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Kick-Heart, Gatchaman Screening at Texas' Fantastic Fest
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The Fantastic Fest 2013, which will be held September 19-26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, announced its 2013 lineup on September 4.
The shorts screenings include Masaaki Yuasa and Production I.G's crowd-funded animated short film Kick-Heart about two wrestlers in love. The short premiered in Tokyo in May, and then was shown in competition at this year's Annecy in France in June. The film was also screened at Anime Expo, and screened at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival where it won Best Animated Short Film. It was also screened at Laemmle's Royale Theatre in Los Angeles in July with the intention of qualifying for an Oscar nomination.
The festival will also host a screening the live-action Gatchaman film from director Tōya Satō (live-action Grave of the Fireflies, Sexy Voice and Robo, Kaiji, Gokusen). Tori Matsuzaka (.hack//The Movie, live-action Kyō, Koi o Hajimemasu, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Kamen Rider Decade) stars in the film as Ken, the head of the eponymous team. Gō Ayano (second-in-command Jō), Ayame Gōriki (explosive yoyo-wielding Jun), Tatsuomi Hamada (youngest member Jinpei), and Ryōhei Suzuki (main pilot Ryū) round out the cast.
The five serve as agents of the International Science Organization in Tokyo at the beginning of the 21st century. Galactor, a mysterious group whose technology far surpasses that of humans, has declared war on the entire world and has already subjugated half of it. A mysterious crystal-like object called a "stone," is humanity's only hope. Those who are able to draw out the power of the "stones" are forced to train as Earth's ultimate weapon, a five-person team called "Gatchaman."
The film premiered at Montreal's Fantasia Fest in July.
The festival will also show Yūichi Fukuda's HK/Hentai Kamen and Kid's Police, Eiji Uchida's Greatful Dead, Maruyama the Middle Schooler by Kankurō Kudō (Ikebukuro West Gate Park), Miss Zombie by Hiroaki "Sabu" Tanaka (Usagi Drop), and Sion Sono's Why Don't You Play in Hell.
Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.
