Noriko Matsumoto is a producer of animation films and the head producer of dwarf studios. She started her career as a TV commercial producer. After producing both DOMO (1998) and the exhibition showcasing what goes on behind the scenes of animation films, she shifted her field to the animation and character industry and she supported Goda on creating Komaneko when he started the studio dwarf. Matsumoto was one of the first producers in Japan to work with international streaming services, bringing the superior quality stop-motion techniques that dwarf is renowned for to an even wider audience. Highlights of her recent productions include the series Rilakkuma and Kaoru in 2019, and Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure in 2022 with Netflix. Always looking for something new and interesting, she launches projects that push the boundaries of stop-motion and is a producer who has been elevating not only dwarf but the Japanese industry as a whole. In 2023, she successfully crowdfunded a sensational stop-motion pilot film HIDARI (NYAFF 2023) which has been shown at the cinema even though it’s just a pilot film! The next challenge is to turn it into a full-length feature.

Born in 1980 in Japan, Akihiro Nishino is a children's book author. His works include beloved picture books such as Dr. Ink's Starry Sky Cinema, Zip & Candy: A Robot Christmas, Music Box Planet, Poupelle of Chimney Town, Poncho of the Bookstore, Tick Tack: The Clock Tower of Promises, and Marco, all of which become bestsellers in Japan. In December 2020, Nishino made headlines as the screenwriter and executive producer of the animation film Poupelle of Chimney Town, which became a massive hit. The film received the Excellent Animation of the Year award at the Japan Academy Prize, was nominated for the Feature Film category at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and garnered acclaim internationally. Poupelle of Chimney Town has been expanded beyond film to include musicals, kabuki, ballet, NFT, and many other business and expressive activities.