{"id":4038,"date":"2026-06-23T16:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:15:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:15:11","slug":"we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are Aliens Anime Film Lands Singapore Distributor \u2014 Shaw Organisation to Bring Cannes Premiere Here"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An independent anime film that turned heads at Cannes and Annecy this year is heading to Singapore: <strong>We Are Aliens<\/strong>, directed by first-time feature filmmaker Kohei Kadowaki, has been picked up by <strong>Shaw Organisation<\/strong> for a local theatrical release.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-main.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"We Are Aliens anime film key visual\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nothing New<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"gt-video\">\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kQ-WVI0PdWU\" title=\"Long-form Animation Film 'We Are Aliens' Teaser\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" allow=\"accelerometer;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture;web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption>We Are Aliens \u2014 Official Teaser \u2014 via NOTHING NEW on YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>A 30-Year Friendship, Told Through Rotoscoped Animation<\/h2>\n<p><em>We Are Aliens<\/em> (Japanese title: <em>Ware Ware wa Uch&#363;jin<\/em>) follows two boys \u2014 Tsubasa and Kyotaro \u2014 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.<\/p>\n<p>The film runs 102 minutes and uses a distinctive hybrid approach: hand-drawn 2D animation blended with rotoscoping \u2014 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&#8217;s &#8220;Comet&#8221;), makes his feature directorial debut here, also handling writing, storyboarding, and editing himself.<\/p>\n<p>The film is a Japan&#8211;France co-production between <a href=\"https:\/\/nothingnew.ltd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nothing New<\/a> (Japan) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miyu.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miyu Productions<\/a> (France), with Paris-based Charades managing international sales.<\/p>\n<h2>A Rare Double: Cannes Directors&#8217; Fortnight and Annecy Competition<\/h2>\n<p>Very few anime films land at Cannes. <em>We Are Aliens<\/em> had its world premiere in the <strong>Directors&#8217; Fortnight<\/strong> (Quinzaine des Cin&#233;astes) sidebar at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival \u2014 one of the most prestigious slots in world cinema for independent work. It was also selected for the <strong>Feature Film Competition<\/strong> at the <strong>Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026<\/strong>, the world&#8217;s leading animation festival. That is a rare double-header, and it put the film on every serious animation buyer&#8217;s radar.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still1.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A scene from We Are Aliens anime film showing the two main characters\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nothing New<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the film&#8217;s approach, director Kadowaki has said: &#8220;Designing an experience that would allow audiences to genuinely empathize with the characters after watching the film was absolutely essential,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/markets-festivals\/charades-sells-wide-we-are-aliens-cannes-annecy-buzz-title-1236782150\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">as relayed in Variety<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Singapore: Shaw Organisation Confirmed as Local Distributor<\/h2>\n<p>The distribution news broke today: <strong>Shaw Organisation<\/strong> has acquired Singapore rights for <em>We Are Aliens<\/em>, confirmed <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/markets-festivals\/charades-sells-wide-we-are-aliens-cannes-annecy-buzz-title-1236782150\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">via Variety<\/a> along with a wider regional sweep. The full Asian slate is: <strong>Green Narae Media<\/strong> in South Korea, <strong>Hooray Films<\/strong> in Taiwan, <strong>Intercontinental Film Distributors<\/strong> in Hong Kong, and <strong>Sahamongkol Film<\/strong> in Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>Japan theatrical release is slated for <strong>fall 2026<\/strong>, with international screenings \u2014 including Singapore \u2014 planned from <strong>2027<\/strong>. Shaw has not yet confirmed a specific Singapore date.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still2.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"We Are Aliens anime film scene\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nothing New<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Last Words<\/h2>\n<p>Singapore does not see many films of this festival pedigree hit local cinema screens through a proper theatrical release \u2014 a Cannes Directors&#8217; Fortnight premiere and Annecy Competition slot from an independent Japanese animation studio is genuinely unusual. Shaw&#8217;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&#8217;ll update when it&#8217;s confirmed. Until then, the teaser above is well worth a watch.<\/p>\n<p>Check out <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/manga-anime\/\">more anime news and coverage on GameTrader<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Anime\" flags=\"Singapore release date to be confirmed\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shaw Organisation has acquired Singapore rights to We Are Aliens, a 102-minute indie anime about a 30-year friendship, following its world premiere at Cannes Directors&#8217; Fortnight and Annecy competition selection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[25,30],"tags":[68,82,291],"class_list":["post-4038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manga-anime","category-news","tag-anime","tag-anime-movie","tag-singapore-anime"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-main.jpg?fit=2000%2C1096&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-138","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4123,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":4038,"position":0},"title":"We Are Aliens Anime Film Lands Singapore Release via Shaw Organisation","date":"June 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cannes 2026 anime film We Are Aliens, a Japanese-French co-production from director K\u014dhei Kadowaki, is heading to Singapore cinemas via Shaw Organisation.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Manga Anime&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still-1.png?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4194,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/kasagi-labo-singapore-ninja-scroll-casshan-ars-gratia-annecy-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":4038,"position":1},"title":"Singapore\u2019s Kasagi Labo Announces Ninja Scroll Film, Casshan 2045 and Ars Gratia at Annecy","date":"June 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Singapore\u2019s Kasagi Labo unveiled three anime projects at Annecy 2026: a Ninja Scroll film, Casshan 2045 with Yoshitaka Amano designs, and sci-fi Ars Gratia.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Manga Anime&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ninja-scroll-kasagi-labo-2026.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3051,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-infinity-castle-premieres-in-singapore\/","url_meta":{"origin":4038,"position":2},"title":"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba \u2013 Infinity Castle Premieres in Singapore!","date":"August 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Anime fans, assemble! 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