Red Squirrel Mai’s trailer

Red Squirrel Mai was a feature film in development from 2017 to 2019, envisioned as a lighthearted family adventure presented in a Chinese ink painting style.

The story follows young Mai, whose father fails to return from a long and dangerous scouting mission for the golden pine cone. Desperate to go looking for him, Mai is held back only by his mother, who fears the worst. One day, Mai is snatched by an eagle and carried far from home to her nest on a pointy rock mountain, intended as a meal for her precious chick. In trying to avoid being eaten, Mai accidentally takes the eaglet hostage and tumbles into the pine forest below, suddenly closer than ever to where his father was last seen. Reluctantly, he learns to care for the baby eagle as they navigate the dangers of the forest together, forming an unlikely companionship. Meanwhile, his mother sets out on her own journey to find Mai, holding onto hope that he is still alive.

Rooftop Animation was commissioned to run the project. Rebecca Ko and I directed together, with Anita So as project manager. The team was large, dedicated, and extremely talented. We completed a trailer and full preproduction before the project came to a halt for technical and creative reasons. It was a humbling experience leading something so ambitious, and I’m grateful for it.