GKIDS has acquired the North American rights to Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1 – an animated trilogy of stories from Studio Ponoc directors Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Yoshiyuki Momose and Akihiko Yamashita.
Theatrical release for the film – which follows Studio Ponoc’s When Marnie Was There – is January, 2019.
GKIDS ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO “MODEST HEROES: PONOC SHORT FILMS THEATRE, VOLUME 1” FROM THE OSCAR®-NOMINATED FOUNDER OF STUDIO PONOC
FEATURING THE VOICE OF MAGGIE Q
THEATRICAL RELEASE SET FOR JANUARY 2019
NEW YORK (October 10, 2018) – GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced it has acquired North American distribution rights for Studio Ponoc’s animated anthology MODEST HEROES: PONOC SHORT FILMS THEATRE, VOLUME 1. This feature-length collection of short films is the latest project from Studio Ponoc, the new Japanese animation studio founded by two-time Academy Award®-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There). MODEST HEROES is the studio’s follow up to last year’s critically-acclaimed animated feature Mary and The Witch’s Flower, also distributed by GKIDS.
GKIDS will release MODEST HEROES theatrically in January 2019 (specific date TBD) in both subtitled and English versions, following its upcoming U.S. premiere at the Animation is Film festival in Los Angeles later this month.
There are three stories in the anthology: Kanini & Kanino, Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, and Invisible. Kanini & Kanino is directed by Academy Award®-nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, Mary and The Witch’s Flower); Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, featuring the voice of Maggie Q (Nikita, Designated Survivor), is helmed by Yoshiyuki Momose, who was a key animator on Isao Takahata’s films at Studio Ghibli; and Invisible director Akihiko Yamashita was a key animator on many of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s best-known films. Each is produced by Studio Ponoc’s Nishimura. Together, the stories explore ideas of heroism in their own unique way, fully utilizing the infinite visual and storytelling potential of the short film format.
“Like everyone who fell in love with Mary and The Witch’s Flower, we couldn’t wait to see what Studio Ponoc would do next,” said David Jesteadt, President of GKIDS. “We are thrilled that they returned with not one but three new stories, and we are honored to continue our partnership with one of the most innovative and exciting animation studios working today.”
The all-rights deal for MODEST HEROES was negotiated by David Jesteadt of GKIDS and Geoffrey Wexler of Studio Ponoc.
ABOUT “MODEST HEROES: PONOC SHORT FILMS THEATRE, VOLUME 1”
Studio Ponoc, the new animation studio founded by two-time Academy Award®-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There) and featuring many artists from the venerable Studio Ghibli, made an immediate splash last year with its acclaimed debut film Mary and The Witch’s Flower. The studio returns this year with Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre Vol. 1, an ambitious collection of three thrilling tales created by some of the greatest talents working in Japanese animation today.
In Kanini & Kanino, directed by Academy Award®-nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, Mary and The Witch’s Flower), two crab brothers embark on a grand underwater adventure to find their father, after an accident carries him far downstream. Depicted as tiny beings in a large and merciless natural world, the brothers must evade a series of freshwater predators if they are ever to reunite with their family again.
In Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, acclaimed animator Yoshiyuki Momose (key animator on Isao Takahata’s films at Studio Ghibli, and animation director of the video game Ni No Kuni) makes his directorial debut with a very different kind of story. Eight-year-old Shun loves baseball and to run. Only eggs defeat him. With the love of his strong-willed mother (Maggie Q), Shun faces the challenge of an everyday life threatened by a deadly allergy.
Lastly, in Invisible (the directing debut of Akihiko Yamashita, a talented key animator on many of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s best-known films) a man wakes up one morning and goes through his day in a world where no one can see him. But just when he seems to have reached his limit, a momentous decision gives him the chance to reclaim his humanity.
Together, the stories explore ideas of heroism large and small, and the infinite potential of the short film format allows the directors and Studio Ponoc to experiment with breathtaking, action-packed visuals, concise human drama, and gorgeous fantasy worlds, in this unforgettable short film anthology that is further demonstration of the studio’s exciting future.