The Mainichi Film Concours (in English-speaking countries also known as Mainichi Film Award. Japanese name Mainichi Eiga Concours) are a series of prizes awarded annually in Japan to animation films. The prizes are sponsored by Mainichi Shinbun (毎 日 新聞), one of Japan's largest newspapers since the end of World War II. History
The prize was originated in the Ōfuji Noburō Award, which was established in 1961 as a tribute to the short-lived Ōfuji Noburō (大 藤 信 郎), a pioneer in animation. He was a specialist in silhouette animation, and one of Japan's first artists who received international recognition for his work. For example, he won prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1962. The first winner was Tale of a Street Corner of Tezuka Osamu (あ る 街角 の 物語 Aru Machi Gift No Monogatari).
With the growth of the animation industry during the 80's of the 20th century, the price was soon dominated by the big budget productions of the big studios. With this, the works of independent artists, for whom the prize was originally intended, was displaced. To solve this problem, the Animation Grand Award was set especially for movies of large studios, and the Ōfuji award focuses on the smaller work. This prize was first awarded in 1989 to the movie Kiki's Delivery Service by Hayao Miyazaki. Scope
The price includes a larger area of animation than many Western animans often think. The two people who won the most often in recent years, Okamoto Tadanari (岡本 忠 成) and Kawamoto Kihachirō (川 本 喜 八郎), specialize in stop-motion instead of cell animation. Also, the price is not limited to working exclusively from Japan.
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