PROGRAM
Hiroshima Animation Academy ＆ Meeting
SCHEDULE
Aug 21st (Fri) 12:30～ @JMS Aster Plaza Large Meeting Room
Program Overview
New approaches to content funding are drawing significant attention as an emerging financing method in the Japanese content production industry.
This program features Tomonobu Ibe, Founder / CEO of Questry. We will discuss the structural financing challenges long faced by the Japanese entertainment industry and explore how to overcome them to expand possibilities for creators.
The program will begin with a presentation by Mr. Ibe, introducing Questry’s vision and its unique methods, including investing from the development stage (such as pilot film production) and supporting the establishment of international frameworks. Following the presentation, we will examine the new relationship and necessary co-creation between production fields and finance. This discussion will focus on two ongoing projects: the stop-motion samurai film HIDARI and the original anime Princess Zonofu, featuring the producers of each title.
Guest
Guest: Tomonobu Ibe (Questry), Nori Matsumoto (Nori), Yae Doi (PICS)
After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he joined Goldman Sachs in 2011. Following 11 years in the Securities Division, he founded Questry Co., Ltd. in 2022. Driven by the mission, "To make Japanese entertainment content the best in the world through the power of finance," he works on fund formation, project finance, and corporate finance specialized in anime, film, and IP, as well as the creation of new fundraising schemes leveraging the latest technologies.
Producer, nori inc./dwarf studios.
She started her career in the TV commercial industry. The key moments came with the "Domo-kun" project in 1998 and "Komaneko" in 2003, after which she joined the founding of Dwarf. By producing high-quality stop-motion films that can be enjoyed timelessly, she has played a leading role in positioning the studio as one of the first in Japan to collaborate with global streamers. The Netflix series Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019) and Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure (2022) gained widespread attention and popularity. Currently, she specializes in stop-motion animation and character design, aiming to go beyond conventional norms. She focuses on creating works that incorporate new talent and technologies, transcending traditional methods and company frameworks. Her latest projects include Bottle George, an Oscars 2025 shortlisted short film directed by Dice Tsutsumi (former Pixar Director), and HIDARI, which has made a major impact on the industry, despite only being a pilot.
After working in TV program production and label A&R, Yae Doi joined P.I.C.S. in 2014. She has participated in numerous projects with both domestic and international creators as well as global brands. She was selected as a jury member for CICLOPE Asia and the CICLOPE 2024 Grand Jury, international awards that recognize craftsmanship in moving image works. She is currently in charge of business production for YKBX, who joined as a new P.I.C.S. REP partner in 2024. In collaboration with Questry, she is currently planning and developing the original anime Princess Zonofu.