Acclaimed director Yuasa Masaaki’s latest animated feature, INU-OH, has been selected for the Work In Progress Features program at this year’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival!
Based on the novel by Furukawa Hideo Heike Monogatari Inu-Oh no Maki (The Tale of the Heike, Inu-Oh’s Episode), the movie tells the story of all but forgotten 14th century Sarugaku Noh performer Inu-Oh. Born with physical disfigurements and forced to cover his face and body, the cheerful boy nevertheless goes on to become friends with a blind biwa player named Tomona and make his way to Noh stardom.
As part of the program, an exclusive introductory video is available on the Annecy 2020 online platform. Not only does Yuasa himself outline the origins of the project, but he also showcases parts of the animation tests and character designs by their creator, Matsumoto Taiyou.
INU-OH is scheduled for a theatrical release in Japan in 2021.
The 2020 Annecy International Animated Film Festival is running online until Jun. 30.