EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment has picked up North American distribution rights to Jinsei, Ryuya Suzuki’s Japanese animated-drama, which debuted at the Annecy Film Festival.
The debut film was animated entirely by Suzuki over 18 months, based on his script. The Rock’N Roll Mountain production features voice work from rapper Ace Cool, Taketo Tanaka, and Shohei Uno.
The film had its world premiere in the Contrechamp section at Annecy and its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival. Greenwich will release in theaters this summer.
Jinsei charts “a man’s journey through life as it leads him to unexpected success but also to confrontation of modern social issues and personal struggles.”
Watch on Deadline
Suzuki also served as editor, art director, animation director, and director of photography. Pic was produced by Kenji Iwaisawa.
The deal was negotiated by Greenwich’s Jasper Basch with Gaga representing the filmmakers.
“I am truly delighted that my film will be distributed in North America,” said Suzuki. “Last summer, I set foot in North America for the first time. I still remember, as if it were yesterday, the few days I spent in New York—the city I had admired since childhood through the movies—and the moment after the premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival when a local audience member put his arm around my shoulder, laughing, and said, ‘Suzuki, you’re crazy.’
He continued: “This anime project started out as a one-person production, and I can’t wait to see what kind of ripples it will create across North America—a place I’ve always dreamed of reaching. Thank you for your support!”