Pinguim Content’s latest animated feature film, My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin, has been shortlisted for this year’s MIANIMA training program for animated feature film and series projects led by women from Spain and Latin America. The pitch will be competing alongside other feature projects helmed by women to win a EUR 25,000 grant to produce a teaser/trailer for the film.
Crafted in a 2D animation style incorporating Japanese cultural influences, My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin tells the story of a 10-year-old Japanese-Brazilian boy named Noboru, who persuades his reluctant Japanese immigrant grandfather, Hideo, to share the hidden stories of his past. The film is based on the acclaimed novel by Oscar Nakasato.
The film is written by Rita Catunda and directed by Celia Catunda, who have been participating in MIANIMA-led online courses and masterclasses meant to support the project since October 2022. The duo will pitch the film to an international panel of TV and film executives including the BBC’s Patricia Hidalgo, RAI’s Sara Cabras, RTP’s Andrea Basilio, Netflix’s Janine Weigold and RTVE’s Yago Fandiño, at a special event in Madrid this week.
“We are extremely excited about this wonderful opportunity to pitch My Grandfather Is a Nihonjin to such a dynamic panel of executives,” says Pinguim Content’s founder Celia Catunda. “We are very proud of this project, which is exquisitely animated and deals with some important themes about immigration and cultural identity, and we can’t wait to show the industry how far we have progressed with it.”
MIANIMA 2022-2023 is a specific training program for animated feature film and series projects led by women from Spain and Latin America, promoted by MIA, Women in the Animation Industry. MIANIMA’S main goals are to discover and support female talent by mentoring and promoting their animation projects, create highly qualified employment opportunities for younger female talents, create new business niches and strengthen female entrepreneurship in the animation sector.
Other feature films participating in MIANIMA this year are Chocó and the Magical Jungle, directed by Estefanía Piñeres; Blue’s Journey by Aline Romero; Francisca and the Dream of the Earth by Merce Castellanos; Mermaid Island by Eva Pérez Misa; Lu’s Light by Mariana Marroquín Hierro; and About Marina by Dolores Montaño. See the full roster of projects at animacionesmia.com.
