Here's a new one for the US market. Anthology films have been out of style for decades. Animation not obviously geared for children lives or dies based on awards recognition (and the whims of Disney when it's a Ghibli film, like burying the Ponyo release). So what about a collection of anime shorts actually getting a release in more than one theater in America in 2014? It's happening. It's happening and you should be excited.
Short Peace, a collection of four very different short films from Japan, is getting a 50 theater release in America on 18 April. It doesn't even matter at this point that there are only one to three screenings total (not screens, individual screenings) in each location. This is the kind of film that even five years ago would be NY/LA for one week and straight off to DVD. Now it's an event that could pave the way for more exciting foreign releases in the United States.
There are a few factors that obviously helped the release of the film. The four shorts were selected by Katsuhiro Otomo, the director of Akira. Among the shorts is the 2014 (for 2013 releases) Academy Award-nominated short film "Possessions (Tsukumo)." Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame, contributed character designs to "Gambo." "A Farewell to Arms" was directed by Mobile Suit Gundam mastermind Hajime Katoki. And the fourth short, "Combustible," was written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo.
In other words, it took combining the work of four outstanding anime creators to get an anthology of short films a substantial release in America.
Anime films and adaptations are typically sold as one night only events (usually by Fathom) where you have to show up at 11PM or midnight to watch a high quality film in the smallest screen at the multiplex solely because it's not in English. More eyes are going to show up when they realize that one night only screening of Another Gantz or the live action Death Note might be their only chance for years to see the film.
That's not to say that every international property would sell well in America. But why not even try? Companies buy the rights to distribute these projects and then dump them to DVD with little fanfare. It seems like such a waste. At least Eleven Arts is willing to take a chance on distributing Short Peace in a way that more people will have a shot of seeing.
Check out the trailer below.
