This is Me
An animated short about a young person caught between gender identity and society’s demand for clear labels, combining fantasy with everyday life.

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From the filmmakers
Classes, interviews and production notes from the filmmakers and their teams.
Production-team notes · Article · Japanese
This is Me: METREA on LoRAs and Frame-by-Frame Processing (new tab)
Yusuke Ishii · COO of the film’s production company, METREA · Yusuke Ishii’s LinkedIn
Read the article (new tab)LinkedInThe production company describes combining element-specific Flux LoRAs, then splitting video into frames for i2i processing to maintain a consistent look. Professional voice actors provided the performances.
- Combining LoRAs for character appearance.
- Frame-by-frame processing after video generation.
Verification and access notes
The full Japanese and English post was read. This is the production company’s account; the process was not reproduced and attached media was not reviewed. The edited post gives only a relative date.
Japanese and English text. LinkedIn may require sign-in; access varies by region.
Checked: 2026.10.23
Director’s statement · Article · Japanese
This is Me: Marika Hirata’s Award Remarks and Creative Statement (new tab)
Marika Hirata; recorded by WAIFF Kyoto · TOKYO EPIC’s official release · PR TIMES; SSFF & ASIA · 2026.03.13
Read the statement (new tab)PR TIMESIn remarks recorded by the organiser, Hirata discusses resisting imposed labels and reaching audiences through an animated character’s struggles. A related SSFF & ASIA statement describes the intended young audience and the film’s concentrated ten-minute pace.
- Convey the theme through character conflict.
- State the intended audience and pacing goals.
Verification and access notes
The organiser’s direct quotations and the festival programme note were read. The primary release is dated 13 March 2026; the programme note is separate. This is written material, not a ceremony video or a making-of class.
The primary release is Japanese. The additional festival page is in English.
Checked: 2026.10.23
Film record
| Recognition | Japan Best AI Film (Grand Prix) and Best AI Animation, WAIFF Kyoto 2026 |
|---|---|
| Festival / platform | WAIFF 2026 in KYOTO |
| Director | Marika Hirata |
| Runtime | 10:00 |
Awards and recognition
AI production notes
Production company METREA describes combining Flux LoRAs and applying image-to-image processing to individual video frames. Professional voice actors provided the voices. These are production-team statements; the proportion of generated material has not been independently verified. See the filmmaker resources on this page.