GKIDS, producer and distributor of multiple Oscar-nominated animated features, announced today it will bring the stylish and humorous ode to filmmaking Pompo the Cinephile to cinemas nationwide this April. In addition to the full feature, audiences will view a special introduction from director Takayuki Hirao, exclusive to the Fathom Events screenings.
Continuing their partnership with Fathom Events, fan preview events for Pompo the Cinephile will play in cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, April 27 (Japanese language) and Thursday, April 28 (English language dubbed). Fan preview events will be followed by a limited theatrical release in select markets nationwide by GKIDS starting April 29.
Acclaimed director Hirao (God Eater, The Garden of Sinners), known for his dynamic, maximalist animation sequences, returns to the director’s chair with this production from the all-new studio CLAP. An official selection and nominee for the Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival, Pompo the Cinephile was domestically released in Japan on June 4, 2021, and swiftly became an indie hit. Fueled by the excitement from the film’s domestic release, a crowdfunding campaign to create a 35mm print of the feature achieved its fundraising goals of ¥10,000,000 (approx. $91,000 USD) in just 11 days.
Synopsis: Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?
Pompo the Cinephile is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a “masterpiece.”
Tickets will be on sale March 25 at FathomEvents.com, PompoMovie.com and participating theater box offices. Ticket on-sale date may vary based on local cinemas, so check back often. (Theaters and participants are subject to change).
