
Welcome to my "Works in Progress" page! Here, you’ll get a sneak peek into my independent creative projects. Follow along as I share updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my journey from concept to creation. Your support and feedback mean the world to me. Thank you for being part of the adventure!

“Wishing Trees“
(June 2025 release)
What if trees could talk—and even comfort us in our darkest moments?
“Wishing Trees“ is a heartwarming animated short that unfolds through the quiet companionship of a cherry blossom and a Japanese maple tree. Through changing seasons, they witness moments of love, loss, and renewal from those who visit the bench between them. Told entirely from a fixed perspective, like a living stage play, ”Wishing Trees“ is a poetic meditation on grief, resilience, and the unseen connections that sustain us.

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masha ellsworth, director/producer
Masha Ellsworth is a lead technical director in the characters department at Pixar Animation Studios and an indie filmmaker with a passion for storytelling.
She started her career in animation in 2007 when she became an intern on “Ratatouille” working in sets and lighting departments. Later, she transitioned into characters, working on feature films like “Up”, “Toy Story 3”, “Brave”, “Cars 2”, “Inside Out”, “ Finding Dory”, “Cars 3”, “Good Dinosaur”, “Coco”, “Incredibles 2”, “Onward”, and “Turning Red”. Masha was born and raised in Northern Ukraine and graduated from Bringham Young University in Provo, Utah with a double degree in Computer Science and Visual Art.
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Thomas Sanghyun Hong, Co-Producer
Thomas Sanghyun Hong is a Tokyo- and Seoul-based film producer, critic, coordinator, and translator specializing in Korean and Japanese cinema. Beginning his career in advertising in 2004, he later transitioned into cultural programming and documentary production, debuting as a producer with For the Islanders (2008).
Thomas has worked as a commentator, columnist, and critic for major outlets including The Chosun Ilbo, and currently contributes to Hitocinema (Mainichi Shimbun) and CoAR. He has served as a program advisor for major film festivals such as BIFAN, Takasaki, and Jeonju IFF, and is a judge for the Mainichi Film Awards and Digicon 6 Asia.
His latest documentary, Table of the Flowers (2024), explores the lives of Chinese chefs in Japan. Fluent in several languages and holding dual master’s degrees in film and diplomacy, Thomas brings a unique international perspective to every project he touches.
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August Park, character Modeling/Rigging
August Park is a modeling and rigging artist based out of Brooklyn, New York with previous experience at Pixar, Hornet and DreamWorks. When they're not pushing points, you can find them painting, making comics, or biking around in search of a good slice of pizza.
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Uma Havaligi, Tailoring/Simulation Supervisor
Uma Havaligi Tailoring/Simulation Supervisor for “Little t”; Uma grew up in India dreaming of making animated movies. Her dream came true and she has worked as a tailoring and simulation artist on features and shorts like Megamind, Boss Baby, Incredibles 2, Soul, Float, Little t and others.

"If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?"
“Coveting”
(early production)
"Coveting" is a stylized animated short that vividly brings the Bronx of the 1970s to life. An homage to classic anime, set to the vibrant tunes of the era, it follows Jo, a seventh grader at Saint Augustine’s Catholic School, as she joins her best friends on a shoplifting spree.
What begins as a moment of impulsive rebellion unravels into a chain of events that tests Jo’s friendships and moral compass, ultimately leading her through missteps, unexpected kindness, and lessons that leave a lasting impression on integrity and growth.

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masha ellsworth, director/producer
Masha Ellsworth is a lead technical director in the characters department at Pixar Animation Studios and an indie filmmaker with a passion for storytelling.
She started her career in animation in 2007 when she became an intern on “Ratatouille” working in sets and lighting departments. Later, she transitioned into characters, working on feature films like “Up”, “Toy Story 3”, “Brave”, “Cars 2”, “Inside Out”, “ Finding Dory”, “Cars 3”, “Good Dinosaur”, “Coco”, “Incredibles 2”, “Onward”, and “Turning Red”. Masha was born and raised in Northern Ukraine and graduated from Bringham Young University in Provo, Utah with a double degree in Computer Science and Visual Art.
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Thomas Sanghyun Hong, Producer
Thomas Sanghyun Hong is a Tokyo- and Seoul-based film producer, critic, coordinator, and translator specializing in Korean and Japanese cinema. Beginning his career in advertising in 2004, he later transitioned into cultural programming and documentary production, debuting as a producer with For the Islanders (2008).
Thomas has worked as a commentator, columnist, and critic for major outlets including The Chosun Ilbo, and currently contributes to Hitocinema (Mainichi Shimbun) and CoAR. He has served as a program advisor for major film festivals such as BIFAN, Takasaki, and Jeonju IFF, and is a judge for the Mainichi Film Awards and Digicon 6 Asia.
His latest documentary, Table of the Flowers (2024), explores the lives of Chinese chefs in Japan. Fluent in several languages and holding dual master’s degrees in film and diplomacy, Thomas brings a unique international perspective to every project he touches.
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Joanne Furio, writer
Joanne Furio is a writer of creative nonfiction whose work has appeared in Believer, Catapult, Juked, Panoply and the Evening Street Review, among other publications. "Coveting" is based on a personal essay of the same name, part of a series of Bridge-and-Tunnel Girl stories she hopes to bring together in a collection.
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Caroline Elizabeth Lacaze Jordan
Description goes hereCaroline lends her voice to Jo, the main character, bringing depth and emotion to the role with her talent as a voice actor.
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Vince Caro, Recording Engineer
Vince Caro is the Senior Recording/Mixing Engineer at Pixar Animation Studios. He has worked on every Pixar Animated Feature film starting with Toy Story. Prior to his working with Pixar, he provided recording work for The Simpsons, and on many Walt Disney feature animated films such as Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, all the way through to Jon Favreau’s Jungle Book. His credits include many of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. He has also been on the sound team of many live-action films, serving as a scoring or soundtrack engineer & mixer. He has recorded/mixed/mastered, or otherwise worked on many multi-platinum & gold records. He owns multi-award nominations and/or wins for his recording & mixing (Cinema Audio Society/MPSE Golden Reel/Grammy & other).
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Hani Farrukh, Story Boarding Artist
Hani Farrukh is a Muslim American storyboard artist based in the Bay Area.
He has worked on multiple short films for the Pixar Co-op program. He has also worked on a Qatar Airway commercial for a freelance director, and a test storyboard for a feature film called Mustache directed by Imran J. Khan and produced by the producer of EIGHT GRADE and THE BEAR.
Hani enjoys drawing out storyboards where characters work through obstacles to achieve their goals because he wants to inspire people to over come similar challenges.
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Alex Hernandez, Story Boarding Artist
Alejandra Hernandez (Alex) is a Storyboard Artist born in the rainy heights of Bogota, Colombia. Her passion for storytelling brought her to San Francisco, where she has lived for the past 8 years. She has worked with Amazon Prime and Cineplex USA as an illustrator and has collaborated in multiple indie short films as a storyboard artist and production assistant. She has a BFA in Animation & VFX from the Academy of Art University and is pursuing a Master's in Advertising while working as an art teacher in the Bay Area.
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August Park, character Modeling/Rigging
August Park is a modeling and rigging artist based out of Brooklyn, New York with previous experience at Pixar, Hornet and DreamWorks. When they're not pushing points, you can find them painting, making comics, or biking around in search of a good slice of pizza.
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Elizabeth Arena, Assistant Editor
Elizabeth Arena is a college student aspiring to become a full-time film editor. With a background in acting, including numerous high school musical theater performances and roles in short films, Elizabeth has also directed several short films during her high school years. However, her true passion lies in post-production, where she excels.