Julia Morizawa’s Animated Short DRAGONFLY Sets Free Streaming Debut

Julia Morizawa’s animated short film Dragonfly will stream for free on the Omeleto platform starting on March 30th. The short tells the story of a young girl who learns of her mother’s survival of the Tokyo Firebombing on March 9-10, 1945 through the eyes of her brother. It is inspired by the little-known lives of Morizawa’s maternal grandparents, whom she never met. 

Dragonfly premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in 2023. It was awarded Best Animation at the Maryland Int’l Film Festival, Best AAPI-Directed Film at the Phoenix Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Animation at DisOrient, the Jury Award for Creative Achievement at the Arizona Int’l Film Festival, Best Short Film at Japan Film Festival Los Angeles, and the Gold Award for Best Short Film at the Hillsboro Film Festival in 2024

The short is written, produced, and directed by Morizawa. Executive Producers are Brian Sturges, James Babbin, John Titchenal, Lucas A. Ferrara, Derek Kolterman, and Christopher Luk. Maria Marta Linero was the Animation Director, with Eva Benitez as Lead Animator. The music is composed by Aiko Fukushima and the Sound Design by Giorgia Garcia-Moreno. Morizawa, Erika Ishii, Miya Kodama, and Thomas Isao Morinaka lend their voices.

Julia Morizawa is a writer/producer/actress whose work spans all media. Her improvised feature film, JesusCat (or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), won Best Comedy Feature at the Asians On Film Festival in 2014 and the Movie Heroes Rising Star Award at the Action On Film Festival in 2013. She earned a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007 for her short, Sin & Lyle.

Her play Twenty-Two premiered in Los Angeles in 2010, and her audio drama American Comedy Horror Story: Orphanage, is available worldwide on most podcast apps. Her acting career highlights include Scandal, SEAL Team, Judas Kiss, Masha No Home, Tiger Style! and recent SXSW-winner Wishful Thinking. She is best known for playing the titular Dr. Bright on the hit podcast The Bright Sessions for five seasons and two spin-offs.

Morizawa's upcoming projects include the documentary film Silenced, which follows U.S. internment camp survivor Joni Kimoto, and the narrative feature Something About the Tide, about a recovering addict who learns that she must bring home her newfound half-brother to fulfill her mom’s dying wish.