December 9, 2016

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced that director Mamoru Oshii will receive the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement at the 44th Annual Annie Awards. The awards ceremony will be held on February 4, 2017.

Mamoru Oshii is considered one of the most remarkable personalities in modern Japanese filmmaking. He introduced introspective philosophical speculation into the world of animation, influencing at the same time movie creators all around the globe with his visionary style. His groundbreaking 1995 animated film, Ghost in the Shell was described by James Cameron as "a stunning work of speculative fiction . . . the first to reach a level of literary excellence."

Named in honor of animator Winsor McCay, best known as a prolific artist and pioneer in the art of comic strips and animation, the Winsor McCay Award stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.

The first Winsor McCay Award was appointed in 1972 to Max and Dave Fleischer. Previous Japanese winners are Kihachiro Kawamoto, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo and Isao Takahata.

Annie Awards official website:
http://www.annieawards.org/