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Fumi Kitahara, a widely respected animation publicist who helped steer award-winning campaigns for studios including DreamWorks, Aardman, Laika, Netflix, and Disney, passed away on Monday due to complications from a rare form of blood cancer, reported Deadline.
The publicist breathed her last at the age of 56. While sharing the unfortunate news, Fumi Kitahara family members wrote, "Dear Friends of Fumi. We're devastated to share that our dear Fumi passed away this afternoon, February 24, after her long struggle with a rare blood cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her family and close friends." as quoted by Deadline. Signed by "Simon, Max & the Kitahara Family," the joint statement continued, "We know many of you will be as heartbroken as we are in saying goodbye to her unforgettable personality, her infectious smile, and her warm and loving heart. This is an unimaginable loss for us, our family, and the animation community. Thank you for the love, support, and friendship you have shown her over the years. She meant the world to so many." Throughout her more than 30-year career, Kitahara played a vital role in publicizing some of the most beloved animated films of recent decades. As per Deadline, Fumi's work included campaigns for multiple Shrek films, Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Coraline, How to Train Your Dragon, Kubo and the Two Strings, Over the Moon, and The Sea Beast. She also oversaw awards campaigns for Oscar-winning animated shorts such as The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse and War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko. As per Deadline, Kitahara earned a degree in business marketing from California State University, Northridge. She began her career in 1992 at Walt Disney Studios, working under veteran publicist Howard Green. During her time there, she contributed to publicity efforts for classics like The Lion King, Pocahontas, Toy Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the documentary Frank and Ollie. (ANI)
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