Kuramerukagari directed by Shigeyoshi Tsukahara will open the Niigata International Animation Film Festival which will take place from March 15 – 20, 2024 in Niigata, Japan.

Kuramerukagari by Shigeyoshi Tsukahara – Japan | 2024

This is a story that weaves together people and a town. A coal mining town crowded with small-scale excavators, commonly known as the “Hakoniwa.” In this town that changes daily like a labyrinth, there’s a girl named Kagari who runs a mapmaking business and a boy named Yuya who dreams of breaking free from the “Hakoniwa.” Eventually, the two, along with the unique residents of the town, find themselves confronting a conspiracy that shakes the entire town. The fate of the” Hakoniwa” depends on Kagari’s drawings on the map.

Trailer:

About the director:
Born in Tokyo in 1981. From his childhood, he enjoyed watching old SF films, and started making his original animations around 2002. Later, he joined a company, but eventually became a freelance. In recent years he has released several original short films he has produced. Not only has he explored his creativity in producing films, but he has also done supportive works to design the live stage of the artist called Sekai No Owari.

For more information, please visit: https://niigata-iaff.net/en/