{"id":4123,"date":"2026-06-25T02:21:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation-2\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T02:21:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T18:21:16","slug":"we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are Aliens Anime Film Lands Singapore Release via Shaw Organisation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Singapore is getting an unusually special theatrical anime release this year. <em>We Are Aliens<\/em> (\u30ef\u30ec\u30ef\u30ec\u30cf\u30a6\u30c1\u30e5\u30a6\u30b8\u30f3) \u2014 a Japanese-French co-production that made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival\u2019s Directors\u2019 Fortnight in May 2026 \u2014 has confirmed Shaw Organisation as its Singapore distributor, bringing one of the animation festival circuit\u2019s most talked-about titles of the year to local screens.<\/p>\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\/wmOR9ovlikQ\" title=\"We Are Aliens - Anime Film Video | open in 2026\" 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 &#8211; Anime Film Video | open in 2026 \u2014 via LPE on YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What Is We Are Aliens?<\/h2>\n<p>Directed by K\u014dhei Kadowaki and co-produced by Japanese indie label NOTHING NEW and Paris-based Miyu Productions, <em>We Are Aliens<\/em> is a quietly intimate coming-of-age drama spanning nearly three decades. The story follows two boys \u2014 Tsubasa and Gyotaro \u2014 in a small Japanese town whose childhood friendship is fractured by a single act of jealousy and misunderstanding. The film then jumps forward in time, tracking them as adults reckoning with what that break cost them.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still-2.png?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A scene from We Are Aliens showing the two childhood friends\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of NOTHING NEW \/ Miyu Productions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kadowaki \u2014 whose animation credits include YOASOBI\u2019s acclaimed \u201cA Gentle Comet\u201d music video \u2014 serves as writer, director, storyboarder, and editor on the film, giving it a genuinely singular authorial voice. The animation style blends rotoscoped movement with hand-drawn expressiveness, aiming for a grounded, lived-in quality rather than the visual bombast of mainstream releases. Composer Yaffle, closely associated with YOASOBI\u2019s sound, provides the score, with Ry\u014dta Band\u014d and Amane Okayama leading the adult voice cast.<\/p>\n<h2>From Cannes to Annecy: The Festival Run<\/h2>\n<p>The film\u2019s world premiere was at Cannes\u2019 Directors\u2019 Fortnight \u2014 historically one of the most director-focused sidebars of the festival, with a track record of championing unconventional debuts. From there it moved to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in competition, one of the most prestigious animation showcases in the world. Both selections are unusual for a debut feature built on crowdfunding and indie production, and they put <em>We Are Aliens<\/em> firmly on the path that tends to produce quiet word-of-mouth favourites.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still-3.png?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"We Are Aliens - film still showing an emotional scene between the two leads\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of NOTHING NEW \/ Miyu Productions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The project was funded via MotionGallery, Japan\u2019s creative crowdfunding platform, where it surpassed its 8 million yen goal to raise 9.6 million yen \u2014 real community investment in a project that came almost entirely from outside the mainstream anime production system. International sales are handled by Charades, a Paris-based sales agent with a recent track record of arthouse breakouts from Asia.<\/p>\n<h2>Singapore and the Southeast Asia Release<\/h2>\n<p>The regional distribution announcement, confirmed on 23 June 2026, covers multiple Asian markets at once: Shaw Organisation holds Singapore, Hooray Films has Taiwan, Intercontinental Film Distributors covers Hong Kong, Sahamongkol Film has Thailand, and Green Narae Media handles South Korea. France is covered domestically by Dulac Distribution.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/we-are-aliens-still-4.png?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"We Are Aliens - film still from the anime feature\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of NOTHING NEW \/ Miyu Productions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A specific Singapore theatrical release date has not yet been confirmed \u2014 Shaw Organisation holds the rights, but the calendar slot is still to be announced. Given the film\u2019s arthouse profile, expect a limited-screen release rather than a wide multiplex run; keep an eye on Shaw Theatres\u2019 upcoming schedule once the Japan run concludes. We\u2019ll update when a Singapore date is locked in.<\/p>\n<p>If you follow Cannes, love character-driven anime that puts story over spectacle, or simply want to catch something genuinely unusual on a local screen before the word-of-mouth catches up with it, this is a date to keep open. For more <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/manga-anime\/\">anime films and series<\/a> we\u2019re tracking for Singapore audiences, check our Manga Anime section.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Anime\" flags=\"Singapore theatrical release date to be confirmed\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":4119,"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],"tags":[68,82,442,35,291],"class_list":["post-4123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manga-anime","tag-anime","tag-anime-movie","tag-shaw-organisation","tag-singapore","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-still-1.png?fit=1920%2C1012&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-14v","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4038,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/we-are-aliens-anime-film-singapore-shaw-organisation\/","url_meta":{"origin":4123,"position":0},"title":"We Are Aliens Anime Film Lands Singapore Distributor \u2014 Shaw Organisation to Bring Cannes Premiere Here","date":"June 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"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' Fortnight and Annecy competition selection.","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-main.jpg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6534,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/blue-lock-live-action-movie-august-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":4123,"position":1},"title":"Blue Lock Live-Action Movie Opens 7 August \u2014 Full Cast and What to Expect","date":"July 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Blue Lock live-action film opens in Japanese cinemas on 7 August 2026. 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