Twin Sparks

When a forest child's inner fire spirit breaks loose, they frantically try to catch it before damage is done. Inspired by co-director Ollie Yao's experience growing up transgender, this is a beautiful tale of radical self acceptance.

  • Ollie Yao
    Director
  • Heather Yun
    Director
  • Ollie Yao
    Writer
  • Heather Yun
    Writer
  • Raina Grey
    Key Cast
    "Sam"
  • Addyson Tabankin
    Key Cast
    "Fire Child"
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Coming-of-age, LGBT, Transgender, Kids, Children, Drama, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 14, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Computer Generated Image
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - School of Visual Arts
  • Vancouver Queer Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    August 13, 2023
    World Premiere
  • Student Academy Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semifinalist
Director Biography - Ollie Yao, Heather Yun

Ollie Yao - Co-director, Technical Director

Ollie Yao is a storyteller and CG artist based in NYC. He loves stylized 3D art, and bringing concept art to life through fantastic visuals.

Heather Yun - Co-director, Animation Director

Heather is a CG character animator based in NYC. She takes a lot of inspiration from 2D animation and translating the style into 3D.

Photo Credit: Nir Arieli

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This story is about radical self acceptance— discovering a new part about yourself that you may not like and working to understand and accept it. I initially drew the story from my own experience as a trans man, and the denial and uncertainty I felt when I first realized I was different.

Even if things feel out of control, it is never too late to decide to love yourself.