Judges at the LUMINA film festival have selected Nana korobi, Ya oki as a 2025 award winner in the category of Best Short Animated Film.
Nana korobi, Ya oki (“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 film 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 Glenna Burmer. Not only is it a female-led film in the areas of production, musical score and on-screen animation, but its graphic style was inspired by Burmer’s mother who was a sumi-e artist.
LUMINA will screen Nana korobi online for three days beginning December 7, 2025. Tune in here from December 7-10 to see the Burmer short and 10 other winning films from around the world.
The LUMINA Film Festival champions new talent in independent cinema. Festival judges focus on uncovering films that highlight bold storytellers who tell their stories in unconventional yet impactful ways.
Since it was released in 2021, Nana korobi has been recognized at film festivals throughout the world, receiving more than 50 awards for best animation, best female composer and outstanding achievement, among others. Burmer received the Seattle Filmmaker Award from the Seattle Film Festival for this film and won recognition as well from the Oregon Short Film Festival.
Burmer’s second film, Bippy the Little Robot, was released in 2024. It was produced by Burmer in collaboration with Deep Sky & Imaginary Planet.