An independent anime film that turned heads at Cannes and Annecy this year is heading to Singapore: We Are Aliens, directed by first-time feature filmmaker Kohei Kadowaki, has been picked up by Shaw Organisation for a local theatrical release.
A 30-Year Friendship, Told Through Rotoscoped Animation
We Are Aliens (Japanese title: Ware Ware wa Uchūjin) follows two boys — Tsubasa and Kyotaro — who become inseparable friends in elementary school, only for a moment of jealousy and misunderstanding to drive them apart. The story spans more than thirty years, slowly revisiting the distance that grew between them and the long shadow it cast into adulthood.
The film runs 102 minutes and uses a distinctive hybrid approach: hand-drawn 2D animation blended with rotoscoping — a technique that traces over live-action footage to capture the tiny, spontaneous gestures of children that are notoriously hard to animate purely by hand. Director Kadowaki, known in Japan for his work on animated music videos (including Yoasobi’s “Comet”), makes his feature directorial debut here, also handling writing, storyboarding, and editing himself.
The film is a Japan–France co-production between Nothing New (Japan) and Miyu Productions (France), with Paris-based Charades managing international sales.
A Rare Double: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and Annecy Competition
Very few anime films land at Cannes. We Are Aliens had its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des Cinéastes) sidebar at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival — one of the most prestigious slots in world cinema for independent work. It was also selected for the Feature Film Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, the world’s leading animation festival. That is a rare double-header, and it put the film on every serious animation buyer’s radar.
On the film’s approach, director Kadowaki has said: “Designing an experience that would allow audiences to genuinely empathize with the characters after watching the film was absolutely essential,” as relayed in Variety.
Singapore: Shaw Organisation Confirmed as Local Distributor
The distribution news broke today: Shaw Organisation has acquired Singapore rights for We Are Aliens, confirmed via Variety along with a wider regional sweep. The full Asian slate is: Green Narae Media in South Korea, Hooray Films in Taiwan, Intercontinental Film Distributors in Hong Kong, and Sahamongkol Film in Thailand.
Japan theatrical release is slated for fall 2026, with international screenings — including Singapore — planned from 2027. Shaw has not yet confirmed a specific Singapore date.
Last Words
Singapore does not see many films of this festival pedigree hit local cinema screens through a proper theatrical release — a Cannes Directors’ Fortnight premiere and Annecy Competition slot from an independent Japanese animation studio is genuinely unusual. Shaw’s acquisition signals more than a quiet streaming deal. Keep an eye out: a Singapore release date will most likely surface in late 2026 or early 2027. We’ll update when it’s confirmed. Until then, the teaser above is well worth a watch.
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