Irish Times film scribe Tara Brady will facilitate a Question and Answers session with famed Japanese anime director Makoto Shinkai, who will be in Ireland for the premiere of Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below, today, July 2nd at The Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin's Smithfield. But, if that screening sells out - which it probably will, there's another showing of the 'Children' on Monday July 9th. You can purchase tickets from over yonder www.thelighthousecinema.ie

A collaboration between access>CINEMA and with The Embassy of Japan in Ireland, behold, an official synopsis:

Young Asuna spends much of her time outdoors accompanied by Mimi, her cat. An encounter with a large, sharp-toothed bear-creature also brings her into contact with a brave young man who appears to have superhuman powers. He introduces himself as Shun, a warrior from Agartha, an underground land where the beasts (or Quetzalcoatl) guard the entrance to prevent 'topsiders' like Asuna from entering.

There are people who believe that this world has properties that will bring people back from the dead, and this puts Shun and his people in danger from a ruthless group of soldiers intent on gaining access to Agartha at any cost.

This thought-provoking and beautifully made animated picture tenderly deals with the part in all of us that wishes we could have had that last opportunity to say goodbye to someone we've lost. Although breathtakingly original, the film has elements of the best of both Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

Existing fans of Makoto Shinkai's work are going to be delighted, and its universal appeal is going to win him a whole new audience in the process.

Shinkai's impressive credits include: Voices of a Distant Star (2002), The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004), 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007), and Children who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below (2011).

He has won numerous awards for his work including: 12th DoGA CG Animation Award; 1st New Tokyo International Animation Festival Grand Prize; 7th Kobe Animation Prize; 6th Japanese Media Art Award for Digital Media; 34th Nebula Award(World Con); 59th Mainichi Films Animation Prize; 2007 Asia Pacific Film Award; and the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize (Italy).

For more information hit up www.accesscinema.ie.