L'étoile de Paris en Fleur Wins Top Audience Award at Animafest Zagreb

L'étoile de Paris en Fleur has earned international recognition, taking home the Mr. M Audience Award for Best Feature Film at Animafest Zagreb 2026. The win comes just months after the film's March theatrical debut in Japan and highlights its strong resonance with animation audiences abroad.

Directed by Gorō Taniguchi of Code Geass and One Piece Film Red fame, the 119-minute feature from Arvo Animation follows Fujiko, an aspiring painter, and Chizuru, a young woman drawn to ballet despite her samurai family background. The two reconnect in early 1910s Paris after an earlier chance meeting in Yokohama, supporting each other through cultural barriers and personal hardships as they pursue their ambitions in the City of Light.

The film features character designs inspired by Katsuya Kondō, a score by Takayuki Hattori, and the theme song "Kaze ni Noru" by Ryokuoushoku Shakai. Produced independently during the pandemic era and distributed by Shochiku, it blends lush period visuals with a story of resilience, friendship, and artistic passion.

Animafest Zagreb, one of Europe's leading animation festivals, ran June 8-13. The audience prize adds to the film's growing profile, with additional screenings confirmed for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. For Taniguchi and the team at Arvo Animation, the award marks a meaningful milestone for this intimate original story on the global stage.