The New York distributor has bought North American rights to Keiichi Hara’s award-winning animated coming-of-age tale.

New York-based GKIDS has bought North American distribution rights to Keiichi Hara’s Miss Hokusai and has set the award-winning animated coming-of-age tale for an October release.

The film, the latest feature from Japanese animation house Production I.G (whose A Letter To Momo was also handled by GKIDS), will open in New York and Los Angeles on October 14, with a North American expansion to follow.

Miss Hokusai, adapted from Hinako Sugiura’s manga Sarusuberi by Miho Maruo, won the Jury Prize at last year’s Annecy festival and was named best animated feature at the Sitges festival. Set in Edo period Japan, the film tells the story of O-Ei, daughter and artistic collaborator of renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, as she struggles with her identity as an artist and her emerging sexuality.

GKIDS is set to release Phantom Boy, the new film from the writers and directors of A Cat In Paris, in North America later this month and is in production on Cartoon Saloon’s The Breadwinner, slated for a 2017 US release.