Latest anime from the producers of “The Boy and the Heron”. Eleven-year-old Karin, who has recently lost her mother, is left by her father in the care of her grandfather, while he disappears to take care of “important matters.” At the temple looked after by her grandfather, Karin meets Anzu—a talking cat the size of a human. And the cat, being a cat, goes his own way, is lazy and spiteful. But he rides a scooter, spends a lot of time talking on his cellphone, and works as a massage therapist. Longing for her father, and above all for her late mother, Karin sets off on a great adventure to Tokyo, and Anzu, traveling with her, unexpectedly turns out to be a good companion on the journey.
Awards:
- Audience Award - Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal, Canada, 2024;
Nominee:
- Nomination for the Cristal Award – Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Annecy, France, 2024;
- Nomination for the SACD Award (awarded by the Society of Authors, Directors and Composers) at the Cannes Film Festival, France, 2024;
- Nomination for Best Feature Film and Best Animated Film at Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, Spain, 2024;
- Nomination for Best Animated Film at the Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain, 2024;
- Nomination for the Asia Pacific Screen Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane, Australia, 2024.
Yôko Kuno
Born in 1990 in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, Yoko Kuno studied at Tama Art University, where her graduation film “Airy Me” received widespread acclaim and won numerous prestigious awards. Her work quickly gained recognition at both national and international festivals thanks to its technical mastery and deeply emotional storytelling. Yoko has been involved in the production of some of the most iconic works of the past decade, including character design for “Alien Shiriri” from the beloved “Crayon Shin-chan” film series, as well as key animation for “Crayon Shin-chan: Kung-Fu Boys – Ramen Scramble.” She also directed episodes of the acclaimed series “Land of the Lustrous” and served as animation director on Shunji Iwai’s film “The Case of Hana and Alice.”
Filmography Yoko:
2024 – Ghost Cat Anzu – anime, family movie, fantasy; 97’
2017 - Houseki no Kuni – animated TV series (director of one episode); 24’
2013 – Airy Me- short film; 5’
Nobuhiro Yamashita
Born in Aichi Prefecture, Yamashita studied at Osaka University of Arts, where he worked on Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s film “Kichiku Dai Enkai.” Early in his career, he was often compared to Aki Kaurismäki and Jim Jarmusch for his portrayal of young drifters. His graduation film “Hazy Life” won the Grand Prize in the Off Theatre Competition at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in 2000. He also received the Best Director Award at the 32nd Hochi Film Awards in 2007 for “A Gentle Breeze in the Village” and “The Matsugane Potshot Affair.” He frequently collaborates with screenwriter Kōsuke Mukai.
Filmography Nobuhiro:
2024 – Ghost Cat Anzu – anime, family movie, fantasy; 97’
2023 - One Second Ahead, One Second Behind – fiction film, comedy, drama, romance; 119’
2022 - Modern Love – Tokio – TV series (reżyseria jedno odcinka); 40’
2018 - Hâdo koa – comedy, drama; 124’
2012 - Kueki ressha – comedy, drama; 112’
2004 – Linda, Linda, Linda – comedy, drama, music; 112’
