Touched

In the United States, home to 200 animation studios, just 28% of animators are women. Now imagine what that percentage is in Lebanon, a nation with no animation studios. As Rana Rachid puts it, “I’m that percentage!” Rana is the maestro behind a short animated film called Touched, which she hopes will be a “small stepping stone for a brighter future for animation in Lebanon.” 

Touched is just six minutes long, but it packs a punch. Rana explains that it explores themes like community, civic responsibility, and the obligations of an individual to her society. She will use her grant to pay for studio rentals to record voice actors and to cover fees associated with submitting the project to festivals around the world. Eventually, Rana hopes this short film will attract funders interested in supporting her first feature-length movie. And when that happens, little girls in Lebanon who dream of being animators can tell their parents not to be worried about their prospects. After all, Rana Rachid made it.