Feb 22, 2009 “La maison en petits cubes” has won the 81st Academy Awards ® 2009 in the short film (animated) category!

Director’s comment

I am thrilled to receive such an honored prize at the prestigious Oscar Awards. I would like to thank all the the staff that have worked so hard and to everyone that were involved in this project. I'm looking forward to sharing this joy with everyone in Japan. Thank you so much. Kunio Kato

< STORY SYNOPSIS >

It was a house, just like a one built of toy blocks. Since the sea level was rising higher and higher, the house too was built higher

and higher. This is a story of a grand pa living in the house and his memories of life with his family.

＜CREDITS & TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS＞

Nationality of film: JAPAN http://ftp.robot.co.jp/La_maison

Year of film: 2008 ID: La_maison

Production Company: ROBOT Communications Inc. PASS: robot2009

Director/: Kunio Kato

Screenplay: Kenya Hirata

Producers: Masanori Kusakabe, Yuko Shin [email protected]

Sound: Stereo (No dialogues)

Running Time: 12 min 3sec

Creation Techniques: Drawing on paper / 2D computer

Screening Format: HDcam (NTSC) , Batacam (PAL,NTSC)

Frame size: 16:9 Letterbox

La maison en petits cubes

(The House of Small Cubes)

１ News Release（2009.01.23）

“La maison en petits cubes” nominated for 81st Academy Awards®

– ROBOT Communications Inc.’ animation director again wins worldwide applause, following France’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival –

“La maison en petits cubes,” an animation film directed by Kunio Kato and produced by ROBOT Communications Inc. (Head office: Shibuya Ward, ; President: Shuji Abe), has been nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 81 st Academy Awards®. This accomplishment marks the second time a work directed by a Japanese director has been nominated for the same award, following the nomination of Koji Yamamoto’s “Atamayama” in 2003. The director, Kunio Kato, was born in 1977 and is currently serving “Cage” of ROBOT’s Character Animation Division, Kato directed the nominated work to a screenplay created by Kenya Hirata, a playwright also serving ROBOT. The animated film has garnered acclaim at film festivals worldwide. Last June, at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2008, it won the Annecy Cristal––the top prize––as well as the Junior Jury Award. Elsewhere, the film was awarded the Hiroshima and Audience Prizes at the 12 th International Animation Festival Hiroshima 2008, and the Animation Division Grand Prize at the 12 th Japan Media Arts Festival sponsored by Japan’s Agency of Cultural Affairs, among others. In all, the masterpiece has so far won 19 awards at 12 film festivals both domestic and abroad. Many are curious whether Kato will be the second Japanese director ever to win an Oscar®, following Hayao Miyazaki, who won the Best Animated Feature Film Award in 2003 for his “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (Spirited Away).

２ La maison en petits cubes

え

< STORY SYNOPSIS >

It was a house, just like a one built of toy blocks.

Since the sea level was rising higher and higher,

the house too was built higher and higher.

This is a story of a grand pa living in the house and his memories of life with his family.

< DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT>

This work depicts, in a rather straightforward manner, the central character, a lonesome old man, in his everyday

life. My intention in this is to present a symbolic representation of life. True, life is ephemeral. Yet, it still matters

what you consider as truly important and what you do with things gone and lost, in this brief period of time called

life. I wanted this work to help viewers reflect on these things.

＜CREDITS & TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS＞

Nationality of film: JAPAN

Year of film: 2008

Production Company: ROBOT Communications Inc.

Director/Animation: Kunio Kato

Screenplay: Kenya Hirata

Producers: Masanori Kusakabe, Yuko Shin

Sound: Stereo (No dialogues)

Running Time: 12 min 3sec

Creation Techniques: Drawing on paper / 2D computer

Screening Format: HDcam (NTSC) , Batacam (PAL,NTSC)

Frame size: 16:9 Letterbox

< AWARDS> (Feb.10th 2009)

The Annecy Cristal & Junior Jury Award 32nd Annecy International Animation Film Festival, 2008

9 Jun – 14 Jun | France

Hiroshima Prize & Audience Prize 12th Hiroshima International Animation Festival, 2008

7 Aug – 11 Aug | Japan

Best Animation 12th LA Shorts Fest, 2008

15 Aug – 21 Aug | USA

Best Animated Film 18th Message to Man International Film Festival, 2008

15 Jun – 22 Jun | Russia

Best Script 16th Anima Mundi, 2008 11 Jul – 27 Jul | Brazil

Grand Prize & Special Jury Distinction for Best Directing 2nd International Animation Festival ANIMANIMA, 2008

10 Sep – 13 Sep | Serbia & Montenegro

Grand Prize 12th Japan Media Arts Festival,2008（Animation Division）

(Including those mentioned above, the film has won

19 awards in all at film festivals both domestic and abroad.)

＜DVD＞

“pieces of love vol.1 Tsumiki no Ie ” (DVD) (Japan Version)

Release Date: October 24, 2008

Region: Region 2

Format: NTSC

Distributions：TOHO, Inc.

Price：1,995 Yen (Tax Incl.)

＜BOOK＞

“Tsumiki no Ie ” (BOOK) (Japan Version)

(A picture book, rewritten and repainted from original film.)

Illustrations: Kunio Kato

Text: Kenya Hirata

Release Date: October 16, 2008

Publisher: Hakusensha, Inc

Price: 1,470 Yen (Tax Incl.)

３ Director – Kunio Kato

< BRIEF PERSONAL HISTORY >

Born in Kagoshima, Japan, in 1977, Kato began creating his own animation works while studying at Tama Art University.

After graduating from the university, he joined ROBOT Communications Inc. Currently, he is working on a great variety of for websites, TV commercials and programs, and many more, at Animation Studio “Cage” of ROBOT’s Character Animation Division. His major works include “Aru Tabibito no Nikki” (The Diary of Tortov Roddle), “La maison en petits cubes,” (The House of Small Cubes) and others.

＜MAJOR WORKS＞

2008 ANIMATION / “La maison en Petits cubes” / 12’ 3” ･Direction･Animation

WEB / Hargendats “Little Pâtissier” http://www.haagen-dazs.co.jp/dolce/ ･Character Design

TVCF / SONY Music “Shiawase ni Nararu uta” / 0’15” ･Animation

PICTURE BOOK / “La maison en Petits cubes” ･Illustration

2006 ANIMATION (PR Animation for “au” mobile telephone) “R” / 4’ 50” ･Direction･Animation

2005 TV PROGRAM (NHK “MINNA NO UTA”)/ “Cell no Koi” / 4’40”

･Animation

2005 WEB ANIMATION (PR Animation for KIRIN “Green Label”) “GREEN LABEL” / 3 episodes, each 0’40” ･Direction･Animation

2004 ANIMATION (MTV “Art Break Project”) “MUSIC FLOWER” / 1’00” ･Direction･Animation

2003 WEB ANIMATION (shockwave.com) “The Diary of Tortov Roddle” / 6 episodes, each 3’00” ･Direction･Animation

WEB ANIMATION (for J-POP Artist, My Little Lover) “FANTASY” / 5 episodes, each 0’40” ･Direction･Animation

2001 ANIMATION (independent work) “The Apple Incident” / 2’40”

･Direction･Animation

“La maison en petits cubes” -

“R” - Selected / Ottawa International Animation Festival 2006.

- Special Jury Distinction / Short Animation Division, the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival.

“Fantasy” - Selected / Ottawa International Animation Festival 2004.

- Selected / SICAF (Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival) 2004.

“Aru Tabibito no Nikki” (The Diary of Tortov Roddle) - Best Work Prize ( Norshtein Award) / Laputa Animation Festival 2003

- Grand Prix / Hida International Melhen Film Festival 2004

- Screening / Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2004

“The Apple Incident” - Best Work Prize (Yuri Norshtein Award) / Laputa Animation Festival 2001

４ Screenwriter – Kenya Hirata

< BRIEF PERSONAL HISTORY >

Born in Nara, Japan, on July 4th, 1972, Hirata is a screenwriter. After graduating from the College of Literature, Aoyama

Gakuin University, he join ed ROBOT Communications Inc. in 1995. Currently, he writes many scenarios for theater movies, TV dramas, short motion pictures, and others with ROBOT’s Communication Planning Division.

＜MAJOR WORKS＞

・Animation “La maison en petits cubes” 2008 Screenplay

・Motion Picture “SHINOBI” 2005 Screenplay

* Currently, this motion picture is under remaking in the USA (Universal Pictures).

・Motion Picture “Returner” 2002 Screenplay

* This motion picture was shown at theaters in Los Angeles and New York City, the USA, in 2003.

５ ROBOT Communications Inc.

Founded in 1986, ROBOT Communications Inc. is a production company engaged in a wide range of services, from designing and producing visual contents for various media such as TV commercials, theatrical movies, animations, computer graphics and mobile contents, to character creation/development, graphic design, website creation and management, and more. One of its best-known works is the motion picture series, “Always San-chome no Yuhi”

(Always: Sunset on Third Street). Official website : http://www.robot.co.jp.

６ ROBOT Animation Studio CAGE

Founded by Tatsutoshi Nomura, an animation director known for “Stray Sheep” and other works, “Cage” has four animation artists (Nomura, Kunio Kato, Takuya Inaba, Osamu Sakai) and two computer graphic artists as staff. The studio is involved in the creation of various animation and CG works.

In addition to designing and producing original works, the studio is engaged in a wide range of services, such as character creation/development, creating animations for TV and Internet advertisements, and more.

７ DOWNLOAD

Please download “La maison en petits cubes” PRESS KIT here.

http://ftp.robot.co.jp/La_maison/

ID : La_maison

PASS : robot2009

＜PRESS KIT＞

- 3 images from the animation “La maison en petits cubes” (jpeg)

- A photo of the director, Kunio Kato (jpeg)

- A digest version of “La maison en petits cubes” (QT)

- Press kit document (PDF)

- Corporate profile of ROBOT Communications Inc. (PDF)

８ CONTACT

For more information and press inquiries, please contact below:

Robot Communications Inc.

F･A･A･B

Tsuyoshi Takizawa / Yui Tanaka

+81-3-3760-1068

faab＠robot.co.jp