Disney ushers in a new generation of young filmmakers with Launchpad, a series of short films that shine a spotlight on the diverse stories that form the backbone of 21st century America. The six shorts explore topics like grief, sexuality, and racial identity in a way that is genuinely sincere, but still palatable to general audiences who may not be aware of some of these issues.
The Launchpad program was founded with the goal of giving the big budget Disney treatment to young filmmakers from underrepresented communities, and those production values are on full display with lively production design, grand musical tapestries, and professional actors delivering cinematic performances. Likewise, the Disney branding and family-friendly content makes for a great entry point for viewers looking to dip their toes into more complex and mature themes.
While promoting the release of Disney's Launchpad films, Mahin Ibrahim and Phillip Domfeh spoke to Screen Rant about developing the program. Ibrahim serves as Director of Disney’s Diversity and Inclusion, while Domfeh is the Senior Manager of the filmmaking initiative. Together, they speak about their role in guiding this new generation of filmmakers and Disney's role in making sure the films are as polished and profound as possible.
Disney's Launchpad films can be streamed on Disney+.
Hello there!
Phillip Domfeh: Hi!
Mahin Ibrahim: Hi, Zak!
I had a great evening last night. And great evenings are rare. But I got to watch all six episodes, or short films, I should say, and... You don't need me to tell you that you nailed it. Putting together this incredible group of filmmakers, young people who are going to be the next generation. It's like the old stories about Brian DePalma and George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, that gang. I'm like, "Maybe this is that!" I dunno! Tell me about assembling the Avengers of short films.
Mahin Ibrahim: Thank you, Zak, for those kind words, it means a lot, thank you. So, I think our filmmakers really speak, themselves, about the experience of creating a family and a family bond from day one. So we have seen that, and kind of done what we can do develop that and flourish that. I love what you're saying about the rat pack of 2021. That's really cool. One thing that we've kind of learned through this process, part of the program is our educational curriculum, led by AFI and others. One of our instructors, Tessa Blake, had shared that in their own programs, so we really stand on the shoulders of many other programs who really built and paved the way for programs like Launchpad to exist. The AFI Directing Workshop for Women, they were really looking to survive in this tough industry through community, and so I think you nailed it, Zak. That's what really helped some of those filmmakers that we grew up watching and seeing flourish; they had their own community. I love what you said, that's great.
I love that the community is bound, not by being in some kind of ethnic or religious group binding, but just a love of film and of telling stories. I feel like it means so much more, to me personally. Did they shoot at the same time with the same crew? Tell me what kind of intersections they got to have while they were developing their ideas.
Mahin Ibrahim: It was a bit of a hybrid of both. They were able to talk about some of the dream collaborators they would love to work with. For example, Aqsa's dream was to work with Siddhartha Khosla, the composer, the Emmy-award winning composer of This Is Us. And Disney Music made that happen. So it's a little bit of both. We were also very lucky to work with people within our sound department on the six continuous shorts, as well as Lynn Ollie, our costume designer, who worked on several. It was really a mix of catering to the unique needs of each production, so a hybrid series/feature film model is what we created with Launchpad.
It looks incredible. They're shorts, but the production values are side-by-side with anything else on the network, or Disney+.
Phillip Domfeh: Thank you so much, Zak. I would say that I think a big part of the beauty of this program is that Disney has really come behind these filmmakers. To the point that you're making, these films have a look and a feel and a scale and excellence that you would come to expect from Disney. For these younger filmmakers to get to operate and demonstrate and show their ability and their voice at this level is really something unique.
Thank you for all of it! It's so... One of my favorite things about living in America, is that it's such a flexible and growing place, and I think you can see that in Disney and the content on Disney+. I sound like a commercial, but I mean it, where it's... Not to talk out of turn, but Disney has sometimes been seen as square, and to see them step up to the plate in this way, with these shorts, is impressive, and it's going to mean a lot to a lot of people, I know it.
Phillip Domfeh: We couldn't be more proud, genuinely. And it means a lot that the films connected with you, so thank you.
Disney's Launchpad films can be streamed on Disney+.