Minako Yano, director of “GNOME & Mr. DONUT,” attended World Festival of Animated Film in Bulgaria!
A special selection of SSFF & ASIA shorts screened at World Festival of Animated Film held in Varuna, Bulgaria in September. Minako Yano, director of “GNOME & Mr. DONUT,” attended the festival, participating in the Q&A session following the screening. Here is her comment below:
There were many people around, including locals and those from further afield, both old and young, all enjoying the warm weather and relaxed coastal atmosphere.
Animations and CG shorts were screened at the festival, which was held across two spacious halls. During the shorts that were funny, laughter could be heard from the audience, and if there was anything that piqued the interest of audience members, they were sure to ask questions. With interactions bouncing back and forth in a mixture of English and Bulgarian, there was a real global feel.
＜Photo with an audience member came to compliment my film following the screening.＞
My film was screened amidst this setting, with people who had attended my birthday party the previous night being kind enough to attend! I was incredibly nervous as I was called up to the stage and was barely able to speak, but even so the audience members gave me a really warm reception and followed my film with a big round of applause. After the screening, a number of people came up to me, shook my hand and complimented my film. To hear such things as, “It’s great that you worked so hard on this film,” and “I’m glad that you came all the way to Bulgaria” really moved me. This was a brilliant and unique experience.
“GNOME & Mr. DONUT,”
