GKIDS Releases Pompo: The Cinéphile Anime Film on Home Video on July 12, Digitally on June 28

GKIDS announced on Monday that it and Shout! Factory will release the anime film of Shogo Sugitani's Pompo: The Cinéphile (Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san) manga digitally on June 28 and in a Blu-ray Disc/DVD combo on July 12. The company screened an English dub trailer:

GKIDS began screening the film in the U.S. on April 29 in select theaters with a special fan preview screening on April 27-28. The movie is screening in Japanese with English subtitles and an English dub.

The film was slated to open in 2020 in Japan, but was delayed to a March 2021 opening due to "various circumstances," and then delayed again to a June 2021 opening due to the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

NYICFF describes the film:

If you're reading this, chances are you like movies. You'll feel right at home with Pompo, the talented and gutsy producer whose love of cinema is unflinching and unapologetic. One day, Pompo turns her uncanny eye for talent to her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene, selecting him to make his directorial debut with her latest script. But Gene has his work cut out for him with a young starlet looking for her first big break and a legendary, aging, Brando-like superstar in front of the camera. It's not an action movie, but Pompo's breakneck pace combined with the high stakes of creative fulfillment pack in as much excitement as standard superhero fare. Add to that a slew of insider movie references and countless winks and nods to the filmmaking process, this hilarious and heartful dramedy has what it takes to fulfill even your wildest celluloid dreams.

Takayuki Hirao (The Garden of Sinners movie 5, God Eater) directed the film at CLAP. Shingo Adachi (Sword Art Online, Wagnaria!!) designed the characters. Ryoichiro Matsuo (In This Corner of the World) served as producer. Vocaloid producer Iori Kanzaki composed three vocal songs for the film. Virtual singer Kaf performed one insert song "Tatoeba" (For Example), and DUSTCELL vocalist EMA performed the film's other insert song "Hangyakusha no Bokura" (We the Rebels). In addition, Seiko Niizuma performed the film's opening number "Dance on Fire." Rookie female singer CIEL performed the film's theme song "Mado wo Akete" (Open a Window).

The anime film premiered in North America at Montreal's 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in August.

Sugitani, who also goes by the pen name Ningen Plamo ("Human Plastic Model"), began posting the manga on the pixiv website in April 2017. Positive word-of-mouth on social networking sites and elsewhere has since led to over 500,000 views of the manga. The manga was nominated for the 11th Manga Taisho awards in 2018. Sugitani launched a spinoff manga titled Fran: The Cinéphile (Eiga Daisuki Fran-chan NYALLYWOOD STUDIOS SERIES) on the pixiv Comic website in July 2018.

Source: Press release