39th TIFF Announces Full Lineup, Including First-Ever Animated Film In Competition

Magic Atlas is an animated feature directed by Sun Xun and selected for the Competition section of the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. It follows a magician and an orphan boy in the remote coa

Sun Xun’s animated feature *Magic Atlas* has been selected as one of 15 films in the competition section of the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. After premiering at the Locarno Film Festival, the film is scheduled to screen in Tokyo as its Asian premiere. The festival will take place from October 26 to November 4, 2026.

A Magician Appears in a Coal-Mining Empire

The story is set in the remote empire of Luocha, where the coal-mining industry holds sway. Anxiety spreads through a society maintained by a fragile peace when a magician arrives, and after being arrested, he meets an orphaned boy named Xiaozhi in prison. At the Mimong Festival, which commemorates collective amnesia, the magician secretly hands the boy a magical atlas as he awaits execution.

Materials and Time in a Feature-Length Animation

Produced over approximately 10 years, *Magic Atlas* combines woodblock animation, ink painting, painting, and Persian miniatures. Rather than prioritizing the clear delivery of events, the film’s structure emphasizes the textures and variations created by its different materials. The fictional empire of Luocha, an order in which flight is forbidden, and a festival that erases memories reveal why the atlas passed on to the boy becomes a turning point in the story.

Its Place in the Competition

The Tokyo International Film Festival invited 15 films to this year’s competition section, with *Magic Atlas* included as an Asian premiere. As a film already unveiled at Locarno enters Tokyo’s competition lineup, attention will also focus on how feature-length animation is received in major competition sections at international film festivals.

Sources: Coverage related to the Tokyo International Film Festival · Official festival overview · Competition lineup