I’m so excited to finally share this moment with you…

✨ My animated short film Surf Soup® Buttons is now LIVE on Kickstarter!
And… 🏆 my show, The Best Imagination Podcast, just won an award!

This episode is part celebration, part love letter — and part rallying cry for creativity, legacy, and visibility.

Surf Soup® Buttons is based on my children’s book from the Surf Soup® series, hand-drawn in Procreate Dreams and created entirely by me, Donna Kay Lau — an Emmy-honored animator, author of 100+ books, and first-generation Chinese American.

This project is personal.

It's stitched from my family’s story — from the floor of my grandfather’s LA laundry to the big screen in Hollywood, where I’ll be screening the film for awards consideration. It’s a tribute to immigrants, dreamers, artists, and everyone who was told to stay small.

And now I need your help.

🎁 Your support on Kickstarter will help fund:

• A 7-day theatrical run (Sept 8–14, 2025)

• Technical production (editing, DCP, sound)

• Reward fulfillment for backers (signed books, artwork, Zoom sessions)

• And the launch of Surf Soup TV — my upcoming cartoon series

This may be my only chance to bring this story to life on the big screen.

💛 Please back the project if you can — or share it if it moves you.
🎬 [Kickstarter link here]
🎧 Listen, laugh, cry a little, and then… let’s make some change. 🪙

Thank you for riding this wave with me.
Love,
Donna Kay Lau
Creator of Surf Soup® and The Best Imagination Podcast

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/surfsoup/surf-soup-buttons-an-asian-american-animated-short

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/surfsoup/surf-soup-buttons-an-asian-american-animated-short