Sunao Katabuchi, director of "BLACK LAGOON" and "Princess Arete," establishes new company "Contrail" to produce his next feature film.

Animation film director Sunao Katabuchi announced today, December 23, that he has established an animation production company, Contrail, on September 2, 2019, to produce his next feature film.

Sunao Katabuchi is an animation film director born in Hirakata, Osaka in 1960. While a student at Nihon University College of Art, Department of Cinema, he participated in Hayao Miyazaki's animated film "Detective Holmes" as a scriptwriter. He worked as an assistant director on "The Witch's Delivery Service" and made his directorial debut with the animated film "Famous Dog Lassie.

Since then, he directed, composed the series, and wrote the screenplay for the animated film "BLACK LAGOON," and directed his first feature film, the animated film "Princess Arete. His other known works as a director include the feature film "Mai Mai Shinko to Sennen no Mahou " and another feature film "Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni" (In a Corner of the World).

⇒The dialogue between Fumiyo Kouno and Sunao Katabuchi is now available in one volume! Fumiyo Kouno & Sunao Katabuchi's dialogue "In This Corner of the World: Fumiyo Kouno & Sunao Katabuchi Talks about Several More Movies" will be released on November 29, 2012!

The name of the newly established company, "Contrail," means "a cloud of light" in Japanese. The name was inspired by the image of a white cloud that draws a long, long line in a sky of heavenly colors. We want to create animation works that will be loved by many people for a long time. With this in mind, we will continue to create works that will be loved by many people for many years to come, and we will put a lot of love, time, and effort into them.

The company plans to begin recruiting drawing and production staff in early January 2020. Details will be announced on the official website.

Company Profile
CONTRAIL Co.,LTDs

Establishment: September 2, 2019
Representative Director: Manabu Otsuka
Director: Sunao Katabuchi
Location: Suginami-ku, Tokyo
Business: Animation planning and production

(C) Contrail