It has been announced that the animated feature film "Venus Wars," directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, will be screened as an invited film at the international animated film festival "Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026 (TAAF2026)" (sponsored by the festival's executive committee and the Association of Japanese Animations). A talk show with Yasuhiko will also be held after the screening. The screening is being held to commemorate Yasuhiko's receiving the Animation Achievement Award at TAAF2026.
The film was released in 1989, but Yasuhiko declared it would be sealed, leading to it being called a "phantom anime." On the 30th anniversary of its release, Yasuhiko declared it would be unsealed, which led to the negative film being opened, which became a hot topic.
To commemorate the award in the Anime Achievement category at TAAF2026, the anime "Towards Earth...", based on the manga by Keiko Takemiya, will also be screened. After the screening, a talk show with Takemiya will be held. It was also announced that the film "Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-", winner of the Anime Fan Award, chosen by fan vote in the Anime of the Year category, will also be screened.
TAAF has been held since 2014 with the aim of promoting anime culture and industry, and discovering and nurturing new talent. The event selects winners in categories such as the Competition Division, which is open to anime from around the world that have not yet been screened in Japan, and the Anime of the Year Division, which is open to anime released in Japan. The event will be held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, from March 13th to 16th.
