Shopping Guide
Director Makoto Shinkai has achieved worldwide respect for his unique outlook evident in his past anime films, including Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second. On April 28, Shinkai gave a theater greeting at the premiere of his latest anime film, The Garden of Words. The premiere was part of the Gold Coast Film Festival in Australia.
The premiere of The Garden of Words was held on the last day of the festival at a city theater. Because tickets instantly sold out, the film was moved to a 240-seat, big screen movie theater. Such an expansion of the event just before the screening made fans happy.
The stage greetings began at 4 p.m. The huge theater filled with applause as director Shinkai took to the stage. He greeted the crowd, saying, “Australia is the place where I received an award for 5 Centimeters Per Second, and I’ve always wanted to visit.”
Immediately after the screening ended, fans gave the film a standing ovation. The audience then participated in a Q&A session with director Shinkai. Over 200 people crowded the lobby to take part in the autograph session that followed. The event finished past 7 p.m. Director Shinkai had a tight schedule and had to return to Japan the following day. From the impressions of the fans that attended the premiere, the film’s formal release on May 31 is sure to be well-received.
The Garden of Words Official Site:
http://www.kotonohanoniwa.jp/(Japanese)
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
