World Premiere
Shapes of Blue
MINT Animation Short Strand: My Spectrum, My Shadow, and My Self
Year of Production 2025
Production Countries/Regions France
Duration 7 mins
Genres Animation Essay Film Slice of Life
Dialogue Language(s) Japanese
Subtitle Language(s) English
Director(s) Mitsuki Ribreau-Nishiki
Director’s Bio
Mitsuki Ribreau-Nishiki is a French Japanese director based in Paris. She began her journey in animation with a Bachelor degree at the Sainte-Geneviève Institution in France and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in animation at EMCA. She also worked as a puppet maker at Dwarff, a Tokyo-based stop-motion studio, on the second season of the Netflix series Pokemon. Shapes of Blue is both her graduation film and her first completed film. Her work explores the sensory boundary between past and present, as well as the relationship between the individual, wildlife, and the city. It takes the form of an observational, note-like process, deeply rooted in reality.
Synopsis
A young artist reconnects with the solitude essential to her creativity. Isolated in the mountains, Anni struggles to draw. One summer evening, she drifts into the mountain’s blurred outlines and memories of the city she left behind. Melancholic, she recalls her last conversation with a friend. Later, the unexpected arrival of a paintbrush sent by that friend rekindles her bond with the city and restores her inspiration.
Festivals & Awards
2026 4th MINT Chinese Film Festival 2026 - Shorts Film - World Premiere
Scriptwriter(s)
Mitsuki Ribreau-Nishiki
Producer(s)
Institut Sainte-Geneviève
Executive Producer(s)
Institut Sainte-Geneviève
Key Casts
Voices of Tomoko Nishiki and Mitsuki Ribreau-Nishiki
Curators’ note
Director’s Statement
My work explores the sensory boundary between past and present, as well as the relationship between the individual,
wildlife, and the city. It takes the form of an observational, note-like process, deeply rooted in reality. Shapes of Blue is inspired by a true story, drawn from an encounter with a girl I met by chance on the streets of Tokyo.
