Glenna Burmer’s short animated film, Nana korobi, Ya oki, was recognized in two film competitions recently.
The animated short won a first-place award for Best Original Animation at the Cinesis Independent Film Fest. Cinesis, an online/hybrid film competition held three times a year, celebrates films that employ a philosophical approach to storytelling. Its international reach gives filmmakers a way to share their work with a larger global audience.
Nana korobi, Ya oki also won an honorary mention from the Royal Society of Television and Motion Pictures. This film festival showcases new and creative films and encourages up-and-coming producers. Films selected by RSTMPA tend to focus on social change and international understanding.
Nana korobi, Ya oki, or Seven Falls, tells the inspirational story of a young girl who undergoes seven challenges to save a dear friend from the cold. The film’s title is from a Japanese proverb which says: “Seven times you may fall, but get up the eighth.”
The short was created by music producer and filmmaker Glenna Burmer and produced and animated by Deep Sky, led by art director Gaby Breiter. The original music featuring woodwinds and strings was composed by Burmer. Not only is it a female-led film in the areas of production, musical score and on-screen animation, but it was also inspired by Burmer’s mother who was a sumi-e artist.
Burmer’s animated film — her first — has won more than 50 festival awards worldwide since it was completed two years ago. Among top honors were awards from several prominent Pacific Northwest festivals, such as the Seattle Film Festival and the Oregon Short Film Festival, as well as recognition from festivals worldwide from India to Istanbul, Spain to Singapore.