The Niigata International Animation Film Festival's official Twitter announced on Wednesday that a 25-minute anime titled Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga "Nezumikozou Jirokichi" (Manga Cinema Dedicated to Sadao Yamanaka "Nezumikozo Jirokichi") will premiere at the festival on March 20.

Rintarou (Metropolis, Uchuu Kaizoku Captain Herlock) is returning to direct the short anime after 14 years at Studio M2. Production company Genco and French studio Miyu Productions are credited for production.

Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy) is designing the characters and Toshiyuki Honda (Metropolis, Tokyo Babylon) is composing the music. Masao Maruyama (Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni, Redline) is credited for planning. Mami Koyama (Sennen Joyuu, Black Lagoon) will voice the Benshi (live narrator).

The short movie will be a silent anime depicting behind-the-scene stories of the Nezumikozou Jirokichi: Edo no Maki (Nezumikozou Jirokichi: Chapter of Edo) film directed by Sadao Yamanaka, as well as his effort to produce it. Yamanaka died in 1938 at the age of 28. He played an active role in the period when Japanese films transitioned from silent films to talkies.

Source: Oricon News

Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga "Nezumikozo Jirokichi" on MAL