Japanese animation enjoyed a strong showing at the 50th anniversary edition of the Ottawa International Animation Festival, with three productions earning major awards during the festival's ceremony on Saturday. Kōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens claimed the Grand Prize for Animated Feature, while Honami Yano's Eri received the Best Animated Short Award. Tomoki Misato and WIT Studio's Candy Caries also secured a prize in the Animation for Young Audiences 7+ category.

The recognition adds another important milestone to the international journey of We Are Aliens. Produced by NOTHING NEW in collaboration with French studio Miyu Productions, the animated feature opened in Japan on September 25 after appearing at several major international festivals. The film previously screened during Directors' Fortnight at Cannes and competed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. It was also featured at festivals in Melbourne and New Zealand, with another screening planned for the 31st Busan International Film Festival in October. Kadowaki took on several creative roles for the project, including planning, writing, directing, storyboarding and editing, while Yaffle composed the soundtrack.

Honami Yano's Eri also continued its successful festival run with the award for Best Animated Short. The Japanese-French production is based on Kasumi Asakura's 2008 novel Hoka ni Dare ga iru and follows Eri, a Holstein cow who develops feelings for another cow within a world shaped by the realities of dairy farming. Yano wrote, directed and animated the film, which made its world premiere during Directors' Fortnight at Cannes in May.

Meanwhile, Candy Caries earned recognition for its distinctive visual identity and family-friendly comedy. The stop-motion-inspired series follows Ame, a sweets-loving child, and Caries, the tooth decay living inside her mouth and affectionately calling her "Mama." Directed by Pui Pui Molcar creator Tomoki Misato at WIT Studio's TORUKU, the project combines plastic boards and acrylic materials to create an unusual semi-three-dimensional aesthetic. The anime began airing on TBS in April and is also available through Amazon Prime Video in several international regions.