PVR Pictures, the largest film distributor in India, has announced that it will be hosting the first ever Makoto Shinkai Film Festival in India from May 19, 2023 onwards. The festival will showcase five of the acclaimed Japanese anime director’s films, including his latest blockbuster Suzume.
The festival is being held in collaboration with Japanese Film Festival India, The Japan Foundation Delhi and CoMix Wave Films inc. The films will be screened in Japanese audio with English subtitles across PVR and Inox cinemas in select cities. The film schedule and locations have not been announced yet.
The films to be screened at the Makoto Shinkai Film Festival are:
- 5 Centimeters per Second: A romantic drama that follows the lives of three childhood friends who drift apart over time.
- Children Who Chase Lost Voices: A fantasy adventure that follows a young girl who travels to a mysterious world to find her deceased father.
- Your Name: A body-swapping romance that follows two teenagers who switch places and try to find each other.
- Weathering With You: A climate fiction that follows a runaway boy who meets a girl who can manipulate the weather.
- Suzume: A road trip fantasy that follows a young man who embarks on a journey with a mysterious girl who can transform into a bird.
Makoto Shinkai is one of the most popular and influential anime directors in the world, known for his stunning visuals, emotional storytelling and realistic depiction of modern Japan. His films have won numerous awards and have been praised by critics and audiences alike. His film Your Name is the highest-grossing anime film of all time, while his latest film Suzume has become a global phenomenon, surpassing his previous hit Weathering With You.
Shinkai visited India for the first time in April 2023 to promote Suzume, where he interacted with his Indian fans and expressed his appreciation for their support. He also said that he would like to come back to India whenever he has something new to offer.
The Makoto Shinkai Film Festival is a rare opportunity for Indian anime fans to watch some of the best works of the master filmmaker on the big screen. The festival is expected to attract a large number of viewers and generate a lot of buzz among the anime community in India.
