Disney+'s Launchpad is a collection of live-action short films created by a new generation of dynamic storytellers. All six of them arrived on the streaming service yesterday, May 28, and are based on the theme "Discover."
The aim of the shorts is to diversify the types of stories that are being told and to give access to those who have historically not had it, and having had the opportunity to watch all of them prior to the global press conference, we can assure you that they're well worth checking out.
Disney was clearly happy with how these shorts turned out because a second batch are already being planned and are set around the theme of "Connection." Talking at the event, Phillip Domfeh, Launchpad's Sr. Manager, dropped some hints about what that will mean for the stories the next group of filmmakers tell.
"I don't know a person over the past year and a half who hasn't been really forced to meditate on the idea of connection, connection to your family, connection to the outside world of the means by which you are connected and you find yourself connected," Phillip said. "Really, the challenge is, but the season two filmmakers to crack that story and unique and interesting way, and I've had the utmost confidence that we're going to see some really exciting stories. I've got ideas of what connection could mean, but it's not for me to tell as far as the next generation of filmmakers. We really can't wait."
Philip also went on to discuss the challenges COVID-19 posed during the production of the shorts. "Well, we had a lot of institutional support and it's really not just the people that you see here. Obviously, these filmmakers spearheaded the vision, but I'm really proud to say that Disney in totality really came behind these filmmakers from our production executives to every part of the team that helped make each film. It's just beautiful to see."
"Mahin and I say this constantly, what they accomplished during COVID really just positions them as true, not only filmmakers storytellers, but leaders, captains of teams and it's not hard enough to just tell a really beautiful story," he continued. "To do that facing a once-in-a-hundred-year term while is something that's really, I think just show that these guys are the real deal. They've really got it and we're really proud of them."
Submissions for season two of Launchpad will be accepted through June 11 at https://launchpad.disney.com/
Check out a trailer and details on each short film below:
AMERICAN EID, Written and Directed by Aqsa Altaf - Ameena, a Muslim Pakistani immigrant, wakes up on Eid to find out that she has to go to school. Homesick and heartbroken, she goes on a mission to make Eid a public-school holiday, and in the process, reconnects with her older sister, and embraces her new home, while her new home embraces her.
DINNER IS SERVED, Directed by Hao Zheng, Written by G. Wilson & Hao Zheng - A Chinese student at an elite U.S. boarding school realizes excellence is not enough when he tries out for a leadership position no international student has ever applied for.
GROWING FANGS, Written and Directed by Ann Marie Pace - Val Garcia, a Mexican-American teen who is half human/half vampire, has had to keep her identity a secret from both worlds. But when her human best friend shows up at her monster-infested school, she has to confront her truth, her identity, and herself.
LET’S BE TIGERS, Written and Directed by Stefanie Abel Horowitz - Avalon’s not ready to process the loss of her mother, but when she’s put in charge of a 4-year-old for one night, she finds more comfort than she ever could have expected.
THE LAST OF THE CHUPACABRAS, Written and Directed by Jessica Mendez Siqueiros. - In a world where culture has nearly ceased to exist, one lone Mexican-American struggling to carry on her traditions unknowingly summons a dark and ancient creature to protect her.
THE LITTLE PRINCE(SS), Written and Directed by Moxie Peng - When Gabriel, a 7-year-old Chinese kid who loves ballet, becomes friends with Rob, another Chinese kid from school, Rob’s dad gets suspicious about Gabriel's feminine behavior and decides to intervene.