out of competition.
Patema Inverted takes place in an underground world where tunnels extend everywhere. Even though they live in dark and confined spaces, people wear protective clothes and lead quiet and enjoyable lives. Patema, a princess in her underground village, loves to explore the tunnels. Her favorite place is a "danger zone" that her village prohibits people from entering. Even though she's scolded, Patema's curiosity can't be held back. No one ever explained what the supposed danger was. On her usual trip to the "danger zone," Patema faces unexpected events. When hidden secrets come to light, the story begins to unfold.
The film was scheduled to open last year but was postponed and will now open in Japan this fall. Four prologue episodes titled Patema Inverted: Beginning of the Day were posted on the video streaming site niconico last year.
Also screening out of competition in the feature-length film category is the CG film After School Midnighters (pictured at left), which was previously submitted for an Oscar; Production I.G and CLAMP's Blood-C: The Last Dark, winner of the Fantasia Film Fest's L'Écran Fantastique Prize; The Life of Guskō Budori (Guskō Budori no Denki), and One Piece Film Z.
Berserk Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey is the only anime film competing in the feature film category. Masaaki Yuasa and Production I.G's crowd-funded "Kick-Heart" anime short is entered in the competitive short film category along with Yoriko Mizushiri's "Futon," Hayai Toru's "Not Over" and the Japanese-Czech short film "Yuki Onna."
Competing in the TV series category is "Banapara? track:04 pilot," directed by Hideki Shiroma, Syuhei Fukunaga, and Tai Murayama.
The graduation film competition category also features three Japanese-animated films: Kabuki Sawako's "Ici, là et partout" and "Ketsujiru Juke," and Hakhyun Kim's "Maze King." No anime films were selected for the TV specials; educational, scientific, or industrial films; advertising films; or music video categories.
Annecy will also feature several anime shorts outside of competition, including "Wee Willie Winkie" by Yusuke Sakamoto and "Digital" by Osamu Sakai.
This year's Annecy will be held from June 10-15.
Last year, Annecy screened the short film Combustible by Akira's Katsuhiro Ōtomo, as well as other anime shorts, the first episode of Blue Exorcist, and the following anime films: Asura, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - The Egg of the King, A Letter to Momo, and Niji-Iro Hotaru.
Source: Anime! Anime!
