What Challenges Are the Animation Industries in Japan and the U.S. Facing? — Aubry Mintz × Shinichiro Inoue | ANIAFF 2025
ANIAFF is more than a place to watch films—it is also a place where animation professionals from Japan and around the world come together, connect, and exchange ideas.
In 2025, alongside film screenings, ANIAFF hosted a wide range of talk sessions exploring topics such as working conditions for animation creators, the international position of Japanese animation, and whether content funds can take root in Japan’s animation industry.
On the opening day of the festival, Aubry Mintz, Executive Director of ASIFA-Hollywood, the organization behind the Annie Awards—widely regarded as one of the animation industry’s most prestigious honors—joined Festival Director Shinichiro Inoue for a keynote conversation.
Drawing on their respective perspectives, Mintz and Inoue discussed the different environments surrounding animation in Japan and the United States, as well as the challenges facing the industry today. Their conversation highlighted a striking contrast between the two countries: Japan faces a shortage of workers, while the U.S. faces a shortage of jobs.
This conversation between Mintz and Inoue grew out of a connection made through ANIAFF.
We invite you to watch their discussion and discover the perspectives they shared.
Aubry Mintz
While at SQUARE USA, Aubry Mintz worked on the feature film Final Fantasy. He later joined Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), where he contributed to films including Star Wars: Episode I and The Mummy, gaining experience in motion capture for animation.
His passion project, the short film Nothing to Say, was screened at 41 film festivals worldwide and received awards at the Australia Independent Film Festival, Arctic Film Festival (a UN SDG initiative), Palm Springs International Animation Festival, Anchorage International Film Festival, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), and Canada Shorts.
He currently serves as Professor of Animation at California State University, Long Beach, and Executive Director of ASIFA-Hollywood.
ASIFA-Hollywood
The Hollywood Chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation