Longtime Disney veteran Bobby Pontillas recently shared details about his new animated series titled Sun Chaser, a project he has been working on with the talented team at Manila-based Toon City Animation. The show, which was part of this year’s MIFA Pitches program at Annecy earlier this month, took home the Animation de Monde award at the event. Bobby, who was nominated for an Oscar for his 2018 One Small Step and has worked as animator and/or designer on features such Spies In Disguise, Tangled: Before Ever After, Zootopia, Moana, Big Hero 6, and Wreck-It-Ralph was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about his new project:
Animag: Can you tell us about the beginnings and inspirations for your awesome new show?
Bobby Pontillas: Growing up Filipino-American, I often felt caught between two worlds. My co-creator Bernard Badion and I wanted to tell a story about a kid who feels that way too, but through a fantastic adventure with his family and a journey back to where he came from, he begins to understand who he is and what he could become. It’s a personal story for us, but one that speaks to anyone searching for identity and belonging.
How did you put together the team at Toon City Animation?
Toon City has long been known for its top-tier service work for international studios, but I knew they had the talent to create original stories too. I brought Sun Chaser to them, and they fully embraced the idea of telling a Filipino story, brought to life by local talent. It’s been inspiring to see our artists pull from their own lived experiences, and pour so much heart into this project.
Can you describe the visual style and influences of your show?
Visually, Sun Chaser draws from a mix of Southeast Asian influences and contemporary Western animation. We wanted it to feel both grounded in Filipino culture and globally accessible. The environments are lush and magical, inspired by real Philippine landscapes, while the characters carry the expressiveness and charm of the shows we grew up with, just with faces that look a little more like ours.
Which animation tools are being used to produce it?
We’re animating the series in Toon Boom Harmony for animation and I used Storyboard Pro for the animatic. The designs and backgrounds are being done in Photoshop, with some early concept work sketched out traditionally as well. It’s a mix of tools, but the goal is always to keep it feeling hand-crafted.
When do you think it will be ready for delivery?
We’re currently in development and seeking the right partners to move into a full pilot. If all goes well, we’d love to begin production later this year and aim for delivery late 2026. But of course, like with many passion projects, timelines depend on partnerships and support.
The Philippines has been a hotbed for animation production for years. Maybe you can talk a bit about how important it is to produce authentic regionally produced animated content based on the rich culture and stories of the country itself?
Yes. The Philippines has always played a huge role in bringing others’ stories to life, especially through service work for studios in LA and around the world. And while that will always be a backbone of the industry here, we hope Sun Chaser represents a shift to expand further.
We want to show that Filipino artists are ready to tell their own stories, with their own voice, and that those stories deserve a place on the global stage. There’s so much heart in our culture, and it’s time we shared it with the world in a way that feels authentic and proud.
How was the Annecy experience this year?
It was our first time, and it was incredible! Being invited to the MIFA Pitches was already an honor, and then winning Animation du Monde was surreal. It gave us an opportunity to showcase Filipino talent on a global stage, and the response was very encouraging. But even more than that, it felt like a step forward not just for our project, but for original Filipino stories in general.
We also love the fact that you created the first Filipino muppet for Sesame Street. Can you tell us about that experience a bit?
That experience was incredibly meaningful. I was invited by another amazing Filipino-American, Rosemary Palacios from Sesame Street, to design TJ, the first Filipino muppet. We wanted him to feel authentically Filipino, not just in appearance, but in spirit. I still get messages from parents and kids saying how much it meant to see someone who looked like them on Sesame Street, and that’s the kind of impact I hope to carry through all my work.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Sun Chaser?
I hope audiences see that being different is something to be proud of. That where you come from matters, and your roots can be a source of strength, not something to hide. And I hope it helps inspire more creators from underrepresented communities to tell their own stories. Because the world is richer when everyone gets a chance to speak.
You can watch the presentation trailer for the show below:
You can learn more about the show at www.tooncityanimation.com/projects/sun-chaser and bobby-pontillas.com
