Animated Short DRAGONFLY To Screen At Shorts By The Sea September 15 - 21

Julia Morizawa's compelling animated short film DRAGONFLY will screen as part of Shorts by the Sea Volume 5, September 15 - 21,daily at 1PM at Laemmle's Monica Film Center.

DRAGONFLY tells the story of a young girl who learns of her mother's survival of the Tokyo Firebombing on March 9-10, 1945 through the eyes of her brother's spirit.

The script was awarded Best Short Screenplay by Scriptation Showcase and Screenwriting Master in 2019. It was also a semifinalist or quarterfinalist in several other competitions, including the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, and WeScreenplay Diverse Voices. The film will screen on September 7th at CINE/SEEN in Portland, Oregon and at the 19th LA Femme International Film Festival in Los Angeles, on Sunday, October 22nd, at 10AM at the Regal at LA Live.

The movie is inspired by the story of Morizawa's maternal grandparents. While exploring her family heritage, her mother offered scant information about their life during WWII, except that they lived in Tokyo until a fire forced them back to the family farm in Komoro. It wasn't until Julia began researching fires in Tokyo during the 1940s that she learned about the firebombing and the immensity of the attack. Like many she meets today, she had never heard of it before since it is little-known compared to other events that happened during the war. In addition to honoring the grandparents she never met, Morizawa's intention with DRAGONFLY is to raise awareness about the event and make sure those who were lost are never forgotten.

Julia Morizawa is a writer/producer/actress whose work spans all media. Her improvised feature film, JesusCat (or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), won Best Comedy Feature at the Asians On Film Festival in 2014 and the Movie Heroes Rising Star Award at the Action On Film Festival in 2013. She earned a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007 for her short, Sin & Lyle. Her play Twenty-Two premiered in Los Angeles in 2010, and her audio drama American Comedy Horror Story: Orphanage, is available worldwide on most podcast apps. Her acting career highlights include Judas Kiss, Scandal, SEAL Team, Masha No Home, Without Annette, Galactic Galaxy, and Star Trek: Odyssey. She is best known for playing the titular Dr. Bright on the hit podcast The Bright Sessions for five seasons and two spin-offs.

DRAGONFLY is written, produced, and directed by Morizawa. Executive Producers are Brian Sturges, James Babbin, John Titchenal, Lucas A. Ferrara, Derek Kolterman, and Christopher Luk. Maria Marta Linero was the Animation Director, with Eva Benitez as Lead Animator. The music is composed by Aiko Fukushima and the Sound Design by Giorgia Garcia-Moreno. Morizawa, Erika Ishii, Miya Kodama, and Thomas Isao Morinaka lend their voices.

Shorts by the Sea Vol. 5

September 15-21, 2023

Daily at 1:00 PM

Laemmle's Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA

"Shorts by the Sea" celebrates its 5th year in 2023 with the addition of an August showcase. The event has been screening new short films including live-action, documentary, and animation in mid-September at Laemmle Theatres Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, CA for the past five years. These films fulfill the requirements set forth by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar eligibility. Shorts by the Sea is a division of Double Exposure Distribution, LLC, which has specialized in theatrical screenings for Academy Award eligibility for 20 years. 

 

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