HIDARI, a stop-motion samurai film currently in development by Whatever Co. (headquartered in Tokyo; Yusuke Tominaga, CEO; hereinafter “Whatever”)　in collaboration with dwarf studios (AOI Pro. Inc.) and TECARAT, has been selected for Cannes Animation at the Marché du Film, held in conjunction with the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

On May 17, 2026 (local time), Masashi Kawamura (creator, writer, and director) will take the stage in Cannes alongside producer Noriko Matsumoto. They will screen the proof-of-concept film and present the current status and future vision for HIDARI as a feature-length film.

HIDARI is a stop-motion period film inspired by the legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro, a mysterious figure whose existence remains uncertain. Brought to life through intricately carved wooden puppets, the film reflects the spirit of his craft. The pilot has surpassed 4.9 million views on YouTube and gained over 120,000 subscribers, drawing global attention across social media and press.  It has also received numerous awards at more than 20 film festivals worldwide.

The project has been selected for the “Film Frontier – Feature Animation Creator Support” program, part of the Cultural Arts Activity Infrastructure Enhancement Fund (Creator Support Fund), administered by the Japan Arts Council with funding from the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), and is currently being developed with this support.

The project is being co-developed by three companies: Whatever, the creative studio co-founded by director Masashi Kawamura, together with two internationally acclaimed stop-motion studios, dwarf studios and TECARAT.
On the financing side, the project is supported by Questry, a content finance company dedicated to bringing original Japanese content to global audiences. The team is currently seeking additional partners and continuing to secure further financing as development progresses.
(For more details on the partnership with Questry: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000052.000040758.html

ABOUT CANNES ANIMATION / ANNECY ANIMATION SHOWCASE
Cannes Animation is a dedicated program within the Marché du Film, the world’s largest film market held alongside the Cannes Film Festival.

In partnership with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the Annecy Animation Showcase presents five carefully selected animation projects from around the world, offering opportunities for presentations, panel discussions, and networking.

Many projects selected for the Showcase go on to become completed and released feature films. Past selections include Hina (dir. Kenji Iwaisawa, selected in 2023) and Sunny (based on the manga by Taiyo Matsumoto, selected in 2025 and also produced by dwarf).

More recently, A New Dawn (dir. Yoshitoshi Shinomiya), selected in 2024, was officially selected for the Competition section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival and released theatrically in Japan in March 2026.

ABOUT HIDARI

Synopsis
Set in Edo-period Japan, HIDARI weaves together real historical events and figures with original characters to tell a story of revenge.

Jingoro, a master craftsman of his time, is caught in a conspiracy during the reconstruction of Edo Castle, losing his mentor, the woman he loves, and even his right arm.

Barely surviving, Jingoro is transformed into an agent of vengeance. Replacing his lost arm with a weaponized prosthetic, the tools he once used to carve wood are reborn as instruments of destruction. Accompanied by his partner, the “Sleeping Cat,” he sets out on a journey of revenge—only to find himself drawn into an even greater conspiracy.

Power struggles within the shogunate, advancing mechanical soldiers, and a transforming Edo Castle all threaten to consume him. As everything closes in, something within him begins to change.

HIDARI is a story of revenge and rebirth—of a man who once lived to create, only to lose himself in destruction, and ultimately rediscover both himself and the meaning of his life.

Project Overview
Title: HIDARI (Stop-Motion Samurai Film)
Genre: Action / Drama
Format / Length: Stop-motion / 90 minutes

Director & Writer: Masashi Kawamura
Co-Director & Character Design: Iku Ogawa
Character & Wood Sculpture / Production Design: Takeshi Yashiro
Producers: Noriko Matsumoto / Yusuke Tominaga / Masami Ouchi and others

Production: dwarf studios / Whatever Co. / TECARAT
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Video Materials
Proof-of-Concept Film (5:32): https://youtu.be/DpefYPLH67A
Making-of Video:  https://youtu.be/VHO6rTyyG6M
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Official Links
Official Website: https://hidari-movie.com
X (Twitter): https://x.com/hidari_movie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidari_movie/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teamhidari 

©︎dwarf/Whatever Co./TECARAT
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Selected Awards & Official Screenings (Partial)
Awards:
– The Webby Awards (28th) — Best Video: Animation (2024)
– JPPA Awards 2024 — Grand Prize (Sound Category)
– New York Asian Film Festival (22nd) — Special Mention (2023)
– Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival — Excellence Award (2023)
– New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival (10th) (2023)

Theatrical Release (proof-of-concept):
– Shinjuku Wald 9 / T-Joy Umeda (Apr 21 – May 4, 2023)
– Shibuya Pilot Film Festival (Dec 14, 2024)

Official Selections:
– StopTrik International Film Festival — International Competition (2024)
– Hiroshima Animation Season 2024
– Seoul Indie-AniFest (19th, 2023)
– ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival (6th, 2023)
– KinoDrome International Motion Picture & Screenplay Festival (2023)
– Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2023
– Niigata International Animation Film Festival (2023)
– Tokushima New Normal Film Festival (2023) 

DIRECTOR’S COMMENT — MASASHI KAWAMURA

It is a great honor to participate in the Cannes Film Festival in this way—something I have long dreamed of. Since completing the proof-of-concept film, our team has been continuously working on developing the feature screenplay and building partnerships. Creating a period action film using hand-carved wooden puppets, animated frame by frame, with the intensity of anime—this is a uniquely Japanese form of expression. Through this opportunity at the Annecy Animation Showcase, we hope to share our passion for this project with film professionals around the world.

– Masashi Kawamura is a filmmaker and creative director, and co-founder of Whatever, with over 20 years of experience working globally. His work spans commercials, music videos, television programs, and large-scale installations, and has been internationally recognized with awards including the Cristal at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, an International Emmy nomination, and Grand Prix at One Show and Clio.

PRODUCER’S COMMENT — NORIKO MATSUMOTO

It has been three years since we completed the proof-of-concept film. Being given the opportunity to pitch at the Annecy Animation Showcase within Cannes Animation is incredibly meaningful, as it reflects the belief and expectations that HIDARI can become a feature-length film with a powerful story. As a producer specializing in stop-motion animation, I have worked on many projects, but this one represents a challenge on an unprecedented scale. Through this opportunity, I hope to share not only the full scope of the story, but also the exciting journey we are on—and to find partners from around the world to help bring this project to life.

– Noriko Matsumoto began her career in commercial production and joined the founding of dwarf studios. She has produced works including Rilakkuma and Kaoru (Netflix) and Bottle George (Academy Awards shortlisted).

PRODUCTION TEAM

Whatever Co. [Creative Direction]

Whatever is a global creative studio with offices in Tokyo, New York, Taipei, and Berlin. The studio works across a wide range of disciplines, including advertising, events, television programming, and product/service development. By bringing together internationally recognized creative and craft talent with teams capable of executing cutting-edge technological development, Whatever continues to create ideas that “no one has seen before, yet everyone can relate to.”
https://whatever.co

dwarf studios (AOI Pro. Inc.) [Producer/ Animation Studio]

Founded in September 2003, dwarf is an animation studio internationally recognized for its high-quality stop-motion works. The studio has created numerous characters and original content, including NHK’s iconic character Domo, and has earned acclaim both in Japan and internationally. In addition to original titles such as Komaneko, which enjoyed a long theatrical run in France, and Mogu & Perol, a CG series co-produced with France and Taiwan, dwarf actively collaborates with a wide range of popular characters and major IPs. Recent works include the Netflix series Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019), Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure (2022), Pokémon Concierge, and the short film Bottle George, a collaboration between Akihiro Nishino and Daisuke Tsutsumi, which was shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards.
https://dw-f.jp/

TECARAT (Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd.) [Puppet Fabrication / Art Production]

TECARAT is a studio specializing in content production and visual/art design for advertising and film. Built on extensive experience and craftsmanship, the team develops story-driven brand content, animation production, and art direction. The name “TECARAT” derives from the Japanese word te (“hand”), reflecting the belief that ideas are ultimately brought to life by human hands. The studio aims to create visually memorable works that leave a lasting impression on audiences.
https://tecarat.jp/

Questry Co., Ltd. [Content Finance Structuring]
Questry operates with the mission “to make Japanese content the best in the world through the power of finance.” The company engages in content planning and management, content finance structuring, and digital securities. By leveraging broad financial expertise, Questry aims to build a new vertically integrated financial ecosystem for Japan’s content industry, while providing global investors with access to content investment opportunities.
https://questry.co.jp/

MEDIA ASSETS
Please download press materials from the link below:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KhMQIuKguI3lrr04JKd8aPKV4IWNq853?usp=drive_link

MEDIA CONTACT
Whatever PR
Email: press@whatever.co

Every January, Cathay United Bank wraps up the year by generating personalized summaries of users’ financial activities. This year, to make the Wrapped experience feel more relevant to everyday life and truly personal, we infused complex financial data with a warm, friendly theme and tone of voice. Each user receives inspiring keywords that reflect their financial behaviors, making the result more engaging and shareable.

Moreover, we drew insights from vast amounts of financial data and developed 39 unique characters representing distinct financial behaviors across generations. We created an online exhibition where visitors can view these character’s profiles, explore kaleidoscopic results, and download a variety of wallpapers. In parallel, we also concepted a series of out-of-home ads that spark curiosity through questions about financial habits, inviting people to discover the answers on the exhibition website.

“Tree Points is a rewards program launched by Cathay United Bank. To communicate that points can do more than just cashback—they can also be redeemed for unexpected delights—we introduced a new brand proposition: “Make Life Sparkle.”

In the brand film, we brought surreal, imaginative scenarios to life, highlighting extraordinary moments in everyday situation. The protagonist enjoys a series of surprise while sitting in different thematic chairs, inviting viewers to imagine the experiences they could unlock with Tree Points.

Beyond the film, we developed a series of distinctive key visuals, extending the chair motif from the film as a central design element. These visuals encourage consumers to redeem Tree Points for a variety of products, reinforcing the brand’s presence both conceptually and visually.”

We invited renowned actress Cheryl Yang to star in the new campaign. In the hero film, as a multiple-time Golden Bell Best Actress nominee, she finally fulfills her desire for a “win” on Uber Eats—but it doesn’t stop. She dominates children’s taekwondo tournament, bodybuilding championship, dog show, and even a Mars mission… until she’s left winning only against herself. Turns out winning too much can be a problem. Fortunately, while “you can’t get a win, you can get snow fungus soup” on Uber Eats in reality.

Moreover, we created a series of bespoke social films and key visuals featuring Cheryl’s character, including playful lines like:
“Best Actress NO. Star Anise YES.” “Acting Skills NO. Eye Mask YES.”

To bring the campaign into real life, we even leveraged key moments of the Golden Bell Awards. The day after Cheryl Yang’s nomination was announced, we immediately revealed her as the newest Uber Eats ambassador and launched the new campaign to spark conversation. As the awards ceremony approached, we teased an upcoming surprise on social media. On the night of the ceremony, a dog resembling Cheryl—an Afghan Hound—walked the red carpet in the same outfit as her, delivering the brand’s customed fashion bag, creating the most unexpected delivery moment at the Golden Bell Awards, which simultaneously went viral across media and KOLs.

Through the combination of creative storytelling and strategic timing planning, the campaign reached its peak when Cheryl Yang actually won Best Actress, instantly generating massive buzz. Online comments flooded in: “You really can get a win on Uber Eats!” “Uber Eats is the biggest winner!” “Uber Eats predicted this!” The perfect synergy between the campaign and the real-world event created an unforgettable moment.

To address two challenges—reaching younger audiences who are less responsive to TV commercials, and generating buzz around the theme of “cleaning,” which rarely trends on social media—we proposed a unique approach: a full-scale 3D horror game targeting passionate game-streaming communities.

Developed in Unity with 3DCG, the game fully integrates cleaning into the gameplay, faithfully recreating the real-world feel and sounds of the products. The game was released for free on Steam, and streaming was allowed without permission, maximizing its potential for organic reach.

On release day, the game trended #1 on X (formerly Twitter), #1 on LINE NEWS, and topped the Steam Free Game ranking. Mega-influencers with millions of subscribers streamed the game organically, reaching an estimated tens of millions of viewers and boosting top-of-mind recall of “Kao = cleaning” among younger audiences.

Many streamers even read the product descriptions in a playful, home-shopping style, which led to numerous actual product purchases. Some of the featured products saw their sales double, and the campaign also inspired a noticeable positive shift in people’s attitudes toward cleaning.

In the films, we had our main characters literally lie down — on a seesaw in the park, across a meeting table, even on the floor of a MRT train.

This quirky visual contrast turned everyday moments into unexpected scenes, instantly grabbing attention while delivering the message: with just a few taps on Uber Eats, users can unlock amazing deals. In the key visuals, we took the “Save While Lying Down” idea even further — not only did our hero lie down, but we boldly laid down Uber Eats’ iconic green bag as well.

To top it all off, we fully took over Taipei MRT, Taoyuan Airport MRT, and Kaohsiung Metro train cars — transforming the spaces into immersive green Uber Eats worlds. In the train, our main character is lying flat on the train floor, pointing to the ceiling, inviting passengers to look up. There, scattered across the ceiling, were all the unbeatable discounts waiting to be discovered — a whole journey reminding riders that on Uber Eats, great deals are always within easy reach.

The game is as simple as it is nostalgic — like the classic coin-eating arcade game from childhood — only this time, players are gobbling up restaurant logos from Wowprime Group. The more they eat in the game, the more exclusive food vouchers they get from each restaurant.

The website is styled in a retro pixel-art gaming aesthetic, pumped up with adrenaline-inducing background music. The player’s in game avatar is a greedy, red little monster dashing across the screen. The bonus items that randomly pop up are hidden Wowprime-member-only perks. So far, the game has been played 70,745 times, with each player averaging 2 rounds and spending around 52 seconds per session. During the campaign, voucher redemptions surged, reaching 34,404 uses, and the voucher revenue achievement rate hit an impressive 172.6%.

More than just a promo, “The Hungry Run” is a brand-driven celebration of foodie culture that introduces millions to the flavorful world of Wowprime membership.

With the theme “REBORN,” we brought together the collective wisdom and ideas of all sectors of Osaka—government, industry, academia, and citizens—to create an exhibition that allows visitors to experience future healthcare and feel the value of life, health, and the future of urban living under the tagline “One Body. Infinite Future.” At the same time, the pavilion showcases the vibrancy and appeal of Osaka to a global audience.

To reach a wider audience, we cast the beloved Taiwanese actor Lotus Wang, known as the Queen of Blessings, and her daughter Stacy. Their cross-generational interaction resonates deeply with viewers and delivers a clear message: “When it comes to caregiving, 1966 has you covered.””

Furthermore, the Dementia is Not Scary film uses a one-shot camera technique to walk viewers through everyday scenarios of those with dementia and their caregivers. With empathy and warmth, the film shows that—with the assistance of long-term care services—even challenging situations can be met with strength and peace of mind.

We will be closed during the following holidays.

Tokyo: December 28, 2024 (Sat) to January 5, 2025 (Sun)
Taiwan: December 31, 2024 (Tue) to January 1, 2025 (Wed)
　　　 January 25, 2025 (Sat) to February 2, 2025 (San)

Thank you for your support this year, and we sincerely hope that 2025 will be a wonderful year!