Salamander Pictures and Nippon Animation have announced that their anime short 20001: An Earth Odyssey will premiere in competition at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 on July 18. The festival runs in Montreal from July 16 to August 2.

The film jumps 18,000 years into the future, where three aliens land on Earth to investigate why human civilization vanished. Led by Captain Kepo, the team hilariously misidentifies everyday objects—mistaking a swing for a sacred altar, an umbrella for a communications device, and a graveyard for a farm. Each character brings a different perspective: Kepo leads with stubborn reverence for humanity, Alcia applies logical analysis, and Regal, the team's rookie, relies on intuition to get closer to the truth.

Through their misadventures, the film poses bigger questions about what it means to be human, the nature of civilization, and whether humans were truly intelligent—all wrapped in light, surreal comedy.

Production Credits:

Haruki Kasugamori (Dragon Goes House-Hunting) directs, while character design comes from Kazuto Nakazawa, known for his work on Samurai Champloo and Kill Bill. Taiki Sakurai (Pokémon Concierge) developed the original story and handled production. Akira Miyagawa (Grimm's Variations) composed the score, with Sakurai and Hitomi Hiratsuka producing. The screenplay was written by both Sakurai and Yumiko Yoshizawa.

The Japanese voice cast includes Yōji Ueda, Yū Kobayashi, and Eito Kawahara.

Salamander Pictures and Nippon Animation first revealed the project at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026. The premiere at Fantasia marks the film's public debut ahead of what will likely be wider availability later.