ADV Films confirmed that their forthcoming release of Voices of a Distant Star will screen at this weekend's A-KON 14, to be held May 30-June 1 at the Hyatt D/FW. The Voices... screening will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, in Video Room #1. Voices of a Distant Star was created single-handedly by the young Japanese animator Makoto Shinkai, using only a Macintosh G4/400 computer and assorted consumer- and professional-level design and animation programs. It is an extraordinarily beautiful film, telling in deft strokes a tale of two lovers torn apart by tides of war and millions of miles of interstellar space. Only the music (composed by Tenmon) and voice acting were not performed by Shinkai.
On the strength of Voices of a Distant Star, Shinkai won the prestigious "Most Valuable Newcomer" award at the 2002 Tokyo International Anime Fair. Early critical response in the U.S. has been strong:
"This is perhaps the most intensely personal film I've ever seen, and Shinkai does a beautiful job with it.... The story is captivating, sad and hopeful at the same time."-Anime Jump
"...[A] quiet, understated love story...unusually cerebral."-SCI FI
Voices of a Distant Star (SRP $19.98) is a DVD-only release, including both English- and Japanese-language versions, and English subtitles. Extras include three versions of Shinkai's award-winning animated short She and Her Cat; interview with Makoto Shinkai; Voices of a Distant Star Director's Cut, with alternate vocals; original production animatics; four original Japanese trailers; reversible cover; and ADV previews.
