Minh Phan

Once Upon an ATX

This animated short film is a love letter to urban wildlife, folk storytelling, and the invisible threads that connect ecology and culture. Set against a reimagined Austin skyline, Once Upon an ATX follows a bat pilot navigating several chaos to deliver tacos to her colony—a whimsical premise rooted in real ecological rhythms, personal travel, and diasporic imagination.

As a Vietnamese international student and emerging artist, I’ve long been interested in how movement—across skies, cities, and cultures—shapes identity. This project merges my training in studio art and digital media with a fascination for animation as a tool for both play and purpose. Using Procreate Dreams and a crayon-inspired aesthetic, I leaned into a sketchbook-like visual style reminiscent of My Neighbors the Yamadas and Mexican folk art, evoking a childlike yet layered view of the world.

The film reflects on environmental adaptation, cultural hybridity, and collective care. From the pregnant bats arguing inside the Congress Avenue Bridge to the tactile textures of Tex-Mex cuisine, every frame is drawn with intention—to capture the surreal, poetic, and humorous aspects of coexistence.

This project would not have been possible without field research funded by the Copeland Program, guidance from my mentors, and the everyday inspirations found in food trucks, riverbanks, and stories half-remembered. I invite you to step into this imagined world and consider: what if the smallest creatures carried the biggest truths?

Minh Phan ‘25

Advisor: Bridget Murphy Milligan

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