Film Label 'NOTHING NEW' First Original Animated Feature 'We are Aliens' Selected for Annecy 2026 Feature Film Competition

The first original long-form animated feature from film label 'NOTHING NEW,' titled 'We are Aliens' (directed by Komei Kadowaki), has been selected for the Feature Film Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.

Since its establishment in 2022, NOTHING NEW has been producing works with emerging Japanese creators and sending them to domestic and international film festivals. Their upcoming film 'CHILD' won the FIPRESCI Award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. 'We are Aliens' is the label's first original long-form animation.

### About Annecy International Animation Film Festival Founded in 1960, Annecy is known as the world's largest and oldest animation film festival, gathering selected works from across the globe every year. The Feature Film Competition category is the highest stage where films compete for various awards, including the prestigious Cristal for Best Feature. Past Japanese winners of the top prize include 'Porco Rosso,' 'Pom Poko,' and 'Lu Over the Wall.'

### Comment from Director Komei Kadowaki "The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has always been a great dream stage for me. When I first heard that we were selected for this year's Feature Film Competition, I was so surprised that it didn't feel real, but gradually, joy welled up within me. It's been 10 years since I started making animation on my own during university, not knowing how to do it but dreaming of Annecy. I feel deeply moved to think that I am finally going there. I hope this work reaches as many people as possible through the festival."

### About 'We are Aliens' **[STORY]** A rural town in Heisei-era Japan. Tsubasa, a shy boy struggling with being "normal," meets and becomes best friends with Kotaro, a popular and "special" boy in his third-grade spring. As they spend time together, their daily lives begin to warp. Kotaro becomes an outcast in class, and Tsubasa, noticing the change but unable to do anything, faces an irreversible event. "What if I were an alien?"—What is the meaning behind those words? A unique mystery of youth where nostalgia and unease intersect.

**[CREDITS]** Title: We are Aliens Release Date: 2026 Theatrical Release Planning, Script, Director: Komei Kadowaki Cast: Ryota Bando, Amane Okayama (Double Lead) Music: Yaffle Copyright: ©NOTHING NEW, MIYU PRODUCTIONS Planning, Production: NOTHING NEW Cooperation: MIYU PRODUCTIONS Official Site: https://nothingnew.film/wearealiens/

### Company Profile: NOTHING NEW Founded in 2022 to create a world where talent is not wasted. Upcoming 2026 releases include 'Miyuki Sawada's Gamaland' (Directed by Koki Nishii, April 24), 'CHILD' (Directed by Yusuke Iwasaki, July 17), which won the FIPRESCI award at Berlinale, and 'We are Aliens' (Directed by Komei Kadowaki), selected for Annecy.