TEDxKyoto 2018 – Balance, an independently organized TED event, scheduled to be held later this year (on Sunday November 4th) at Kyoto International Conference in Japan, is in for a very special talk. Usman Riaz, whose association with TED goes back years, will be speaking at the event about Mano Animation Studios, which he has cofounded and whose first full length feature, The Glassworker, is being directed by him. Speaking to Instep about the upcoming event, Usman shared that TEDxKyoto is one of the bigger TED events in Japan. “Kyoto has a wonderful background in animation. It’ll be a real privilege to go speak at the conference. We will show work from The Glassworker and the work that is being done on the animation that was heavily influenced by the animation in Japan.” Usman also spoke about what it means to him to present his talk in Kyoto, Japan. “I make it no secret that Japanese animation studios are my inspiration and my heroes so to be able to go to Japan and show my work to the people who made the work that inspired me to make animation is again a huge honour.” The last time Usman spoke at a Ted event in Japan was TedxTokyo in the summer of 2015. He tells Instep, “That was when the animation journey had just started. Now with an established studio, with our kickstarter campaign and with funding for the film, it is a huge honour to go back and show everything that is happening. InshaAllah, I’m really looking forward to it and hope it goes well.” Past speakers include George Takei (actor, activist and original Mr. Sulu from Star Trek) and many other luminaries from the interdisciplinary universe and beyond. Therefore, we cannot wait for Usman’s talk and will be watching when it finds us online this November.