Film Label "NOTHING NEW"'s First Original Feature-Length Animation "We Are Aliens" Officially Selected for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival Directors' Fortnight

Film label "NOTHING NEW"'s first original feature-length animation "We Are Aliens" has been officially selected for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival Directors' Fortnight. Since its establishment in 2022, NOTHING NEW has produced works with emerging Japanese artists and sent them to film festivals both domestically and internationally. "Child," scheduled for release this year, received the FIPRESCI Award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. "We Are Aliens" is the label's first original feature-length animation. The teaser visual released today. The film is planned, written, and directed by Kohei Kadowaki, a 29-year-old new talent who worked on YOASOBI's "Yasashii Suisei." Born in 1996, Kadowaki studied painting at Tokyo University of the Arts and, after directing stage visuals and commercials, began working as an animation artist. He possesses expressive power that balances realistic beauty with narrative necessity, characterized by meticulous direction that captures the inevitability of every detail, from character movements to background art. To depict the realistic physicality unique to children, he auditioned child actors whose images were close to the characters and performed pre-visualization filming in live-action, almost entirely cutting out the effort of shooting in situations similar to the actual scenes. He created an unprecedented visual expression with flexible ideas unconstrained by existing methods. I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to have my work seen by people around the world, having been selected for the Cannes International Film Festival Directors' Fortnight. "We Are Aliens" is a work that depicts universal emotions such as joy, sorrow, and pain, which everyone knows, through characters and a story imbued with very personal feelings. I am looking forward to seeing how the characters in this film will be received by everyone around the world, and I believe it will be a work that touches many hearts. Ryota Bando and Amane Okayama confirmed as co-stars. In this new-era animation film "We Are Aliens," the voice of "Tsubasa," a shy, ordinary young man, is played by Ryota Bando. His overwhelming performance in TBS's "Lion's Den" became a hot topic, and he received the Japan Academy Film Prize for New Actor for the film "Bomb," making him one of the most momentum-driven actors today. And the voice of the other protagonist, "Akitaro," a popular and special presence, is played by Amane Okayama. Following his starring role in NHK's late-night drama "Hirayasumi," he has appeared in popular works such as NTV's "Fuyu no Nanka sa, Haru no Nanka ne" and the "Kingdom" series, and received the 50th Elan d'or Award in February this year, earning strong trust from the visual industry with his undeniable presence. The voices of young Tsubasa and Akitaro are played by Yuto Maki (young Tsubasa) and Yuku Nakagomi (young Akitaro), who were selected through auditions. The fresh performances of these two are also attracting global attention. I was in charge of the voice of Tsubasa in the film "We Are Aliens." When I first read the script, I was convinced that it would be a film that would move many people's hearts, and touched by the extraordinary passion of Director Kadowaki and the staff, I felt compelled to respond with all my might. During recording, Amane Okayama, who played Akitaro, was next to me, emitting a powerful voice that felt like steam rising, and I felt my body tingle every second. And I am truly delighted that it was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival "Directors' Fortnight." I pray that this work will reach not only Japan but also people all over the world. When I first saw the main footage, I was drawn into its beautifully distorted world. Through my interactions with Director Kadowaki, I reaffirmed that this work is deeply infused with the director's own essence, and I remember desperately trying to weave Akitaro's outline as I took on the voice of the adult Akitaro. At the same time, the time I spent right next to Ryota Bando, who embodied Tsubasa's light and shadow, was a very special and deeply moving experience for both Akitaro and myself. Including its screening at the Cannes International Film Festival Directors' Fortnight, I hope that the small yet grand story of the two protagonists will reach many people. Yaffle, a musician symbolizing the new generation, also participates. His sound, which expresses humanity beyond mere beauty, is sensational.