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Koji Morimoto, Mitsuyo Miyazaki Work on Live-Action/Anime Short

Award-winning short film director Mitsuyo Miyazaki told The Hollywood Reporter magazine that she is collaborating with anime director Kōji Morimoto on a live-action/anime hybrid short. Miyazaki described Morimoto as "one of the most respected animators in the world."

Miyazaki's website notes that she is "in pre-production for her new live action/animation short film sponsored by Lexus and produced by The Weinstein Company." Miyazaki appeared at a preview party for Lexus and The Weinstein Company's short film series at the Directors' Guild of America in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Miyazaki delved into filmmaking after studying music and performing arts and moving to the United States as a teenager. She won numerous international film festival awards for "Tsuyako" — her University of Southern California thesis film that she partly financed through the Kickstarter fundraising site. In the short, "Tsuyako, a factory worker and mother, must decide between duty and love, her family and her freedom."

Morimoto has worked as an anime director, filmmaker, visual creator, and art director. He was involved with television anime series, films, and original video projects including Akira, Magnetic Rose, Extra, Ai Monogatari, Macross Plus, and Tekkonkinkreet. He directed the Beyond segment in The Animatrix, the cult fan favorite Noiseman Sound Insect, the "Connected" music video for Ayumi Hamasaki, and the "Dimension Bomb" portion of the Genius Party omnibus film.

As a founding member, Morimoto worked at Studio 4°C from 1989 to 2011. He now helms the new Φphy creative team as Executive Art Director. The studio produces anime but also creates other works.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.