Japanese animated film We Are Aliens has won the Best Animated Feature Film award in the Anima’t section at the 59th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in Spain. The achievement adds another major international honour to the film, directed by Kohei Kadowaki, whose work has also received recognition at other prestigious animation events.
Kohei Kadowaki Makes History With the Win
At 30, Kadowaki is reported to be the youngest Japanese director to receive this award at Sitges. The filmmaker is known for directing YOASOBI’s music video for “Comet,” and We Are Aliens marks his feature-length anime debut.
The film has already earned the Grand Prize for Animated Feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and was selected for Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. These achievements have helped bring wider international attention to the project.
A Story About Two Boys and a Changing Friendship
Set in a rural Japanese town during the Heisei era, the film follows two boys, Tsubasa and Gyotaro. Tsubasa struggles with feeling ordinary, while Gyotaro is seen by others as someone special.
As small changes begin to affect their everyday lives, an incident alters their relationship in a lasting way. The story explores friendship, growing up and the way people can remember difficult experiences differently.
Japanese-French Co-Production
We Are Aliens, also known by its Japanese title Wareware wa Uchūjin, is a Japanese-French co-production. It was produced by Japanese creative label NOTHING NEW in collaboration with French animation studio MIYU PRODUCTION, with music by Yaffle.
The film is currently showing in Japanese cinemas. Its growing list of international achievements is drawing further attention to Kadowaki’s first feature-length animated film.
