Animated Canadian documentary Endless Cookie claimed the top award at the inaugural Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF).
The festival’s Golden Shachi grand prix award is named after the mythical sea monsters that are the mascots of the Japanese city of Nagoya and includes a ¥1m ($6,400) cash prize.
The film, directed by Seth Scriver and Peter Scriver, is a documentary about the half-brother filmmaking duo, their 16-year age gap and upbringing in Canada, as well as First Nations issues. It premiered at Sundance and won the Contrechamp grand prix at Annecy. It was released in Canada in June and in the US this month.
In a video message from Canada, the Scriver’s said they would use the prize money to visit Japan.
The Silver Shachi, the festival’s jury prize (¥500,000/$3,200), was awarded to A Story Of Fire by Chinese director Wenyu Li.
The Red Shachi, the festival’s audience award (¥200,000/$1,300), went to Japanese director Kenji Iwaisawa’s 100 Meters. Collecting the award, director Iwaisawa said: “I founded my studio (Rock’n Roll Mountain) to make this film, so I feel it’s the hard work of my team working together that helped us receive this award.”
100 Meters was released in Japan via Pony Canyon and Asmik Ace on September 19 and in North America through Gkids on October 10. It is set to be released on Netflix on December 31. It marks the second film from Iwaisawa, who debuted with the independently produced On-Gaku: Our Sound in 2020.
The three-strong jury included US producer Aubry Mintz, executive director at ASIFA-Hollywood; French graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu; and Japan’s Shuzo John Shiota, president and CEO of Polygon Pictures.
Mintz revealed during the festival that ASIFA-Hollywood, which runs the Annie Awards, is considering official partnership festival status for ANIAFF, which would allow for a range of benefits including Annie Award qualification and help with judging and programming.
In addition to the winners revealed on December 17, ANIAFF announced three awards ahead of the festival.
The Iris Prize went to director Kenji Iwaisawa, chosen for his “ability to create dramatic storytelling and showcasing the breadth of his filmmaking skills”.
The Lily Prize was given to Kiyoshi Hirose, an anime editor whose credits include Dandadan, Blue Giant and Look Back, the 2024 film which won multiple awards including best animated feature at the Japan Academy Awards.
The Red Maple Prize was bestowed on anime studio P.A. Works, which is known for series such as Shirobako and Skip And Loafer, as well as its training programme for young animators.
Mamoru Hosoda tribute
ANIAFF, which ran from December 12-17 at venues in Nagoya, located in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, was established by anime production company Genco and the team that previously founded the Niigata International Animation Film Festival, which held its third edition in March. Some 5,000 participants and 30 international guests attended the inaugural edition of ANIAFF.
The festival is centred around an international competition section featuring films of at least 40 minutes. This year’s competition comprised 11 films, selected from a total of 45 entries from 29 countries and regions.
Further sections included a tribute to director Mamoru Hosoda, whose latest film, Scarlet, was released in Japan in October and has qualified for the best animated feature Oscar. Hosoda attended several screenings, including a December 12 showing of his 2009 internet-based sci-fi hit Summer Wars, where he was joined on-stage by that film’s lead actor Ryunosuke Kamiki.
“During production, I was so absorbed I couldn’t think about anything else, so it’s great to look back on it like this so many years later,” said Hosoda during the sold-out event. “In 2009, when the film was released, it was a time when we could still depict the internet as an idyllic, hopeful place, making it feel very wholesome now.”
Talk sessions were held throughout the festival’s run, covering topics such as diversity in the animation industry in Japan and the US, the boom in interest in Japanese animation abroad, and working conditions in the Japanese industry. Panellists included Marge Dean, president of gender equity advocacy group WIA, Dwarf Studios producer Noriko Matsumoto, Toei Animation producer Hiromi Seki, Scarlet produer Yuichiro Saito, and director Sunao Katabuchi (In This Corner Of The World).
The festival also included a two-day pitch market titled Animart, in which animation creators pitched their projects to prospective investors. The market also featured industry-specific panel discussion between producers including Hirofumi Ito (Odd Taxi) and Naokado Fujiyama (Vinland Saga). Animart recorded 200 participants.
ANIAFF was sponsored by the city of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, with additional sponsorship from Institut Francais, Alps Alpine, Hijikata Clinic Miyata Branch and Netflix.
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