The theatrical rights in the film were purchased by Natsumi Kokawa's company Elles Films, and a crowdfunding campaign was launched to prepare dubbing and wide distribution.
The russian aggression on Ukraine has not left the Japanese people indifferent. Natsumi Kokawa, an employee of one of the film distribution companies in Tokyo, thought about how he could help Ukrainians. He decided to create his own distribution company, purchase the rights in Ukrainian animated films and introduce them to Japan.
At his own expense, Kokawa paid the initial film rights fees for The Stolen Princess. But since Elles Films had just been established, it did not have enough money to prepare the film for distribution. So, Kokawa launched a crowdfunding campaign.
The goal of the campaign is 17 million yen. These funds should be enough to create dubbing in Japanese and release the film nationwide. The campaign has already accumulated about 2 million yen. The fundraising campaign will last until November 30, so you can join it by the following link: https://motion-gallery.net/projects/Ukraine_anime
Natsumi Kokawa plans to return to the producers of the film some part of the proceeds from the screenings. Another 5% will be donated to the Ukrainian government and ICFR, an organization that supports filmmakers during the war.
Kokawa believes that Ukrainian films will allow the Japanese audience to acquaint themselves with the Ukrainian culture better, learn more about the situation in Ukraine now, support Ukrainians, and deepen cultural ties.
The premiere of The Stolen Princess is planned for 2023. Until now, no Ukrainian animated film has been officially released in Japan, and this film will be the first released in Japan. Wish it luck!
