John Cho joins as EP on Baobab Studios’ NAMOO
Skwigly
Baobab Studios is pleased to announce that acclaimed actor, John Cho (Searching, Star Trek), has officially joined the team as executive producer on their latest animated short film, NAMOO. On what drew him to the film, John Cho said:
Though Erick’s film is based on his grandfather, it resonated for me in a very personal way. A valentine as well as a testament to the artistic process, this film is a little miracle in that it was animated during the pandemic by artists across the world, working together virtually. I was moved by its human message, improbably illustrated through an entirely hand-crafted, digital process.
Written and directed by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Erick Oh (Opera) and produced by nine-time Emmy® Award-winning Baobab Studios, NAMOO is a narrative poem, hand-painted and animated with state-of-the-art software and real-time technology. Inspired by the passing of Erick’s grandfather. NAMOO—which translates to “tree” in Korean—marks Oh’s most personal work to date. The film follows the beautiful and heartbreaking moments of a man’s life, from beginning to end.
It’s been an absolute honor to have John’s support behind this film. His presence has been so inspirational, and I am genuinely excited to present and share something very meaningful together with John. I hope our collaboration on NAMOO, a poetic story about life, brings a positive message to everyone.
-Erick Oh (writer/director)
John has been such an amazing part of our team. We’re so honored to have his talent and support behind this deeply personal story about an artist struggling to find purpose amidst the joy and tragedy of life, and all the choices he made in between.
-Maureen Fan (producer and Baobab Studios CEO)
The film is currently making its way through the festival circuit and will celebrate its LA Premiere as part of the official selection for the 2021 Hollyshorts Film Festival this Friday, September 24th. The team will also present a Tech Talk at the upcoming Ottawa International Animation Festival entitled Storytelling in 2D with 3D tool Quill: A deep dive with Erick Oh on Wednesday, September 29th. Additional stops for the film in the coming month include the Edmonton International Film Festival, and the VIEW Conference (Turin, Italy).