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Mangowork Studio’s “Clouded Leopard” won the Taicca x Cnc Award, the grand prize at the 2024 Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Tccf) pitching sessions, which carries a cash award of $30,000. The tale, with elements of adventure and magic is from the team of Yang Dow-ning, Chi Po-chou and Hsu Chia-hao.

Comedy-horror series project “Pontianaks in Taiwan,” and education-themed “The Top Percentile” also emerged as major winners, securing three awards each. “Pontianaks in Taiwan,” from the creative team of Goh Ming Siu, Karl Gan and Holly Chan, won the MyVideo Initiative Award, the Taigi TV Award and the Kfa Original Award. “The Top Percentile,” from Becca Liao, Jessica Kam and Jiang Suqiu, won the Formosa TV Award, Ebc Original IP Potential Award and the Zw Ingenuity Award.

The Taicca Award: Best Story went to “Rest in Pieces” by Balena Islet Publishing Inc

In the feature film category, “Sunshower” from Hsubox Productions and...

Japanese film sellers are once again out in force at Tiffcom, which is completely online for the second year in a row. Buyers will find much familiar from the Busan market, but new titles are on offer as well.

Nikkatsu

Japan’s oldest continuously operated studio, Nikkatsu is bringing Matsui Daigo’s “Just Remembering,” a romantic drama selected for the TIFF competition. Ito Sairi and Ikematsu Soksuke star as a couple on the verge of a break-up who reminisce about better days. Matsui’s original script was inspired by the Jim Jarmusch classic “Night on the Planet.”

Also, on offer is the other Japanese competition title, “Third Time Lucky.” The film is the directorial debut of Nohara Tadashi, a scriptwriter whose credits include Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s 2015 ensemble drama “Happy Hour” and Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s WWII thriller “Wife of a Spy.” Kawamura Rira, who also appeared in “Happy Hour,” stars as...

Although it takes the form of an animated feature, writer-director Eiji Han Shimizu’s True North is definitely not for kids. But as a rare glimpse inside a North Korean prison camp, this grueling and poignant true-to-life tale can make for necessary viewing, especially for anyone interested in learning more about one of the world's most blatant crimes against humanity.

Premiering in the Annecy festival’s Contrechamp sidebar, the entire selection of which has been presented online, True North can be a bit clunky in the animation department, with realistic if rudimentary 3D graphics recalling the early days of computer-generated cartoons....

Although it takes the form of an animated feature, writer-director Eiji Han Shimizu’s True North is definitely not for kids. But as a rare glimpse inside a North Korean prison camp, this grueling and poignant true-to-life tale can make for necessary viewing, especially for anyone interested in learning more about one of the world's most blatant crimes against humanity.

Premiering in the Annecy festival’s Contrechamp sidebar, the entire selection of which has been presented online, True North can be a bit clunky in the animation department, with realistic if rudimentary 3D graphics recalling the early days of computer-generated cartoons....

The beloved French animation festival Annecy has announced that 20 features will be presented at its 2020 edition, which is taking place online this year, from June 15-30.

76 films were submitted to the Festival selection committees and to the Artistic Director, Marcel Jean. 20 films are competing in the two competitive sections; 10 of them will be presented in the main competition, while the other features will be screened as part of its competitive Contrechamp category.

”The Shaman Sorceress” by Jae-huun Ahn (South Korea)

Among them Japan leads the pack with four films in the selection, followed by three from France. South Korea will run with 2 films and China with one. Here is the full list of Asian titles:

Feature Films In Official Selection – In Competition

”Lupin III The First” by Takashi Yamazaki (Japan)

”7 Days War” by Yuta Murano (Japan)

”7 Days War” by Yuta Murano (Japan)

Feature Films In the Contrechamp

”On Gaku: Our Sound!

Annecy 2020, the world-class French animation festival, is going online this year due to the pandemic. The official selections for feature films and Vr works were revealed on Monday.

There are 20 features competing in the two categories (Official and Contrechamp) from France, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Chile, Mauritius, and Egypt. Standouts from the Official category include Takashi Yamazaki’s “Lupin the 3rd: The First,” the latest in the popular “gentleman thief” heist franchise, which GKids picked up for theatrical release this year; “Calamity: A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary,” the biopic about Martha (Calamity) Jane’s empowering journey West in 1863, from French director Rémi Chayé (“The Long Way North”); and “The Nose or the Conspiracy of Mavericks,” an experimental drama about Stalin’s reign of terror from Russian director Andrey Khrzhanovsky.

The Official competition also includes Seven Days War” (Japan), an anime about young adult social rebellion from Yuta Morano; “Bigfoot...

Films by Joann Sfar, Rémi Chayé, Takashi Yamazaki and Andrey Khrzhanovsky to compete for festival’s Crystal award.

The Annecy International Film Festival has unveiled the 20 works that will compete in its main feature-length competition and Contrechamp competition, aimed at works by emerging talents.

The French lakeside animation festival and industry event will run online June 15 to 30, following the cancellation of its 2020 physical edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

French filmmaker Joann Sfar’s comedy Little Vampire and Japanese animator Takashi Yamazaki’s adventure tale Lupin III: The First will be among the 10 feature animations competing for the Crystal award...