At the "Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024," which began on June 9 local time in France, the premiere screening of Naoko Yamada's "Your Colors" took place on June 13.

Known as the world's largest animation film festival, this year's Annecy festival received 3,400 entries from over 108 countries and regions, with 113 films selected for screening. Twelve titles were nominated in the feature competition category, including "Your Colors." This marks Yamada's third entry in the feature category.

The 949 seats in the main venue sold out immediately, with additional seating added to accommodate the overflow. At the Annecy festival, it is customary to throw paper airplanes with messages of hope and expectations before screenings, and many paper airplanes were flown for this film.

When Director Yamada took the stage before the screening, the audience was ecstatic, greeting her with an unprecedented standing ovation. She said, "I'm back, Annecy! This work is filled with memories and admiration for my band. I want to convey that music is wonderful and the feeling of cherishing people is wonderful."

As the screening began, the audience was captivated by the film, bursting into laughter several times and holding their breath at the characters' emotional turmoil. During the film's music scenes, which are one of its biggest attractions, the entire venue clapped along to the rhythm, and the energy of over 900 viewers reached its peak.

When the end credits rolled, another standing ovation erupted, with even louder cheers and applause than at the entrance. Initially relieved, Director Yamada's face broke into a broad smile as the applause continued. The story she wove, depicting the independence, struggles, and romance of young girls, seemed to have captivated the audience even in faraway France.

After the screening, Director Yamada said, "I'm so full of emotions that I can't find the words. It made me proud to see that the audience enjoyed it so much. It gives me power to connect to the next step. I wished I could have brought all the staff here to see this scenery together." She spoke with deep emotion.

The audience praised the film: "A very wonderful work. The animation and the colors were amazing. Though it is a work about colors, emotions were conveyed properly through them. It became one of my favorite films." "Among the films at the festival, this was my favorite! It was so enjoyable to watch, and the music and characters resonated deeply, providing the best experience." "It was amazing. I loved the songs, and the audience enjoyed it together, laughing and feeling very warm."

At the subsequent autograph session, over 300 people from various genders, ages, and nationalities lined up. A young man brought a storyboard collection of past works, and an elderly couple enthusiastically conversed, showing the high interest in Director Yamada at the venue. The director herself enjoyed communicating with local fans, overcoming the language barrier with smiles and gestures, leading to the autograph session extending well beyond the scheduled time.

Source : ORICON NEWS