Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas and Shibuya HUMAX Cinema, run by Humax Entertainment Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo), are marking October - the birth month of director Satoshi Kon - with a special program titled "Satoshi Kon Birthday Festival 2026."
The lineup brings together all four of Kon's Madhouse-produced theatrical films plus his TV series, alongside talk events with special guests and a pop-up shop.
Attendees can also look forward to admission gifts, original drinks themed around the featured works and characters, and merchandise exclusive to the birthday festival (in cooperation with Sun Plus and SEVESKIG).
As with the previous edition, the key visual has been designed by collage artist Q-TA to help set the mood for the festival.
Satoshi Kon Birthday Festival 2026 Overview
Schedule and Screenings
Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas
- October 9 (Fri): Paranoia Agent all-night marathon screening (Blu-ray screening)
- October 10 (Sat): Perfect Blue 4K remastered version (R-15), Millennium Actress 4K digital remaster, Tokyo Godfathers 4K remastered version
Shibuya HUMAX Cinema
- October 12 (Mon, national holiday): Paprika 4K remastered version - Satoshi Kon's actual birthday
Talk events are held alongside the screenings of Paranoia Agent, the Perfect Blue 4K remastered version, and the Paprika 4K remastered version. Event timing (before or after the film) varies by title, so please check the details for each screening. Both theaters will project in 2K.
Regular Screening Tickets
Millennium Actress 4K digital remaster and Tokyo Godfathers 4K remastered version
Price: a flat ¥1,700
Ticket prices for the event screenings are listed separately below. No discounts or free admission apply.
Tickets
Online tickets
- Members-only early access: from 10:00 PM on Friday, September 11, 2026
- General sales: from 12:00 AM on Saturday, September 12, 2026 (i.e., midnight after September 11)
Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas: Online tickets
Box-office sales: from theater opening on Saturday, September 12 (unavailable if online tickets sell out first)
Event Screenings
Paranoia Agent marathon screening talk event
Venue: Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas
Date/time: October 9 (Fri) - screening begins at 10:00 PM (talk event held before the screening)
Guests (scheduled): Mamiko Noto (voice of Tsukiko Sagi), Haruko Momoi (voice of Maromi)
Perfect Blue 4K remastered version talk event
Venue: Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas
Date/time: October 10 (Sat) - screening begins at 11:30 AM (talk event held after the screening)
Guests (scheduled): Junko Iwao (voice of Mima Kirigoe), Sadayuki Murai (Perfect Blue screenwriter)
*Perfect Blue is rated R-15. Please note that the film contains some intense scenes.
Paprika 4K remastered version talk event
Venue: Shibuya HUMAX Cinema
Date/time: October 12 (Mon, national holiday) - screening begins at 12:30 PM (talk event held after the screening)
Guest (scheduled): Megumi Hayashibara (voice of Paprika / Atsuko Chiba)
Tickets
Price: a flat ¥3,500 for each event. No discounts or free admission apply.
Ticket sales
Online tickets
- Members-only early access: from 10:00 PM on Friday, September 11, 2026
- General sales: from 12:00 AM on Saturday, September 12, 2026 (i.e., midnight after September 11)
Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas: October 9 online tickets, October 10 online tickets
Shibuya HUMAX Cinema: October 12 online tickets
Box-office sales: from theater opening on Saturday, September 12 (unavailable if online tickets sell out first)
Satoshi Kon Birthday Festival 2026 Pop-Up Shop (in cooperation with Sun Plus and SEVESKIG)
Original merchandise such as T-shirts, along with original drinks that come with a bonus item, will be on sale.
*Details on the merchandise will be announced at a later date.
Period: October 9 (Fri) to November 15 (Sun)
Locations: Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas access information, Shibuya HUMAX Cinema access information
Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas
Shibuya HUMAX Cinema
Satoshi Kon
Born October 12, 1963, in Hokkaido. Graduated from the Department of Visual Communication Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Musashino Art University. Manga artist and animation director.
While still a student, Kon made his manga debut in 1985 after winning the Tetsuya Chiba Award. His manga works include Kaikisen, World Apartment Horror, the short-story collection Dream Fossil, OPUS, and Seraphim: 266,613,336 Wings.
From 1990 onward, he was active in the animation world, mainly working on art direction and layout for theatrical films. In 1998, he made his directorial debut with the film Perfect Blue. He went on to release Millennium Actress in 2002, Tokyo Godfathers in 2003, and Paprika in 2006, winning film awards around the world. He also directed the TV anime Paranoia Agent in 2004 and the short film Good Morning in 2007.
He passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer on August 24, 2010, at the age of 46.
Featured Films
Perfect Blue (R-15)
(Released in Japan in 1998)
Distributor: Madhouse
Synopsis
The directorial debut of Satoshi Kon, who would go on to captivate audiences worldwide with Paprika, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers. As animation's first full-fledged psychological suspense film, it drew acclaim at overseas film festivals before its Japanese theatrical release in 1998. Weaving a play-within-a-play into the story, the film intricately intertwines fiction and reality, dreams and illusion, and cyberspace like a trompe l'oeil painting as it unfolds.
Cast
Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Okura, Emiko Furukawa, Shiho Niiyama, and others
*Please note the film contains some intense scenes.
©1997 MADHOUSE
Millennium Actress
(Released in 2002)
Distributor: Klockworx
Synopsis
Chiyoko Fujiwara was once a hugely popular film star. Thirty years ago she suddenly vanished from the screen and has since lived quietly in a secluded mountain villa. One day, an old, worn key arrives for her, transcending time. As if the key had unlocked a door to memory, the story Chiyoko begins to tell spills out from the more than seventy years of her real life and, flowing through the fantastical current of "film," spreads from the distant Warring States era all the way to a boundless future. What secret of Chiyoko's lies hidden within these sealed memories? What does the blank stretch of time the key unlocked mean? Only in the depths of her tangled memories does the truth about Chiyoko finally surface.
Cast
Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shozo Iizuka, Koichi Yamadera, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Masane Tsukayama, and others
©2001 Millennium Actress Production Committee
Tokyo Godfathers
(Released in 2003)
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Synopsis
Gin, Hana, and Miyuki - a trio of homeless friends living in Shinjuku - stumble upon an unexpected Christmas present: a newborn baby abandoned in a pile of trash. Naming her "Kiyoko" on the spot and becoming her impromptu godparents, the three wander a snow-covered city in search of the child's parents. What kind of miracle awaits these homeless survivors of Tokyo's underside as fate takes a sudden turn?
Cast
Tetsuro Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto, and others
©2003 Satoshi Kon / Madhouse / Tokyo Godfathers Production Committee
Paranoia Agent
(Released in 2004)
Distributor: Asmik Ace
Synopsis
A random street attack occurs in Musashino, Tokyo! The victim is Tsukiko, a hugely popular character designer. Her account of the attack leads police to put out a search for the culprit: a boy carrying a bat and wearing gold roller blades, dubbed "Lil' Slugger." Yet despite an exhaustive investigation, the police find no trace of the attacker. As Tsukiko's account grows increasingly unclear, investigators begin to suspect the incident may be a lie fabricated by a cornered Tsukiko. Who is Lil' Slugger? Or is he nothing more than a lie?
Cast
Mamiko Noto, Haruko Momoi, Kenji Utsumi, Mayumi Yamaguchi, Shozo Iizuka, Makoto Tsumura, Toshihiko Seki, Kotono Mitsuishi, and others
©Satoshi Kon / Madhouse Inc. / "Paranoia Agent" Production Committee
Paprika
(Released in 2006)
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Synopsis
The DC Mini, a groundbreaking device developed by a psychiatric research institute that lets people share each other's dreams, is stolen. In its wake, researchers begin having one bizarre dream after another and start losing their grip on reality. Atsuko Chiba, a beautiful therapist determined to solve the mystery, transforms into the dream detective Paprika - a completely different persona in both personality and appearance - to conduct covert therapy sessions by entering her clients' dreams. But within dreams corrupted by twisted imagery, a horrifying trap awaits Paprika.
Cast
Megumi Hayashibara, Tetsuro Emori, Katsuyuki Hori, Toru Furuya, and others
©2006 MADHOUSE / Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
Collage Artist Q-TA Returns to Design the Key Visual for Satoshi Kon Birthday Festival 2026
Q-TA
Art director / designer / collage artist
Known for fashion-forward, pop collage and visual work that reinterprets surrealism in a distinctive style, Q-TA has contributed to visual collaborations with globally renowned apparel brands and supplied artwork across a wide range of advertising media. Q-TA has also created numerous jackets and illustrations for music and books, including the tour visual for back number's "Grateful Yesterdays Tour 2026," jacket art for Ryokuoushoku Shakai's "Channel U" and Vaundy's "Tokimeki," and cover illustrations for books by renowned authors, including Keigo Higashino's Silent Parade. Q-TA also designed the key visual for the 2024 Satoshi Kon Birthday Festival.
Notes
Event notes
- Guest appearances are subject to sudden change without notice.
- Re-entry during the program will not be permitted; thank you for your understanding in advance.
- The organizer and venue are not responsible for disputes between attendees.
- Photography and video or audio recording of any kind (including on mobile phones) inside the venue is strictly prohibited.
- Except in cases where the organizer cancels the event due to an emergency, tickets cannot be changed or refunded after purchase or exchange for any reason on the part of the purchaser.
- The organizer may cancel the event or change its content, including guest lineups, without notice. No compensation will be provided for related travel or accommodation costs in such cases. Ticket changes or refunds will also not be available if a film screening takes place, so please keep this in mind.
- Waiting around the theater to see guests arrive or leave is strictly prohibited, as it causes a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood.
- Gifts, letters, flowers, or other items for the guests cannot be accepted. Thank you for your understanding.
Viewing notes
- Purchasing tickets for resale purposes is strictly prohibited.
- All seats are reserved. Admission is not possible without a ticket.
- Guests using a wheelchair are asked to contact the theater in advance.
