Makoto Shinkai`s YOUR NAME. Makes Official Consideration List for 89th Annual Academy Awards

Country girl Mitsuha Miyamizu and city boy Taki Tachibana keep switching bodies in the box office smash anime film YOUR NAME. Image courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. © 2016 “your name.” Film Partners. All Rights Reserved

Japanese Film Pursuing Oscar Nomination for Best Animated Feature Source: Funimation Films press release Official Site: kiminona.com (Japan), funimationfilms.com/movie/yourname (US) Special Thanks to Scott Lonski Funimation Films confirmed today that the Japanese film YOUR NAME. (?????, Kimi no Na wa., 2016) has made the official Oscar consideration list in the Best Animated Feature category. The film will be vying for one of five nomination spots in its category that will be voted on for the 89th annual Academy Awards.

Funimation Films acquired North American distributions rights to YOUR NAME. earlier this year from Toho Co. Ltd. in Japan. YOUR NAME. is the latest film from the critically acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai and to date has earned in excess of $17.9 Billion Yen ($170 Million USD) at the box office in Japan since opening on August 26 -- making it the #1 highest grossing film of 2016. It has the singular distinction of being the first anime film to gross more than $10 Billion Yen ($96 Million USD) at the Japanese box office that was not directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the world`s most prominent anime director. YOUR NAME. has already surpassed Miyazaki’s last two films PONYO (2008) and THE WIND RISES (2013) and is currently ranked as the #7 highest grossing film of all time in Japan. "We’re thrilled to have YOUR NAME. on the list of contenders for a Best Animated Feature nomination," said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and founder of Funimation. "It is a masterpiece of animation from director Makoto Shinkai and is definitely worthy of Oscar consideration. We look forward to releasing it in theaters in 2017." "YOUR NAME. offers stunning animation, rich characters and a storyline that will tear at your heart strings -- so it is no surprise it has been so well received by audiences," said Mike DuBoise, EVP and COO of Funimation. "We’re incredibly excited to bring this Oscar-worthy film from Makoto Shinkai to audiences across the U.S. and Canada." YOUR NAME. is a beautiful story about time, fate and the hearts of two young souls. The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers, living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars? The film`s qualifying run will take place in Los Angeles on December 2 – 8 at the Laemmle Music Hall. Look for YOUR NAME. in select theaters nationwide in early 2017. For more information about YOUR NAME. visit the official movie website. Like Funimation on Facebook at facebook.com/funimation, and follow them on Instagram at instagram.com/funimation and Twitter at twitter.com/funimation.

About Funimation Films

Funimation Films, the theatrical division of Funimation Entertainment, acquires both anime and live action movies from prominent international filmmakers that appeal to the interests and passion of all types of fans and distributes them throughout North America. The division was launched in December 2014 following the box office success of DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF GODS that same year. Funimation Films released DRAGON BALL Z: RESURRECTION `F` a year later and which became #9 highest-grossing anime movie in North America. Funimation Films has gone on to release numerous movies including most recently SHIN GODZILLA. Funimation Entertainment is a subsidiary of Group 1200 Media, a fully integrated, next-generation, independent entertainment studio based in Dallas. For more information on Funimation Films, visit funimationfilms.com.

For more information on YOUR NAME., please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: