News
Montreal Fantasia Festival Announces Animated Awards
posted on by Jacob Browning
The Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal concluded on Wednesday, and the organizers have announced the winners of the festival's awards. Sunao Katabuchi's Mai Mai Miracle won the Best Animated Feature Film award in the Jury Prize categories. Shinsuke Satō's Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror earned a special mention under the same section. Audience Awards were also given to multiple animes. Summer Wars was awarded gold, while King of Thorn and Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection were awarded bronze.
The festival held the international premiere of Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection, and the Canadian premieres of Oblivion Island, Mai Mai Miracle, and King of Thorn.
Some of these films have received awards at other festivals. Oblivion Island was awarded the Special Jury Prize in the Feature Films Category at the 14th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival. Also, Mai Mai Miracle previously won the Audience Award for the Best Animated Feature for Adults at Belgium's Brussels Animation Film Festival in February. Summer Wars, received the Animation of the Year award at the 33rd Japan Academy in March.
Director Kazuyoshi Katayama and Sunrise's film adaptation of Iwahara's King of Thorn manga follows Kasumi, a girl who was infected by a pandemic virus along with her twin sister Shizuku. Kasumi — but not Shizuku — was chosen to be among 159 other people who were placed into cryogenic suspension until a cure is found. The 160 wake up in the dark future populated by monsters, and Kasumi must survive while she searches for clues on what happened to the world and her sister.
