BGN interviews the team behind Launchpad a collection of live-action short films from a new generation of dynamic storytellers.
AMERICAN EID
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
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
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.
THE LAST OF THE CHUPACABRAS
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.
LET’S BE TIGERS
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 LITTLE PRINCE(SS)
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.
Featured in the interviews are the following: AMERICAN EID: Aqsa Altaf (Director), GROWING FANGS: Ann Marie Pace (Director), THE LAST OF THE CHUPACABRAS: Jessica Mendez Siqueiros (Director), LET’S BE TIGERS: Stefanie Abel Horowitz (Director), THE LITTLE PRINCE(SS): Moxie Peng (Director), Mahin Ibrahim (Director, Disney’s Diversity and Inclusion) & Phillip Domfeh (Launchpad, Sr. Manager), and DINNER IS SERVED – Hao Zheng (Director)
Interviewer: Jeandra LeBeauf
Video Editor: Jamie Broadnax
Launchpad premieres Friday, May 28th on Disney+.