VIEW THE TRAILER HERE
GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the animated feature ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND fromdirector Kenji Iwaisawa, based on the manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi. In production for over seven years, ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND is composed of over 40,000 hand drawn frames, using the rotoscoping animation technique. The film won the Nelvana Grand Prize at the 2019 Ottawa International Animation Festival, and has been selected for the Contrechamp Competition section at the upcoming 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. GKIDS will release the film in 2020.
SYNOPSIS
When you’re a bored teenager looking for thrills, sometimes the only thing you can turn to is rock ‘n roll. Having no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, a feared trio of high school delinquents nevertheless decide they are destined for musical glory in a quest to impress their only friend Aya, avoid a rival gang, and – most importantly – jam out.
Animated almost entirely by director Kenji Iwaisawa, and featuring a lead performance by Japanese alt-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto, ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND brings its own sound and vision to the Hiroyuki Ohashi manga from which it was adapted. With pitch-perfect deadpan humor, the film presents a highly original take on the beloved slacker comedy: a lo-fi buddy film with a blaring musical finale that will leave you wanting an immediate encore.
Rodney Uhler of GKIDS and Emico Kawai of Nikkatsu Corporation negotiated the deal for North American rights.
“On-Gaku: Our Sound reminds us of our favorite indie comedies while remaining a wholly unique film,” said Rodney Uhler, GKIDS’ Director of Special Projects. “Kenji Iwaisawa’s remarkable hand-drawn work has created a film full of quotable lines, distinctive characters and infectious style. It remains one of the most fun viewing experiences we’ve had all year, and we can’t wait to share the film with audiences.”
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the New York-based producer and distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences. Since 2009, the company has scored eleven Best Animated Feature Oscar® nominations with The Secret of Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in 2014, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea in 2015, Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There in 2016, My Life as a Zucchini in 2017, The Breadwinner in 2018, and Mirai in 2019. GKIDS also handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and more. GKIDS also produces the annual LA-based film festival, ANIMATION IS FILM, which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of their work to the fullest range of expression of which medium is capable. www.gkids.com
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