January 22, 2016

Keiichi Hara's new animated feature film, Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai was greeted with the Excellence Prize in the Animation Category at the 39th annual Japan Academy Prizes.

Started in 1978 and operated by the Japan Academy Prize Association with the mission of supporting the advancement and development of cinematic art, technique and science, the Japan Academy Prizes added the Animation Category in 2007 for its 30th edition, and Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai is one of the five animated movies awarded for this 39th edition. Winners become nominees for the Best Animated Feature Film Prize, that will be conferred by the jury during the official ceremony in Tokyo on March 4th, 2016. Movies released in Japan between December 14, 2014, and December 15, 2015 were eligible for the 39th edition of the prizes.

In the past years, four Production I.G's movies have been honoured with the Excellence Prize: Mamoru Oshii's The Sky Crawlers (32nd edition), Shinsuke Sato's Oblivion Island (33rd edition), Hiroyuki Okiura's A Letter to Momo (36th edition) and Mizuho Nishikubo's Giovanni's Island (38th edition).

Japan Academy Prizes official website (Japanese only):
http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/

© 2014-2015 Hinako Sugiura•MS.HS / Sarusuberi Film Partners