Disney+ Releases All 6 Trailers For Its 'Launchpad' Season 1 Shorts
Disney+ has released trailers for all six of the short films in its promising new series Launchpad, designed to showcase live-action short films from "a new generation of dynamic storytellers" and "diversify the types of stories that are being told and to give access to those who have historically not had it." Which is a neat idea, and a great platform for rising filmmakers who need it.
A full trailer for season 1, which is themed around "Discover," has already been released, but Disney+ shows its commitment to this series with a trailer for each short film in the season. Watch the Launchpad season 1 trailers below.
American Eid
Written and directed by Aqsa Altaf, American Eid appears to be an inspiring immigrant assimilation tale which follows "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
In the elegantly directed Dinner is Served, helmed by Hao Zheng and 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, Growing Fangs is a quirky supernatural short film which follows "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 Little Prince(ss)
Moxie Peng directs and writes the coming-of-age short film about two kids defying gender norms, The Little Prince(ss). In the short, "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."
Let's Be Tigers
Writer-director Stefanie Abel Horowitz's Let's Be Tigers looks to be the most emotionally complex and mature of the bunch, following "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
Another quirky one deeply rooted in a rich culture, The Last of the Chupacabras is written and directed by Jessica Mendez Siqueiros. and is set "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."
All six short films in Launchpad season 1 will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning May 28, 2021.