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Film recently won Jury Prize at Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June

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

GKIDS licensed ChaO , and it describes ( link ) the story:

From acclaimed Japanese animation production house Studio 4°C comes a wild romantic comedy and true “fish out of water” story. In a futuristic world where humans and mermaids coexist, ChaO follows Stephan, a mild-mannered office worker at a shipbuilding company, whose life is upended when he is suddenly proposed to by Cha o — a princess from the mermaid kingdom. With no time to make sense of what's happening, Stephan soon finds himself living with the unpredictable, wholehearted Cha o. As her sincere love begins to break down his emotional barriers, an unexpected and touching romance begins to unfold.

In the anime "Kimi ni Todoke" or "The Tunnel to Summer," Stefan is portrayed as a salaryman employed at a ship-making firm. Meanwhile, in "Saki" or "live-action Golden Kamuy," Cha O is depicted as the pure princess of the mermaid kingdom. Anna Yamada plays both characters in these respective series.

The film also stars:

- Yūichirō Umehara as Roberta
- Nankai Candies comedy duo member Ryōta Yamasato as President Shi
- Kavka Shishido as Maibei
- Yasei Bakudan comedy duo member Cookie! as Ambassador Omede
- Kenta Miyake as the King Neptunus
- Octpath idol group member Shunsei Ōta as Juno
- Anna Tsuchiya as Editor-in-Chief


Aoki ( Kimagure Robot , Tweeny Witches ) directed the film at Studio 4°C , and Hirokazu Kojima ( Deadman Wonderland , Coyote Ragtime Show ) is the character designer and chief animation director. Hiroshi Takiguchi ( Ajin , The Case of Hana & Alice , The Garden of Words ) is the art director. Takatsugu Muramatsu ( Mary and The Witch's Flower , Phoenix: Eden17 ) composed the soundtrack. Toei is distributing the film.

Kumi Kōda performs the opening theme song "ChaO!," written specifically for the film.

The movie was first shown at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival held in France from June 8th to June 14th where it won the Jury Prize. It will be screened on the opening night of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film on July 10th in New York. Afterward, it will be shown at Fantasia International Film Festival held from July 16th through August 3rd in Montreal.

The film will open in Japanese theaters on August 15.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is happening this year from September 24th to September 28th. During the Awards Ceremony on September 27th at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the winner of the Best Animated Feature Grand Prize will be announced.




Source: Press release