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Lupin III THE FIRST, Seven Days War, On-Gaku: Our Sound Films Compete at Annecy

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival announced on Monday the official selection of films that will compete at this year's event. Takashi Yamazaki's Lupin III THE FIRST and Yūta Murano's Seven Days War films will compete in the Features category. Kenji Iwaisawa's ON-GAKU: Our Sound and Eiji Han Shimizu's True North films will compete in the Contrechamp category.

In addition to the traditional Features category, the event added a Contrechamp category, which replaces the Out-of-Competition section, in 2019. Films in the Contrechamp category are still in competition, but the section features the "most unique feature films, as well as those that create more challenges vis-à-vis the audience."

Science SARU and Masaaki Yuasa's upcoming anime series adaptation of Sakyō Komatsu's Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu) science-fiction novel is competing in the TV Films category. Isaku Kaneko's "The Balloon Catcher" is competing in the Graduation Short Films category.

This year's physical Annecy International Animation Film Festival is canceled due to concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Instead, an online version of the festival will be held from June 15 to 30.

Established in 1960, Annecy is the world's oldest and largest animation film festival. Next year's festival will be held from June 14 to 19, 2021 to celebrate the event's 60th anniversary.

Sources: Annecy International Animation Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter (Carolyn Giardina)