I was very pleased to welcome Japanese Independent Animators Masaki Okuda (above left) and Ryo Okawara (above right) to my studio yesterday. It was a lot of fun to meet with them and their Interpreter. We had a great time. They were in Toronto to show their films. Masaki has been living in Montreal for the past 10 months and will soon be returning to Japan. He has a grant to research the situation of Canadian Independent Animators. They interviewed me about my life and work creating experimental, documentary and animated films. We spent two hours together during which I showed them my paint on glass animation technique, my flip books, and talked about my films, as well as viewing some of my works in progress. It was a lot of fun.

Masaki is the Director of Gum Boy, a film I really like. Here’s his website. Ryo is the…