The anime film "Weathering With You" by Makoto Shinkai has been nominated in four categories in the 47th annual Annie Awards, including best animated independent feature, the international animated film society ASIFA-Hollywood said Monday.
Two other anime directed by Japanese were nominated in the same category — "Promare" by Hiroyuki Imaishi and "Okko's Inn" by Kitaro Kosaka.
The category covers animated films with a smaller distribution than major studio releases, shown at fewer than 1,000 theaters in the United States.
"Weathering With You," a boy-meets-girl tale mixed with supernatural elements on a grand scale, was also nominated for best writing in a feature, best direction in a feature and best animated effects in a feature.
It is competing with international hits "Frozen 2" and "Toy Story 4" in some categories, with the winners to be announced at the award ceremony on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles.
Should Shinkai's anime clinch the title of best animated independent feature, it would be the second year in a row for a Japanese film to win the award. Mamoru Hosoda's "Mirai" took the honor last year.
Shinkai's blockbuster hit "Your Name." was nominated in 2017 but didn't take the prize.
"Weathering With You" has also been submitted to the 92nd Academy Awards as Japan's entry in the best international feature film category. The winner will be announced in February.