‘Little Kiwi’ – Animated Short Film

Art expressed through film is what I love most, which is why for my DSM project I have decided to create an animated film. In this particular project I wanted to capture the beauty of native Aotearoa, New Zealand in an immersive and engaging visual story for children. The film follows a little kiwi as it journeys through the lush, dreamlike forest of Aotearoa to find its mother, encountering various forest creatures and obstacles that dwell nearby.

My intention with this project was ultimately to inspire kiwi kids about the natural beauty of New Zealand. By representing the country through a lens reminiscent of studios with some of the best audience engagement due to their visually stunning and emotionally captivating storytelling (such as Ghibli and Disney) – perhaps child viewers may form a more emotional connection with the wildlife here, hopefully encouraging them to explore, learn or even protect our landscape.

images hand drawn by Stella Caulton