Ottawa Makes It Two of Animation's Biggest Stages
According to a report from Japanese entertainment news site Comic Natalie, the three new selections break down like this: the Melbourne International Film Festival screens the film in its Animation section from August 6 to 23; the New Zealand International Film Festival slots it into Fresh, a program dedicated to debut features from new directors; and the Ottawa International Animation Festival puts it in the feature animation competition, running September 23 to 27.
Ottawa is the one director Kohei Kadowaki singled out. In a comment shared with the announcement, he said he never imagined during production that the film would reach audiences around the world like this. He noted that Ottawa marks his second selection among the world's top animation festivals, after Annecy, and said the run of selections is turning the team's belief in the film into conviction.
The New Zealand festival tours the country rather than staying in one city, so We Are Aliens will play Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and a string of smaller cities on staggered dates.
From YOASOBI Music Videos to a Cannes Ovation
We Are Aliens (Wareware wa Uchūjin) world-premiered in May at the 79th Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight, where the 820-seat premiere screening ended in a seven-minute standing ovation. The following month it competed in the feature film competition at Annecy, the biggest event on the animation-festival calendar.
That is a rare trajectory for a first feature. Kadowaki, 29, built his name in music videos, including work for YOASOBI, before making the jump to feature animation. He wrote, directed, storyboarded, and edited the film himself.
We Are Aliens is also the first original feature-length animation from film label NOTHING NEW, co-produced with French studio Miyu Productions (Ghost Cat Anzu). The music comes from Yaffle, the producer behind hits for Fujii Kaze and Kenshi Yonezu. Part of the budget came from crowdfunding: the project raised ¥9.6 million against an ¥8 million goal, per Anime News Network.
Two Friends and a Buried Falling-Out
The story follows Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, two boys who became inseparable in elementary school before jealousy and misunderstandings drove them apart. Years later, the memories of what happened between them resurface, and the two must finally face their past.
Actors Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama share top billing as the adult Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, with child actors Yūto Maki and Tasuku Nakagome voicing their younger selves.
Looking Ahead
The festival tour runs straight into the film's theatrical release in Japan. TOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW open We Are Aliens nationwide on September 25, 2026, right in the middle of Ottawa's competition week.
Internationally, sales agent Charades has placed the film in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand. No North American or European distributor has been announced, and there is no word yet on streaming. For now, the Melbourne, New Zealand, and Ottawa screenings are the only confirmed chances to see it in English-speaking territories.