|
Building on the momentum from previous production programs, Asians in Animation has blasted off with its most ambitious project yet — an epic sci-fi rom-com feature. Logline Two soulmates set out from opposite ends of the galaxy, determined to reach each other, even if the journey takes a lifetime. Initial Development Development on the feature began during Asians in Animation’s 2025 Development Lab, spearheaded by Program Executive Producer Saira Umar and Program Producer Alice Jiang. Alongside the CG Short, 2D Short and TV cohorts, the Feature cohort developed a feature concept and created a production-ready pitch package from October through December.
Inspired by poignant romances like Past Lives and Your Name, Peri and Allen also drew from grand space stories like Interstellar to weave an ambitious exploration of love and growing up throughout the cosmos. Through the perspective of its lead characters, Feature 2026 aims to ask whether it’s brave, or naive, to chase after grand, long-shot dreams. Passionate and ambitious creatives themselves, Peri and Allen understand deeply what it means to chase after bold dreams that feel like a long-shot. ART The art team quickly dove into the visual development process, exploring and refining designs for the project’s lead characters across ages.
Art by Lucy Feng In mid-December, the team completed an expansive 62-page pitch deck containing 65 pieces of art, encompassing not only characters, locations, and props, but also beat boards and style frames.
Next Steps In December, Asians in Animation officially greenlit the project to proceed to the Feature Pre-Production Program stage, aiming to expand the developmental materials into a 20-minute proof-of-concept animatic. After a short holiday break, the team reassembled for the next leg of feature’s epic voyage. In total, this next stage of the program received over 160 applications for the story, design, production, music, casting and edit teams. Over the course of 2 months, we assembled and onboarded a full crew and cast of 60 heading into the pre-production phase. Stay tuned to hear more about what we’ve been up to!  Art by Sirius Zhao How It Started Early on, we knew we needed to include at least one pitch based on a story from the Middle East. We worked closely, as co-directors, writer and story artist to put together 4 pitches that were stories of resilience and beauty that reflected our team. Our writer, Amir, is Yemeni and pitched a story about Yemen which resonated with the entire cohort, and so it became the story that we chose to move forward with.
Writers’ Room How the Script Evolved: In a world where everyone connects through screens, it’s easy to distance ourselves from what is happening and dissociate from the impact of international current events. This story is influenced by an animator; Haneen, working with children in Gaza and finds itself through the themes of self-empowerment and determination. Through iterations, we find ourselves holding on to pieces of who we were in the past and follow a journey of one’s struggle to find themselves again. Originally, our story centered on embracing persistence in the face of struggle and while we kept the imagination aspect of the story, you’ll find that determination becomes the focal point.
Art by Kevin Zhou Building the Crew Since this is the first time AIA has pursued a CG production, we were blown away to receive 100+ applications to this program. We are working in a 3D style so we needed artists who were strong in out-of-the-box thinking. We leaned on artists who showcased a wide range of skills as well as experience experimenting with FX and objects such as glass and destruction. We also focused on artists who were comfortable with research and development to help build the tools we need to achieve the final look.  Art by Kevin Zhou Updates
We’re excited to be at the last stage of Storyboards and currently onboarding our 3D asset team. It’s been amazing to see all of the work and collaboration our 2D and storyboard teams have been undertaking in order for our story to take place. We hope you join us on this journey.  Art by Laura Swalley Initial Development Development on our 2D FOREST (working title) short began during Asians in Animation’s 2025 Development Lab, led by Executive Program Producer Saira Umar and Program Producer Alice Jiang. Over the course of 3 months, the 2D short cohort developed a concept and production-ready pitch package. How it Started In October 2025, Director Ashley Lam and Writer Sheena Santamaria leaned into “hopecore” and presented a number of ideas that highlight positivity and wonder. What emerged was “FOREST” an optimistic story of rediscovering one’s roots and the importance of friendship and community.  Art by Laura Swalley About the Short Film - Logline After failing to attract tourists to visit his forest village, a feisty (and slightly impulsive) acorn rallies his community to showcase all the charm of their hometown. Inspired by the shifting landscapes of LA’s Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown and a small town in rural Japan, Ashley and Sheena sought to craft a story about “the little guy.” The story unfolds in a world where grand adventures take place, just from the perspective of some of its smallest inhabitants. ”FOREST” strives to convey the age-old adage of “teamwork makes the dream work,” and that there is beauty and magic in the everyday and in the everyperson. The creative team behind FOREST firmly believes the world and people are good, and hope that audiences can see the good parts of themselves in our characters.
Art After drawing additional inspiration from our exceptional visual development artists (Vanessa Nakasone, Laura Swalley, Ivory Bi, and Michelle Wirono), we crafted a little world amongst the trees that our protagonist comes to appreciate more and more. The 51-page pitch deck captures not only our characters, locations, and cleverly-crafted props, but also beat boards and moment paintings. Building the Crew We were utterly floored by the over 200+ applications we received to be part of our crew. The caliber of our candidates speaks to the tremendous potential of people in the indie animation space who are passionate about collaborating and creating animated stories together. As an apprenticeship program, we prioritized applicants who were not only eager to learn, but also experts in their own right. Many of our applicants resonated with our short’s themes of growing up in immigrant families or communities, and rediscovering their roots. Like our forest friends, we look forward to building together.  Art by Vanessa Nakasone Updates
We’re still in the very exciting pre-design stage, where our visual development artists have stepped into leadership roles as art leads. They are continuing to flesh out our magical, little world of acorns, mushrooms, and bugs with a growing team of artists. Also, our storyboard artists are officially launched and beginning to bring these characters to life. Finally, a talented production team provides the organizational backbone upon which the creative team can build this world. We’ve been heartened by the team’s tremendous creativity and enthusiasm! We’re excited to bring you along on this journey and hope you come to love our little acorn’s world as much as we do. |
AuthorThe Program & Production Team Archives
June 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
|
FOLLOW US
|