First Line
(2024)

First Line 🎨

First Line had its International Premiere as one of the headlining short films of the Anime no Bento program at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

The story follows a newly hired animator named Mito, who is having issues finishing the storyboards for his anime projects in a reasonable amount of time.

Eventually his boss comes down hard on him, letting him know his work isn’t meeting the expectations of the studio and that he has one last chance to prove why he was worth being hired in the first place.

If you’re a creator of any kind, whether it’s a food blog, animator, or writing reviews in your spare time like myself, you will find so much of yourself in this story.

Mito is in what seems like the people-pleasing part of his journey, where he is continuously comparing himself to others, not allowing his work to mature on its own but trying to fast-track it by doing what he thinks is expected of those in the anime industry rather than putting his own personal touch on the work he gets asked to do.

I remember the moment when more people started to follow the page and how nerve-wracking it made me feel to think of a hundred people reading my work, and the imposter syndrome that began to set in at the fear of not being a good enough writer for the opportunities I was being granted.

To this day, I know I’m still growing as a writer and at times find myself trying to make my work seem more professional so that when I send it in to the team managing a film, I don’t come across like a bumbling idiot.

Like Mito, I think it’s important to remember why you do what you do and that the artistic expression of leaving a part of yourself in your work is something you should always hold on to.

I think most viewers will feel like myself and wish this nine minute short film was an episodic series that dived even further into the trials and tribulations of animators who reach a crossroads in their creative journey. This film has a wealth of potential that I hope the creator builds upon and eventually sees the light of day.

First Line is a delightfully inspiring tale about the yearning for acceptance, the reigniting of passion, and the euphoric moment when a creator's mind begins to clear, the imagination starts to flow, and they finally bring everything they envisioned to life. 

Enjoy!

9.6/10 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 9mins

Where: Fantasia International Film Festival

First Line Review (2024) The Richmond Reviewer -  August 1st, 2024.

#Animation #Anime #Japan #ShortFilm #Movie #MovieReview #Montreal