Exciting News from the Animation World!

Film 'ChaO' Wins Jury Prize at Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Image of 'ChaO' Image via ChaO film's X/Twitter account

'ChaO' Competes for Top Honors at Ottawa International Animation Festival

On July 3, the Ottawa International Animation Festival announced the lineup of feature films competing for this year's Feature Competition. Among them is 'ChaO', an anime feature produced by Studio 4°C and directed by Yasuhiro Aoki. This film is vying for the Grand Prize for Feature Animation, alongside four other international entries.

GKids has licensed the film for North America, describing it as:

A wild romantic comedy set in a futuristic world where humans and mermaids coexist. 'ChaO' follows Stephan, a mild-mannered office worker, whose life turns upside down when he's proposed to by ChaO — a princess from the mermaid kingdom. As he navigates this unexpected romance, Stephan begins to open up emotionally, leading to a heartfelt and humorous story.

Meet the Cast and Crew

Ōji Suzuka (known for Kimi ni Todoke and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes) stars as Stephan.
Anna Yamada (from Golden Kamuy and Saki) plays ChaO.
Supporting cast includes:
- Yūichirō Umehara as Roberta
- Ryōta Yamasato as President Shi
- Kavka Shishido as Maibei
- Cookie! as Ambassador Omede
- Kenta Miyake as King Neptunus
- Shunsei Ōta as Juno
- Anna Tsuchiya as Editor-in-Chief

Behind the Scenes

The film was directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, known for Kimagure Robot and Tweeny Witches, at Studio 4°C. Character design and animation were led by Hirokazu Kojima, with art direction by Hiroshi Takiguchi. The soundtrack was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu.

Toei is distributing the film, and Kumi Kōda performs the opening theme song "ChaO!" written specifically for the movie.

Festival Highlights and Future Screenings

The film premiered at Annecy from June 8 to 14, winning the Jury Prize.
It will be showcased at the JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film in New York on July 10.
Additionally, it will screen at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal from July 16 to August 3.
The Japanese release is scheduled for August 15.

Ottawa International Animation Festival

The festival will be held from September 24-28, with the Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature announced during the Awards Ceremony on September 27 at the National Arts Centre.

Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting film and the festival!