Suzume to have international premiere at Berlin Film Festival

Crunchyroll and Sony have announced the International Premiere of Makato Shinkai's Suzume will take place at the 73rd Berline International Film Festival, the first time in almost two decades that an anime feature film has been included in the competition.

Shinkai himself will be in attendance alongside actor Nanoka Hara and producer Genki Kawamura while the festival runs from the 16th to the 26th of February.

The film will come to the UK in April in partnership with Sony Entertainment.Crunchyroll will handle international distribution and marketing rights.

From the Press Release:

At its core, Suzume is based on the massive disaster that occurred in Japan twelve years ago,” said Shinkai. “I'm eager to see how this film translates to international audiences: what makes sense, what doesn't, and what common ground we have across cultures. The film's imminent international release will hopefully give me the answer to those questions. And, I cannot thank our team members enough for their unprecedented talent and perseverance throughout the film's production. On behalf of the entire team, I would also like to give thanks to all the fans who have cheered us on, making Suzume possible.”

“As someone who has never been outside my home country, it's a dream come true to attend the Berlin International Film Festival with the Suzume’team,” said Hara. “Time and time again, I've been so happy to be a part of this film. I'm looking forward to seeing the international audiences' reactions at the festival and hope the entire world falls in love with the movie!”

Suzume debuted in Japan on November 11 and has now surpassed 9.63 million admissions. Suzume has also earned 12.8 billion yen (approx. 99 million USD) in 10 weeks.