Kohei Kadowaki's debut feature 'We Are Aliens' is set for a wide Japanese theatrical release on September 25, 2026, after festival premieres at Cannes and Annecy, with additional festival screenings in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand scheduled for later in 2026.
Kohei Kadowaki's debut feature 'We Are Aliens' follows two boys over 20 years, using a hybrid rotoscoping technique developed over five years with a mostly inexperienced animation team. The film premiered at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and screened at Annecy, establishing its festival credentials before a wide theatrical release.
TOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW announced a September 25, 2026 opening in Japan. Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama voice the adult leads. International sales are handled by CHARADES. The film's festival circuit extends beyond its initial premieres, with screenings confirmed at the Ottawa International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and New Zealand International Film Festival in 2026.
Kadowaki described the hybrid rotoscoping approach as a deliberate choice driven by empathy and a need to capture childlike gestures with an untrained crew. The technique defines the visual language of the film, which has drawn attention for its indie origin and unconventional production methods.
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The official website for the We Are Aliens anime film released a full trailer and visual on Monday, revealing two new cast members and the theme song. Ten Yamasaki and Kemuri Matsui join the cast, and adieu performs the theme song "Sasakure." The film opens in Japan on September 25.
The We Are Aliens anime film will screen at the Ottawa International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and New Zealand International Film Festival in 2026. The festivals also announced screenings for Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 3 and the live-action film The Samurai and the Prisoner.
Director Kohei Kadowaki discusses his debut feature 'We Are Aliens,' which premiered at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and screens at Annecy. The film follows two boys over 20 years and uses a hybrid rotoscoping approach to capture natural movement, developed over five years with a mostly inexperienced animation team.
TOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW announced that Kōhei Kadowaki's anime film We Are Aliens will open in Japan on September 25. The film, which follows two estranged childhood friends, stars Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama as the adult leads. It previously screened at Cannes and Annecy.