Officials with the Sentinal International Film Awards in India selected Nana korobi, Ya oki as a winner in the category of Best Animated Short Film.
The film tells the story of a girl in Japan who overcomes seven trials to save an orphan during a snowstorm. It was created and produced by Glenna Burmer with assistance from artistic director Gaby Breiter of Deep Sky Studios in Portland, Oregon. The original music, composed by Glenna Burmer and recorded by Dynamedion in Germany, features woodwinds and strings.
This spring and summer, Burmer’s film has been recognized at film festivals in the U.S., Canada, Japan and India, receiving awards for best animation, best female composer and outstanding achievement. The film was also screened in London and Tokyo, and Burmer received the Seattle Filmmaker Award from the Seattle Film Festival.
Nana korobi, Ya oki uses a dreamy animation style that 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.