"Sword of a Stranger" picks up a special mention at this year's Future Film Festival

by Chris MaGee

Okay, okay... sorry all you anime fans out there. I drag-assed on getting this report on here. It's been a hectic week.

The 2007 animated samurai epic "The Stranger - Mukoh Hadan (Sword of the Stranger)" has picked up a Menzione Speciale at this year's Future Film Festival that just wrapped up on Sunday in Bologne, Italy. Directed by Masahiro Ando, who has previously worked as a key animator on such films as "Ghost in the Shell", "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade", and "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie", "Sword of a Stranger" follows a young man named Kotaro and his adventures in Sengoku Era (mid-15th to early 17th century) Japan. Unfortunately it didn't take top prize at the festival dedicated to animation and special effects films from around the world. That honor went to Liliana Romero and Norman Ruiz's "Martin Fierro: The Movie" from Argentina.

You can check out some pretty impressive sword fighting action in the teaser for "Sword of a Stranger" below. Thanks to Anime News Network for the news.