GKIDS, the New York-based film distributor, has acquired the North American distribution rights for three film projects from anime director Masaaki Yuasa. As per the deal, GKIDS will present viewers wih Yuasa's LU OVER THE WALL, a fairy tale about a little mermaid who comes ashore in a lonely fishing village and bonds with a boy in a middle-school rock band. Additionally, the firm will also host the acclaimed director's NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL, the Grand Prize winner of the Ottawa Animation Festival which takes place over the course of a strange and alcohol-drenched night, as a young woman known only as The Girl With Black Hair drinks her way through Kyoto.
Lastly, GKIDS will also distribute Yuasa's MIND GAME. Released in 2004, this cult classic tells of a time when, after a deadly encounter with two yakuza, a loser with a crush on his childhood girlfriend goes to heaven and back, embarking on a psychedelic self-discovery experience with her and his friends. The fan-favorite film will receive a theatrical release come February, allowing for anime enthusiasts both new and old to enjoy its visual splendor on the big screen.
GKIDS latest animation release, THE BREADWINNER, has recently won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animation Feature in addition to being announced as a Golden Globe contender.The English dubbed version of LU OVER THE WALL is expected to premiere at Sundance. Meanwhile, we'll have to wait to hear if the film gets picked up for a wide theatrical release.
If you're looking to check out some worthwhile animated films distributed by GKIDS, I highly recommend watching ERNEST & CELESTINE, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI, A CAT IN PARIS, THE SECRET OF KELLS, and nearly the entire Studio Ghibli film library.