Director Mamoru Hosoda's special screening at ANIAFF

The 1st Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF), which will be held in Nagoya in December, will feature a special screening of works by director Mamoru Hosoda as part of its first "Director Focus" section. Films to be screened include "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" and "The Dragon and the Freckled Princess."

Artistic director Kazudo Naoshi said, "It's been nearly 20 years since Hosoda Mamoru caused a sensation in the film world with 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.' Since then, he has shown an outstanding talent for addressing universal themes such as family, parent-child relationships, youth, and self-discovery through the medium of feature-length animation. The worlds he depicts often have an appeal that transcends reality, and this has generated enthusiasm across borders. Hosoda Mamoru is now one of the world's leading film directors. A comprehensive look at his works will also give us an idea of the current state of visual expression known as animation, and where it has reached. The images and themes are also a mirror that reflects the times."

The festival will also feature special themes such as "Studio Focus," which focuses on production studios, and "Cutting Edge," which is aimed at core fans. The festival poster visual has also been released.

The festival will be held from December 12th to 17th. It aims to provide a panoramic view of animation from around the world and to show the past, future, and present of animation.