The ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ director, who has supported the project for the last 2 years, joins the production, from visionary filmmaker Vani Balgam, about a South Indian teenage tennis prodigy whose game changes when her father falls into a coma; the Kickstarter campaign is now live.
Dancing Atoms has just shared with AWN that Academy Award-winning director Peter Ramsey () has joined their animated short film, as Executive Producer.For the last two years, Ramsey has supported the project, which is written and directed by Vani Balgam (Saraswathi Buyyala / Balgam).
tells the emotionally resonant story of a South Indian teenage tennis prodigy whose life is centered on winning.When her beloved father suddenly slips into a coma and is given only 72 hours to live, the game dramatically changes.To save him, she must use a radical last-ditch effort called “sensory stimulation,” surrounding him with a symphony of their life together.
As hope fades with each failed attempt, a flicker of a forgotten ritual - the sweet taste of a mango popsicle her father always shared with her - provides the final, fragile key.The film depicts a race to find the one memory that truly matters before it's too late.“ is a hand made - heart made - human made film,” said Balgam.
“We are thrilled to have Peter Ramsey’s creative guidance and support as we bring this deeply personal film, drawn from many stories about fathers and daughters of South Indian heritage, to life.” Balgam is a passionate, self-taught filmmaker and a veteran of the global animation and VFX industries.She co-founded the Academy Award-winning studio Rhythm & Hues Asia, where her leadership contributed to Oscars for Best Visual Effects on films including and .She further demonstrated her expertise in fostering world-class talent as the Creative Training Head for DreamWorks Animation.
Drawing from her South Indian roots and her Los Angeles base, Balgam’s work has garnered significant industry recognition: Feature Film Slate: Her feature projects have been selected for the prestigious NFDC Film Bazaar co-production market in both 2023 and 2024.International Partnerships: Her animated feature, , has been optioned by Spain’s Pudoctopus, and her live-action feature is in co-production with Canada’s High Park Entertainment.Children's Media: Her preschool shows have been optioned by Epic Story Media (Canada) and Monk Studios (Thailand).
She also launched two children's books based on Indian Mythology at the recent Lightbox Expo - “The Hanuman Chalisa” and “The Goddess Armor” - both now on Amazon.Balgam's influence extends to education, where she is creatively leading a prestigious training program for India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and championing upcoming filmmakers through the Animation Filmmakers Competition for the Waves Summit and Waves Film Bazaar.Dancing Atoms has just launched a Kickstarter campaign in support of , which has raised more than 60% of its crowdfunding goal and is seeking continued support to complete the film.
You can support on Kickstarter here.Follow the film Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/popsicle_short_film/: you can find Balgam on LinkedIn here.’s fiscal sponsorship is supported by Legends Animated.
U.S.taxpayers and companies / corporations can also donate to the film here.Balgam is managed by Fourthwall Management Los Angeles.
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
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