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Witness stunning animation in a variety of mediums and styles. These stories by and about Asian Americans use the art of animation to convey deep emotional themes. Creativity comes to life here in the form of 2D, 3D, and stop motion short films.
This screening features 10 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A 3D animated short film about a mechanic, her robot companion, and the path they take to reconnect their relationship.
Director Biography - Kristina Tran
Kristina Tran is a Vietnamese- and Chinese-American filmmaker from Elk Grove, California. She attended San Jose State University for her BFA in Animation/Illustration and graduated in 2024. "re:connection" is her final thesis film, which was completed as part of her degree.
Her passions include creating lived-in 3D environments, dramatic lighting, render wrangling, and eating at Home Eat with her team.
Director Statement
"re:connection" was first conceived when I reflected on my experience with balancing work and life in a past relationship. However, the story evolved as I shared it with each member of my team. Each person I spoke to saw something different in the characters we were creating; to some, the Mechanic and the Robot represented a tumultuous but forgiving sibling relationship. To others, the characters embodied their struggles with a decline in mental health and the loss of childhood.
I realized that our simple story represented more than my original relationship issues and embraced every new and different emotion our team brought to the table. Now, the final form of our film hopes to inspire viewers to reflect on their own relationships. Even if your bonds with your loved ones have changed, you can take the first step to reconnect.
- Year2024
- Runtime8 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePacific Northwest
- GenreDrama, Heartfelt, Emotional, Animation, 3D, 3D Animation
- Social Media
- DirectorKristina Tran
- ProducerJudy Lung
- EditorJudy Lung, Steven Chao, Lauren Lee
- AnimatorSteven Chao, Hara Anderson, Ethan Gray, Satong Huynh, Kevin Nguyen, Ivy Zhao, Johnny Do, Lauren Lee, Moni Moilanen, Francesca Jassir Noguera, Nishanth Swarna, Ray Takeda
- Sound DesignJudy Lung, Johnny Do
Witness stunning animation in a variety of mediums and styles. These stories by and about Asian Americans use the art of animation to convey deep emotional themes. Creativity comes to life here in the form of 2D, 3D, and stop motion short films.
This screening features 10 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A 3D animated short film about a mechanic, her robot companion, and the path they take to reconnect their relationship.
Director Biography - Kristina Tran
Kristina Tran is a Vietnamese- and Chinese-American filmmaker from Elk Grove, California. She attended San Jose State University for her BFA in Animation/Illustration and graduated in 2024. "re:connection" is her final thesis film, which was completed as part of her degree.
Her passions include creating lived-in 3D environments, dramatic lighting, render wrangling, and eating at Home Eat with her team.
Director Statement
"re:connection" was first conceived when I reflected on my experience with balancing work and life in a past relationship. However, the story evolved as I shared it with each member of my team. Each person I spoke to saw something different in the characters we were creating; to some, the Mechanic and the Robot represented a tumultuous but forgiving sibling relationship. To others, the characters embodied their struggles with a decline in mental health and the loss of childhood.
I realized that our simple story represented more than my original relationship issues and embraced every new and different emotion our team brought to the table. Now, the final form of our film hopes to inspire viewers to reflect on their own relationships. Even if your bonds with your loved ones have changed, you can take the first step to reconnect.
- Year2024
- Runtime8 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePacific Northwest
- GenreDrama, Heartfelt, Emotional, Animation, 3D, 3D Animation
- Social Media
- DirectorKristina Tran
- ProducerJudy Lung
- EditorJudy Lung, Steven Chao, Lauren Lee
- AnimatorSteven Chao, Hara Anderson, Ethan Gray, Satong Huynh, Kevin Nguyen, Ivy Zhao, Johnny Do, Lauren Lee, Moni Moilanen, Francesca Jassir Noguera, Nishanth Swarna, Ray Takeda
- Sound DesignJudy Lung, Johnny Do
