The Deer King, Tokyo Revengers, 'Fire Craft' Films Screen at Fantasia Int'l Film Festival

Montreal's 25th Fantasia International Film Festival announced on Wednesday that it will screen The Deer King anime film, the Tokyo Revengers live-action film, and the Fire Craft ("Hizukuri") short anime film. The live-action Tokyo Revengers film will make its international debut outside of Japan at the festival, and the other two films will be North American premieres.

Shika no Ō: Yuna to Yakusoku no Tabi (The Deer King: The Promised Journey With Yuna), the anime film of Nahoko Uehashi's Shika no Ō (The Deer King) medical fantasy novel series was previously slated to open in Japan on September 18, 2020, but it will now open on September 10 this year. Anime Limited plans to release the film in cinemas in the United Kingdom in 2021 if the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation permits. GKIDS will theatrically screen the film with both English subtitles and an English dub in North America in early 2022. screened last month in competition at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

The live-action film of Ken Wakui's Tokyo Revengers manga opened on July 9. slated to open in Japan last October, but was delayed to 2021 due to the effects of the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Japan. The production halted filming in April 2020 due to COVID-19. The film opened on July 9. Tsutomu Hanabusa (live-action Kakegurui, Miseinen dakedo Kodomo ja Nai) directed the film.

"Hizukuri," a short anime film project, launched on the crowdfunding platform MotionGallery in October 2016, aiming to create a 10-minute short using 2D CG animation. The short had a projected release date of November 2017, but had been delayed since. Naoki Matsuura, who has worked at Production I.G and ROBOT and as an episode director for Black Clover, directed the short. Director Matsuura commented that the story is inspired by his encounter with a real-life scissor artisan at SASUKE, a blacksmith workshop based in Sakai, Osaka. SASUKE is collaborating on the project.

The Deer King and Fire Craft have been nominated in the Feature Film Category and Short Film Category, respectively, of the festival's Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation.

The festival will also screen the following anime films, all of which will be North American premieres:

• Poupelle of Chimney Town
• Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyokō no Nikuko-chan)
• Pompo: The Cinéphile

The festival will screen the following live-action films:

• Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist - North American premiere
• Love, Life and Goldfish - international premiere
• Georama Boy Panorama Girl - Canadian premiere

The festival will also stream the new theatrical cut of Takahide Hori's Junk Head stop-motion project. This will be the new edit's North American premiere.

The virtual film festival will stream from August 5-25.

Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette (Kakegurui: Zettai Zetsumei Russian Roulette), the live-action film sequel based on Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura's Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler manga, will have its North American debut at the virtual film festival.

The festival will also screen Shunji Iwai's live-action online film 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8.

The festival's staff have stated that its 25th iteration will feature an "enhanced focus on Japanese cinema ... In celebration of the key role that Japan's culture has played across Fantasia's history."

The 24th Fantasia International Film Festival hosted the Canadian premiere of the first Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler live-action film. The event also screened the live-action film adaptation of Fujita's Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku manga and the live-action film adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Barbara manga in 2020.