Studio Ghibli co-production ‘The Red Turtle,’ directed by Michael Dudok de Wit, is named runner up for the award.
LOS ANGELES, CA -- The Los Angeles Film Critics Association announced on Sunday that Your Name was selected as Best Animated Film for 2016. The critically acclaimed anime film from director Makoto Shinkai, CoMix Wave Films and Toho Co Ltd. is the third anime film to ever win this prestigious award. Runner-up for the award was The Red Turtle from Studio Ghibli. Since 1975, the LAFCA, comprised of LA-based, professional print and electronic media film critics, gathers annually to vote on the “outstanding cinematic achievements” of the past year. The association will present the awards at its annual dinner on January 17, 2017 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City, CA.
“We consider Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name a true masterpiece and its selection for the prestigious Best Animated Film from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association only cements that fact,” said Funimation CEO and founder Gen Fukunaga. “Funimation has been fortunate to work with Makoto Shinkai on this film and we are confident that U.S. audiences will agree that it is one of the finest animated films of the decade.”
Your Name has been screening to sold out audiences all week at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills as part of its one-week only, Oscar qualifying run. The film’s limited engagement ends on Thursday, December 8.
“Your Name is the epitome of excellence in animation and I have no doubt Makoto Shinkai’s name will be widely recognized across North America within the next few years,’” said Funimation EVP and COO Mike DuBoise. “Congratulations to everyone at Toho and CoMix Wave Films for such a prestigious honor!”
Your Name is a beautiful story about time, fate and the hearts of two young souls. The film has earned upwards of $175 million at the box office in Japan since opening on August 26, 2016 -- making it the #1 highest grossing film of 2016. Your Name debuted in China this past weekend, grossing $41 million to become the number one film at the box office. Your Name has already surpassed four Hayao Miyazaki films Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Princess Mononoke (1997), Ponyo (2008) and The Wind Rises (2013) and is currently ranked as the second-highest grossing anime film and fifth-highest grossing film (all genre) of all time in Japan.
Look for Your Name in select theaters nationwide from Funimation Films in early 2017.
Source: Funimation Films
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
