‘Launchpad’ Producer Phillip Domfeh On The Importance Of Showcasing Films From Underrepresented Creatives: “You Don’t Have To Be Othered. This Can Be A Home For You.”

deadline.com:

Disney’s curated short film program, Launchpad, features six unique features created by diverse filmmakers from different backgrounds.

In the series second season, The Roof,  directed by Alexander Bocchieri and written by W.A.W. Parker, which is up for Emmy consideration, tells a touching story about a queer two-spirit teenager (Phoenix Wilson) who is forced to spend time with his Northern Cheyenne Grandfather (Wes Studi) as he dangerously toils away on repairs to his leaky roof.

Here, Deadline talks to Launchpad senior manager and producer Phillip Domfeh about the powerful impact of diverse storytelling. DEADLINE: How would you describe Launchpad as a program?  PHILLIP DOMFEH:The best way to discuss Disney Launchpad is that it sits at the intersection of 100 years of storytelling expertise that resides within the Walt Disney Studios, and the next generation of storytellers that we’re trying to bring up that often come from underrepresented backgrounds, or people with unique perspectives who really have another way of us looking at, again, that very strong tradition of family storytelling.

And what we do is, we leverage that expertise. We raise these filmmakers up, we really teach them what it means to make a studio project, to make a short film within the studio system, but specifically the Walt Disney Studios.