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Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai” to open Hong Kong Summer International Film Festival in August

Following Cine Fan's retrospective of the late Japanese animation legend Isao Takahata, the Summer International Film Festival () will showcase a special programme of – the Japanese anime master of the new generation. His latest feature, , the first Japanese animated work ever to receive a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, will be the opening film of SummerIFF, which also features four of his acclaimed works. HOSODA will come to for a master class, leading fans into a world of boundless imagination and fascinating stories.

The special programme, entitled “The World of Mamoru Hosoda,” celebrates the unparalleled achievement of the renowned director as he blazes a new path for Japanese hand-drawn animation. Opening the SummerIFF, Mirai (2018) is his latest ambitious exploration of the circle of life via a single family. This magnificent tale, which centers on a 4-year-old boy taken by his sister from the future into a series of surprising adventures, epitomizes Hosoda's spellbinding mix of time leap, futuristic fantasy and familial affection.

Hailed as the next Miyazaki Hayao, Hosoda attracted international attention with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), a romantic fantasy that transforms the coming-of-age story into an openhearted fable. Summer Wars (2009) continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike for its eccentric and whimsical imagination of both digital and real worlds. Produced under his own animation house, Studio Chizu, Wolf Children (2012) and The Boy and the Beast (2015) further establish his signature style – a strong sense of family ties, and the growth to greater maturity through perseverance. His ingenuity of combining realistic settings with futuristic stories has earned him global recognition and awards, placing him as one of the leading anime directors in Japan today. The presentation of these earlier acclaimed works from 14 August onwards will give Hong Kong audiences an opportunity to revisit Hosoda's creative oeuvre as a prelude to his visit and the premiere of his new film.

Hosoda will meet the audience after the screening of Mirai on 18 August, and will also attend a master class after the screening of The Boy and the Beast on 19 August to share his creative insights.

In addition, an exhibition under the same title will be held from 14 to 27 August at Ocean Terminal, featuring his character designs, sketches of structures as well as re-created sets from his celebrated works.

SummerIFF 2018 will be held from 18 to 28 August. The full programme will be revealed on 23 July with tickets on sale on 24 July.

About the author

Adriana Rosati

On paper I am an Italian living in London, in reality I was born and bread in a popcorn bucket. I've loved cinema since I was a little child and I’ve always had a passion and interest for Asian (especially Japanese) pop culture, food and traditions, but on the cinema side, my big, first love is Hong Kong Cinema. Then - by a sort of osmosis - I have expanded my love and appreciation to the cinematography of other Asian countries. I like action, heroic bloodshed, wu-xia, Shaw Bros (even if it’s not my specialty), Anime, and also more auteur-ish movies. Anything that is good, really, but I am allergic to rom-com (unless it’s a HK rom-com, possibly featuring Andy Lau in his 20s)"

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