Since hitting the film festival circuit, Nana korobi, Ya oki, an animated short from Glenna Burmer, continues to receive awards from around the globe – this time for Best Director, Animation Films, from the Hollywood Stage Script Film Competition.
The online film competition celebrates the diverse voices of tomorrow’s storytellers. Film creatives from more than 90 countries have competed at this monthly festival.
Nana korobi, Ya oki, which was created and produced by Glenna Burmer in collaboration with artistic director Gaby Breiter of Deep Sky Studios in Portland, Oregon, tells the story of a young Japanese girl who overcomes a series of challenges to save an orphan during a snowstorm. Burmer also composed the film’s original music featuring woodwinds and strings.
Watch the film trailer here.
Nana korobi, Ya oki has received more than 60 awards worldwide since its 2021 debut, including best animation, best female composer, best director and outstanding achievement. The short was chosen to tour Great Britain in 2022 by the Women Over 50 Film Festival, and in 2023, it garnered the Best Music Composer Award from the Tokyo Film Awards and was recognized for its animation by the Vegas Movie Awards where festival organizers called the film “beautiful.”
The film’s dreamy animation quality reflects sumi-e art, a Japanese artistic style which employs black ink and distinctive brush strokes. The style was chosen as a tribute to Burmer’s mother, who was a sumi-e artist.