Shinobu Soejima defines animation as "the power to bring back from death to life”, and try to create a vision of a possible spiritual dimension. In Japan, puppets were used to absorb impurities from the human body and  as tools to ward off evil spirits that exist between physical life and the alternative worlds. In various rituals, puppets have the function of crossing the border between death and life, between the mundane and the otherworldly.  By combining this characteristic of animation with the inherent spiritual properties of puppets, she plays with  life and non-life. Shinobu Soejima won several awards at domestic and international film festivals, including the 68th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen Special Mention by Ecumenical Jury, the 22nd Japan Media Art Festival -Jury’s prize, Fantasia International Film Festival, and Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi-Kimura Eriko's prize in 2018. She is currently a PhD candidate of Tokyo University of the Arts Film and New Media, and working as a tutor of Media Art Course at Tama Art University.

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EDUCATIONS

2012-2013   University College London (UCL), Bachelor of Fine Art.  Slade School of Fine Art (Area of Sculpture)

2014-2018  Tokyo University of Arts. Department of Art. Bachelor of  Intermedia

2019             RCA (Royal College of Art)PEP Research Student, Area of Animation

2018-2021  Tokyo University of Arts. Department of Film and New Media. Master of Animation

2021-           Tokyo University of the Arts, P.h.D Media Studies

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AWARDS & SCREENINGS

2016 

• Tokyo Midtown Award 2016-Art, Finalist 

• Dreaming 2074 Award Finalist

2018 

• 4th Heisei Geijutsu Award

• Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi, Eriko Kimura (Yokohama Chief Curator)’s Prize

• 24th Campus Genius Contest, Entertainment Division, Winning

• Image Forum Festival 2018: East Asia Experimental Competition, Selected

• Kyoto International Student Film Festival, Selected

• Lanterna Magica International Animation Festival, Selected

• ANIMATOR International Animation Festival, Selected

• SUPERTOON International Animation Festival, Selected

• CATACUMBA Underground International Film Festival, Selected 

• Festival International Animation Akayu, Selected

• Mainichi Film 73rd Awards, Animation & Noburu Ofuji Division, Nominated

• Hiroshima International Animation Film Festival 2018, Student Film

2019

• 22nd JAPAN Media Arts Festival, Jury's Award

• 25th Campus Genius Contest-Art Division Gold Prize

• 25th Campus Genius Contest- Entertainment Division Winning

• 21st DigiCon6 JAPAN, Silver Award

• 21st DigiCon6 ASIA, Silver- Innovative Art Award

• Mainichi Film 74th Award, Animation & Noburu Ofuji Division, Nominated

• Image Forum Festival 2019, East Asia Experimental Competitions, Selected

• Fantasia International Film Festival 2019, Selected

• Toho Cinemas Student Film Festival 2019, Selected

• New Director's Film Festival 2019, Selected

• Indie-AniFest 2019 (15th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival ), Selected

• CRAFT ANIMFEST 2019, Selected

• Big Cartoon Film Festival 2019, Selected

• KABOOM Animation Festival 2019, Selected

• 11th Yebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions

• ​Camera Japan Festival 2019

• ICAF (Inter College Animation Festival) 2019

• Morbido Fest 2019

2020

• Tricky Women Festival 2020, Selected

• ANIMAC 2020, Selected

• ​3331 Art Fair 2020, "Masamichi Toyama Collector Prize", "Art Life Styling Association Collector Prize"

• ​ANIMATRICKS 2020, Selected

• dotdotdotdot Open Air Kurzfilmfestival 2020

• LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art 2020

• Camera Japan Festival 2020

2021

• ASK Film Festival 2021, GRAND Prize (ASK? Kimura)

• FANTASIA International Film Festival, Selected

• The International Critique Session, Jury Yu Jin Choi (The 0rgnizer of Indi-Anime Festival) Award

                                                         Jury Prof. Candace Reckinger (UCS) Award

• 32nd Tokyo Student Film Festival

• ​11th Stop Trick IFF, Selected

• 13th Festival Stop Motion Montreal, Selected

• 13th Shimokitazawa Film Festival

• 3rd Warsaw Animation Film Festival

• World Festival of Animated Film, Varna

• Happy Vallery Animation Festival 2021

• Etiuda & Anima 2021, selected

• Taiwan International Student Design Competition 2021, SILVER Prize Winner, 

• Taiwan International Student Design Competition 2021,  Hong Kong Federation of Design and Creative Industrial Prize Winner

• Kunsthalle Mainz-Short Cuts       

• China Independent Animation Film Forum, in Nantong, Selected

• World Festival of Animated Film, Varna 2021

2022

• The 68th The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Special Mention bEcumenical Jury

• ​SSFF & ASIA 2022 (Short Short Film Festival & Asia)

• ​Tehran International Film Festivalval 

• ​Cardiff International Film Festival

• Tricky Woman Tricky Realities 2022

• 17th Kichijoji Animation Festival, Grand Prize for Stopmotion Animation

• 27th Campus Genius Contest- Gold Prize & July Prize

• Ravenheart International Film Festival 2022

• ​Tabor Film Festival 2022

• Animist Tallinn 2022

• Vidlings & Tapeheads Film Festival 2022

• St Andrews Film Festival 2022

• 14th Yebisu International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions

• Camera Japan Festival 2022

• St Andrews Film Festival 2022

• Waterpieces 2022

• Lucca Comics & Games 2022

• BITBANG Animation, Video Games and Digital Art Festival

• Microwave International New Media Arts Festival Hong Kong 2022

2023

•  Wiesbaden International Animation Festivals 2022 

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Curatorial Works

2013   Grant Museum of Zoology “Sculpture Season” London UK 

2016   Gallery Maruhi, "Geidai x EXPO" Tokyo Japan

            Tokyo Midtown, "Tokyo Midtown Award 2016" Tokyo Japan

2017  "Dreaming 2074", nominees exhibition, Tokyo Japan (up-comming)

　　    Roppongi Art Night 

2018    Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate Show 

            Heisei Geijutsu Award winners Exhibition

　　　Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi, Gyoko Underground Gallery

            Todaiji Group Show

​2019    Yokohama Art Compass, Yokohama Contemporary Museum of Art

​             Royal College of Art, Exchange Student Group Show, London UK

2020   3331 Art Fair 2020, Tokyo Japan

​            KUMA Exhibition 2020, Tokyo Japan

          Campus Genius Contest "Winner's Exhibition", Tokyo Japan

            "Listen to Her Song", Chinretsukan Gallery Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo Japan

2021　ASK? Gallery Space Kimura, Tokyo Japan

            Group Show, "Say Hello to Strangers", Kanagawa Japan

            HINOHARA Art Festival 2021, Tokyo Japan

2022   "Continuum", The Japan Foundation, Sydney, Australia

　　　ANNECY International Film Festival- MIFA. Annecy. France

​           KUMA FOUNDATION Gallery Space Opening Exhibition, Tokyo. Japan

           A Small, Good Thing, Koganecho Artist in Residency Gallery, Kanagawa Japan   

           POPPETRY, KUMA FOUNDATION Gallery, Tokyo. Japan

           Blink in the Desert, ASK? Kimura Gallery, Tokyo Japan

2023  A Small, Good Thing, Studio Site-A Gallery, Kanagawa Japan

          Dystopia: Transition from Memory, Art Front Gallery, Tokyo Japan

          HANUI: Seam allowance for three people, Ask? Kimura Kyobashi, Tokyo Japan

          Zushi Art Festival 2023, Zushi City Iryou Centre, Kanagawa Japan

　　 Homo-Tentorium, Koganecho Residency MOMO, Kanagawa Japan

2024  ART SG (Singapore Arts & Science Museum, Marina Bay Sands/ Singapore)

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Residency

2020  Koganechou Artist in Residence

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Scholarships 

2019  BCJA (British Council) Scholarship of 2019

           KUMA Foundation 3rd Scholarship student

           TOBITATE (Leap for Tomorrow) Foundation 10th Scholarship student

​           Tokyo University of the Arts, Study Abroad Scholarship of 2019

2021  Mitsubishi Art Gate Programme, Scholarship

​           17th Kozuki Foundation, Creator's subsidy

　　   Japan Arts Foundation Scholarship 2021

2022  KUMA Foundation Activity Support Grant

           Nomura Foundation Scholarship

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