Tokyo Film & Screenplay Awards selected Glenna Burmer for a Best Director Animation Award for her newest short film, Yokaitopia. The award was announced in April.
The Tokyo film festival seeks films that integrate storytelling with cinematic excellence. Judges selected winning films based on such elements as technical design, tone, script and attention to detail.
In addition, Yokaitopia was a winner for Best Animation at the Beyond the Screen Festival. Burmer’s animated film was judged against other similar entries entered into competition during the past year (June 2025 – March 2026).
Yokaitopia tells the story of a boy who crosses over into the supernatural world of Yokai — mysterious Japanese spirits that inhabit all people, objects and places. In a secluded house at the edge of a forest, he finds broken toys trapped inside by the snow demon Yuki-Onna. He repairs them and then outwits the demon, breaking the spell and freeing the toys. This act of kindness will have unexpected lifelong ramifications.
The animated short is the third film produced by the multi-award-winning collaboration between Glenna Burmer and the animation studio Deep Sky. Unlike most films where the music is composed after filming ends, Burmer’s original music drives the plot. In her creative process, she envisions the storyline, composes the music to relay that narrative, and creates its distinctive characters, then brings it to the animation studio to visually translate the music’s style and atmosphere.
Deep Sky’s design and post-production team have perfectly captured the supernatural world of Yokai. The creative team, led by art and animation director Gaby West and creative director Barret Thompson, blended visual effects, lush colors and innovative graphics to provide a visual experience unique in its scope and originality.