One-Reeler Short Film Competition selected Glenna Burmer’s Nana korobi, Ya oki for an Award of Excellence.
One-Reeler, an international film competition, recognizes and promotes films shorter than 12 minutes in 12 key categories. Based in Los Angeles, the competition is held twice a year. Its focus is to introduce new films that emphasize original, concise and insightful storytelling.
That sums up Nana korobi, which tells the tale of a young girl in Hokkaido who overcomes seven trials to save an orphan during a snowstorm. The short film was created and produced by Glenna Burmer with assistance from artistic director Gaby Breiter of Deep Sky Studios in Portland, Oregon. The original music featuring woodwinds and strings was composed by Glenna Burmer and recorded by Dynamedion in Germany.
This year, Burmer’s film has been recognized at film festivals in the U.S., Canada, India and Japan, receiving awards for best animation, best female composer and outstanding achievement.
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.