Ten Teams Picked To Explore Global Myths And Folklore In Titmouse Foundation Short Film Fellowship (EXCLUSIVE)

The Titmouse Foundation and Warrior Art Camp have selected the ten filmmaking teams that will participate in the inaugural edition of their Short Animation Fellowship.

Nearly 300 applications were submitted for the program, which was announced in June. The fellowship was created to help early- and mid-career animation professionals develop and produce original animated shorts.

In a statement announcing the selections, the Titmouse Foundation said:

Narrowing down almost three hundred applications to our ten teams was incredibly tough for our judging committee. We were absolutely blown away by the talent and breadth of work from the applicants. We’re thrilled to announce the following ten teams for our inaugural Titmouse Foundation’s Short Animation Fellowship:

The inaugural selected teams are:

• Airin Budiman and Kat G. Morris
• Sonja Matienzo and Siena Kuan
• Colleen Gu and Mika Lim
• Thet Chal and Michelle Kuo
• Tenzin Lhamo and NZ Parker
• Darius and Kiana Soto
• Dalila Dutpayeva and Adina Nazarbay
• Sofia Herman and Jacob Lemos
• Jason Vilchez and Selina Zhang
• Alondra Lara and Liam Fink

This year’s fellowship is organized around the theme of “myth-making,” with projects drawing from myths, folklore, and storytelling traditions from around the world. Several of the teams plan to use the fellowship to explore stories and traditions connected to their own cultural backgrounds.

Gu and Lim said their project will examine portrayals of women in Filipino folktales, particularly female characters whose power and survival under colonial imperialism have historically led to them being framed as victims or monsters.

Chal and Kuo hope to make a film that captures the Burmese experience while introducing the culture to a broader audience. Darius and Kiana Soto plan to create something that encourages viewers to learn more about Puerto Rican culture, while Dutpayeva and Nazarbay are developing a family-friendly reimagining of Kazakh culture and traditions.

Participants will begin with a nine-week training period focused on project planning, pre-production development, and pitch deck creation. Teams will then present their projects; selected participants will advance to a six-month mentorship phase and complete their films with guidance from industry professionals.

Importantly, the filmmakers will retain full ownership of their pitch materials, intellectual property, and work created through the program. Completed shorts will also be presented in an online showcase.