Seed of a Star
あらすじSynopsis
Director's Statement — Seed of a Star One day, a few simple words spoken by my daughter quietly planted a seed in my heart. Guided by the gentle sound of those words and the poetic feeling they left behind, I began to imagine a tranquil forest where stars descend from the sky and tiny creatures live peacefully. The story begins with stars gently falling from the night sky into the forest. Upon reaching the earth, they become tiny seeds, eventually sprouting and blossoming into "star flowers." The creatures of the forest gather around the flowers, watching over them tenderly and playing music. As light and sound spread through the nighttime forest, the film unfolds into a quiet, warm, and gentle world. I created the animation using Blender, a tool I have worked with for many years. The forest, stars, flowers, and small creatures reflect my enduring love of nature, expressed through a simple and unadorned visual style. At the same time, I paid particular attention to light, shadow, and texture to create an atmosphere that seems to drift between reality and fantasy. Rather than synchronizing the visuals and music precisely, I wanted them to gently accompany one another, creating a soft and intimate harmony. The music was composed by cokiyu, a musician with whom I have collaborated for many years. In this film, delicate piano melodies intertwine with her clear, ethereal voice, blending as softly as the night air in the forest. The lyrics carry the themes of the film, with each word seeming to speak directly to the viewer. Her voice quietly deepens the imagery, enriching the world of light, time, and the star seeds at the heart of the story. If *Seed of a Star* can take root, even just a little, in the hearts of those who watch it, and allow their imagination and emotions to blossom with kindness, I would be truly happy. The film received recognition at the Asia Digital Art Award FUKUOKA 2025 and the 24th Independent Animation Festival, held as part of the Mitaka Forest Animation Festival 2026. The latter festival's guest jury included Nozomu Ito, a former Studio Ghibli animator associated with the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. --- Awards, Honors & Official Selections Director Recognition - EIZO100 – 100 Japanese Motion Graphic Creators 2025 & 2026 (Japan) — Selected Artist, Two Consecutive Years Awards & Honors - Asia Digital Art Award FUKUOKA 2025 (Japan) — Award Recipient - 24th Independent Animation Festival / Mitaka Forest Animation Festival 2026 (Japan) — Award Recipient - 2nd New Picture Book Award** (EhonNavi × Kodansha, Japan) — Finalist International Film Festival Selections - SPARK ANIMATION 2026 (Canada) — Official Competition Selection | Academy Award® Qualifying Festival - London International Animation Festival 2026 (United Kingdom) — Official Selection | BAFTA-Qualifying Festival - Turku Animated Film Festival 2026 (Finland) — Music Video Panorama Selection - Big Cartoon Festival 2026(Russia) — International Competition Selection - 2nd Tochigi International Film Festival(Japan) — International Short Film Official Selection Japanese Film Festival Selections - Machi no Kokyu to Mori no Film Festival 2026 (Japan) — Official Selection - Fukuoka Independent Film Festival 2026 (Japan) — Competition Selection
監督Director
Yasuhiro Higuchi
# Director Biography — Yasuhiro Higuchi (morph) Yasuhiro Higuchi, also known as morph, is a Japanese motion graphic creator, video director, and artist. He was selected for **EIZO100 – 100 Japanese Motion Graphic Creators** in both 2025 and 2026, achieving recognition for two consecutive years. His animated short film *Seed of a Star* received awards at the **Asia Digital Art Award FUKUOKA 2025** and the **24th Indies Anime Festa at Mitaka no Mori Anime Festa 2026**. The latter festival's guest jury included **Nozomu Ito, a former Studio Ghibli animator and current curator at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka**. The film has also gained international recognition, including an Official Competition Selection at **SPARK ANIMATION 2026** in Canada, an Academy Award®-qualifying festival, and an Official Selection at the **London International Animation Festival 2026** in the United Kingdom. Additional selections include the **Big Cartoon Festival 2026** in Russia, where it was selected for the International Competition, and the **Turku Animated Film Festival 2026** in Finland, where it was featured in the Music Video Panorama. His creative practice spans television commercials, web advertising, corporate films, promotional videos, exhibition visuals, 3DCG animation, and digital artwork. Through a distinctive combination of imagery, music, and atmosphere, he creates immersive worlds that move between reality and imagination. He has collaborated with acclaimed musicians including **no.9**, who contributed music to the Tokyo Paralympics, and **cokiyu**, who contributed music to the film *Confessions*. These collaborations reflect his long-standing interest in the relationship between visual expression and sound. In 2021, he released the track *metamorphosis* through **XXX//PEKE//XXX**, a beatmaker label operated by SASAKREST Inc. He also participated as a composer in the projection mapping events at **Kanazawa Castle in 2014 and 2015**, produced by invisi. Working under the name morph, Higuchi continues to explore the expressive possibilities of animation, music, and digital art, creating poetic visual experiences inspired by nature, imagination, and emotion.