“The Best Finds Are Other Geocachers “ Owlfly (South Africa)

──What inspired you to create this film for GIFF 2025?One of my first big loves in geocaching was watching the old GIFF film reels, a favourite pastime even before I became interested in illustration and animation. I had been pondering participating in GIFF for quite a few years, but had always been a bit daunted by the challenge! But this year, on a whim more than anything else, I realised I already had all the skills I would need, and I jumped in.

──How many people worked on your film, and how long did the production take?I made the film all on my own, sitting on my couch in my tiny apartment. I only realised that GIFF submissions were open about a month before the due date, so the entire film took me only a month to put together, with animating taking about 3 weeks, and editing it together, the fourth.

──What was the most memorable or challenging part of making your film?Earlier this year, I started working my first 8-5 job, one that is physically and mentally quite exhausting most days. I think the biggest challenge was getting myself to fit in the animation and editing work after hours and on weekends, times when I would usually be parked on my couch, incapacitated. While it was a challenge, it was also one of my favourite parts, being forced to make time to be creative and time for my geocaching hobby, when I would usually feel frustrated at not being able to do so.

──Is there a moment in your film that you hope geocachers around the world will notice or appreciate?One of the most fascinating parts about animation, to me, is how much painstaking effort goes into creating every second of a film. Once I started getting interested in animation, I began watching animted films with a lot more reverie and awe at the meticulous effort behind every second. So I suppose I would encourage people to see the craft behind each moment of animation.

──Please share a message for geocachers in Japan.Gosh. Hi Japan! I'm not big on travel, but I think it's amazing that geocaching has brought my film, and a little bit of me, all the way around the world :)

出演：Owlfly、tonitta2199、Jin Kakino