It Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Kokosake, and Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo, will be appearing at the 3rd Niigata International Animation Film Festival, a feature-length commercial animated film festival. In addition to screening Sora no Aosa, there will also be a talk show. Director Tatsuyuki Nagai is originally from Niigata, so this will be a triumphant return to his hometown.
It was also announced that "Let Me Hear Your Song," set in Niigata and Sado, will be screened. Director Yasuhiro Yoshiura and sound director Miwa Iwanami will be on stage to greet the audience. There are plans for events to further promote the connection between Niigata and anime, including a project progress report on the Niigata-based anime "REKKA" and a talk show for the screening of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These."
The festival aims to be one of the largest festivals in Asia with a competition category for feature-length animated films, with the aim of spreading anime culture from Niigata to the world. The first festival was held in Niigata City from March 17th to 22nd, 2023, and the second from March 15th to 20th, 2024. The third festival will be held from March 15th to 20th.
