Animated movie is success story overseas

"The quotes are meant to convey the spirit of innovation and a brash, risk-taking attitude toward trying new things and being adventurous," adds Zhang Shaofu.

Notching up more than a decade of experience at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sony Pictures Animation, Zhang Shaofu has worked on a string of animated blockbusters, such as Zootopia, Big Hero 6 and Moana.

He says the work experience obtained from these big-budget projects gave him a distinct perspective to find common ground between "specifics of Chinese cultural elements with the storytelling that people all around the world can enjoy".

Also keeping a close eye on China's animation industry, Zhang Shaofu says: "Chinese animation has made such giant leaps in development in recent years.

"Importantly, the Chinese domestic market has supported this growth with astronomical box office sales, fueling further innovation and expansion.

"Having worked in the Hollywood animation industry for many years, I know how difficult and complex it is to make a high-quality animated film. It makes me so proud to see Chinese animation achieving such amazing success and reaching new heights of storytelling and visual artistry, which was previously monopolized by the West," he adds.

The short movie is also in consideration for an Oscar nomination.