The Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 has revealed one of its strongest anime lineups to date, bringing together world premieres, international debuts, and North American premieres from some of Japan’s most celebrated creators and studios. Leading the announcement is CloverWorks’ original animated feature GROTESQQQUE, marking the latest project from acclaimed animator and director Atsushi Nishigori.
Beyond the highly anticipated CloverWorks production, this year’s festival will also showcase two live-action adaptations from Junji Ito’s horror catalog, a new edition of the annual Anime no Bento short film program, and several feature-length animated films from emerging and veteran filmmakers. The lineup highlights both established studios and rising creative talent, making Fantasia 2026 a significant event for anime fans.
CloverWorks’ GROTESQQQUE Headlines the Festival
The biggest anime premiere announced is GROTESQQQUE, an entirely original anthology feature directed by Atsushi Nishigori, best known for directing THE IDOLM@STER, co-directing DARLING in the FRANXX, and serving as chief animation director on EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON a Time.
Produced by CloverWorks, the film consists of three interconnected stories—A(E)LIENS, YOROSHIKU★Girl, and NOCTURNE: NUIT GROTESQUE. According to Fantasia, the anthology blends striking visuals, music, and surreal storytelling centered around aliens, gyarus, and vampires, delivering what the festival describes as a unique audiovisual experience. The film will make its world premiere during the festival.
Another major highlight is the world premiere of two episodes from STRANGE: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights, a new TV Tokyo live-action anthology adapting the legendary horror mangaka’s work. The featured episodes, The Rib Woman and Face Thief, are directed by Yuta Shimotsu, whose horror film New Group was one of Fantasia’s standout titles in 2025.
New Anime Features and Short Films Join Fantasia 2026
Fantasia’s annual Anime no Bento showcase also returns with seven animated shorts representing studios such as Nippon Animation, STUDIO4°C, ETERNA Animation, Gemstone, and Tama Art University. The collection includes world premieres like An Earth Odyssey, Ambivalent Garden, Don’t Dodge Life, Dust of the Simulacrum, and Foxing: Kitsuné-tsuki, alongside international premieres of Echo and Future Kid Takara Episode 1 – The Child from the Future.
The festival’s feature animation lineup also includes A New Dawn, director Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s French-Japanese co-production receiving its North American premiere. Known for his background in the art departments of films by Makoto Shinkai and Sunao Katabuchi, Shinomiya makes his feature directorial debut with the coming-of-age drama.
Also making its Canadian premiere is Cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood, the first production from Sasayuri, a studio founded by longtime Studio Ghibli animator Hitomi Tateno. Based on Machiko Kyo’s manga, the film commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and features music by acclaimed composer Kensuke Ushio.
Completing the newly announced animation slate is the Taiwanese anthology Bliss: Beyond the Edge of Time, which explores humanity’s relationship with technology through six interconnected science-fiction stories inspired by the I Ching. The anthology will screen in Fantasia’s Animation Plus section as a North American premiere.
Fantasia also confirmed that these titles join previously announced selections including the world premiere of Cherry & Virgin, the international premieres of The Origin of Ultraman and Wind Breaker, and the North American premieres of Nameless and Sekiro: No Defeat, further strengthening the festival’s reputation as one of the premier showcases for international genre cinema and animation.
