The Critics Choice Association announced on Nov 13, 2023, that Makoto Shinkai is set to receive the “International Animation Award” for his latest anime film, Suzume No Tojimari at the “Critics Choice Association‘s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements”.
Mokoto Shinkai will be honored with the award on Dec 4, 2023, at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards is an awards show presented annually by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Beginning on Nov 4, 2022, the Critics’ Choice Award has held the Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television.
Compared to the previous year’s approach of hosting separate ceremonies for Black, Latino, and AAPI Achievements, the CCA is opting for a unique, one-time-only combined show this year, featuring over 20 honorees. This decision was largely influenced by ongoing strikes.
CCA CEO Joey Berlin commented on the combined ceremony, stating, “For the last few years, the CCA has hosted individual Celebrations of Black, Latino and AAPI Cinema & Television. CCA will return to individual shows in 2024, but doing this special celebration allows us to continue the CCA’s tradition of supporting inclusion and creativity in our industry. I am extremely proud to recognize this diverse group of honorees together on this one special night”.
Suzume also became the first anime film to enter the competition category of Berlin Film Festival in 21 years since Spirited Away.
Suzume no Tojimari released in Japan on Nov 11, 2022, in United States, Canada and United Kingdom on April 14, 2023, and on April 21, 2023 in India.
Shinkai directed and wrote the screenplay for Suzume no Tojimari. He’s also the author of the original story.
Other staff members of the movie include:
- Character design: Masayoshi Tanaka
- Animation director: Kenichi Tsuchiya
- Art director: Takumi Tanji
- Studio: CoMix Wave Film
- Production producer: STORY inc.
- Distribution: Toho Animation
Nanoha Hara is voicing the titular character Suzume in the movie and Hokuto Matsumura will voice the other main character Souta Munakata.
Other cast of the film includes:
- Eri Fukatsu as Tamaki Iwato, Suzume’s aunt
- Matsumoto Hakuō II as Hitsujirō Munakata, Sota’s grandfather
- Shōta Sometani as Minoru Okabe, Tamaki’s colleague
- Sairi Itō as Rumi Ninomiya, Single mother raising twins, who Suzume encounters in Kobe
- Kotone Hanase as Chika Amabe, a lively girl of the same age as Suzume, whom she meets in Ehime
- Kana Hanazawa as Tsubame Iwato, Suzume’s mother
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Tomoya Serizawa, a friend of Souta
RADWIMPS and Kazuma Jinnouchi composed the music for film, with Tik tok famed Toaka performing the theme song, “Suzume”.
Suzume No Tojimari film’s soundtrack comprises of two theme songs, “Kanata Haruka” and “Suzume,” twenty five additional songs and a brand new song created during the film’s production by Yojiro Noda, called “Tamaki”. RADWIMPS also released the official music video for KANATA HALUKA.
The officially announced story of Suzume no Tojimari is described as:
Suzume is a 17-year-old, who lives in a quiet town in Kyushu. One day, she meets a traveling young man who is looking for a “door.” Suzume decides to follow him and discovers an old door in the ruins in the mountains. As if drawn by something, Suzume reaches out for the door… What follows is Suzume’s liberation and growth as she closes the “doors” that cause misfortune in abandoned places around Japan.
Source: Critics Choice Association
