If you are already tired of the AI slop permeating in the world around us, you can feast your eyes on 28 specially selected animated films by truly human creators from 17 countries at this year's Cartoons Underground. The event which is South-East Asia's largest independent animation festival, will be held at the Filmhouse on 14 November 2026.
One of the selected animation films is “Drive On, Mr Otter” by San Francisco-based local creator Chun Kit. Chun Kit is a recent graduate from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) with a BFA in Character Animation. During the Covid era, he had a lot of time on his hands and started drawing a bunch of digital fan art, experimenting more with colours in this creations, whilst connecting with the art community as well as those who appreciated his art style. Then, in 2024, Chun Kit had the opportunity to illustrate for the Land Transport Authority of Singapore, and his artwork was seen in various train stations and bus stops.
Red Dot Diva connected with Chun Kit for a Q&A session to find out about what makes him tick:
Red Dot Diva: Your animation short “Drive On, Mr Otter” has been selected for Cartoons Underground 2026. Congrats! What were the key decisions in choosing this storyline and visual concepts for this film?
Chun Kit: From the very beginning, I wanted to create a film that reflects the person that I am at this current stage of life. The goal was to be as true to myself as possible; my interests, beliefs, experiences, friends, family, I wanted to somehow pour everything that I love into this film. When putting all of these together, something began to take form… akin to the shape of an otter.
It took me a while to figure out the overarching narrative and meaning of this film. Through Mr Otter, I wanted to convey feelings of isolation in a foreign place and explore the idea of what ‘home’ truly means. He begins the story having a physical home, the inciting incident being the risk of losing it due to his poor performance at work. His job seems to be the only way for him to survive in the city, even though it involves evicting other’s out of their homes.
I had all the pieces of the story floating in my head, like a puzzle waiting to be completed. My usual approach to filmmaking is to simply start boarding scenes that I can envision clearly. Once I see the characters actually exist in space, it’s a lot easier to figure out scenarios that would follow. It reached a point where I boarded most of the story, up to Mr Otter’s low low point (he has multiple), and I still didn’t know what the resolution was going to be! Eventually, I settled on a simple scene that would decisively help Mr Otter realise what he was truly lacking the entire time. Once I figured out the plot, I didn’t put too much thought into visual concepts. I just approached it in a way that felt the most natural to me.
Red Dot Diva: I have to ask – is the otter your favourite animal? If yes, why? Did you spend a lot of time researching about otters for “Drive On, Mr Otter”?
Chun Kit: Yes, otters are my favourite animal! (leaning towards river otters as they’re native to Singapore) I vividly remember the first time I ever saw one when I was four. My parents brought me to the aquarium and I was instantly drawn to these cheeky guys. Knowing I was watching them, one of the otters repeatedly performed somersaults and would swim along following me as I ran about. My parents bought me my first otter plush toy afterwards, firmly cementing them as my favourite animal.
Though I didn’t conduct any specific research for this film, I did use it as an excuse to take a trip to a place called Morro Bay. It’s a quiet seaside town 3 to 4 hours north of LA where tons of sea otters live. It was mating season when I visited and the pier was filled with moms and their newborn pups! Anyway a fun fact about sea otters - they have a pouch under their armpits where they store their favourite rock (awww)
(Just to clarify - Mr Otter is a river otter!)
Red Dot Diva: What or who inspires you as an artist and animator??
Chun Kit: When I first picked up digital art, I was really inspired by artists with a strong sense of colour and shape, like Kat Tsai, Kevin Dart, and Jasmin Lai. Right now though, the ones that really inspire me are honestly my friends. Seeing them grow, hearing about their interests and struggles, and being able to connect over our shared love for capturing life, it just leaves me with the strongest desire to push myself and continue creating.
Red Dot Diva: How would you describe your art style? In the deep wide ocean of artists around the world, how do you hone an art style that you can call your own?
Chun Kit: Though I don’t normally think in terms of art styles, I guess mine would have an emphasis on shapes and lighting? To me, someone’s art style is derived from certain sensibilities that influence how they observe and interpret the world, and their unique approach in capturing that. I think these would change and evolve as they grow, as I’m sure mine would.
In order to develop a more personal style, it’s important to find things that inspire you from everyday life. Many of us were probably inspired by other artists when we first started drawing and would emulate their style. While there’s merit in doing so, the key to developing a more personal style is probably by observing and referencing reality. Everyone's drawn to different things and their unique interpretation of the world will greatly inform their art style.
Red Dot Diva: What is the best career-related advice you have ever received?
Chun Kit: Anyone can pick up technical skills, but one’s artistic voice is unique to the individual.
Red Dot Diva: After “Drive On, Mr Otter”, what’s next for you in terms of your goals and upcoming projects?
Chun Kit: There’re more stories that I want to tell, but we’ll get there when we get there! Four years of art school was pretty intense. For now, I want to live at my own pace for a bit and create things for the sake of creating, without any external pressure!
You can watch Chun Kit's “Drive On, Mr Otter” during Programme B - Rip Tides segment of Cartoons Underground. “Drive On, Mr Otter” is about the timid, soft-spoken Mr. Otter who is pressured by a suburban redevelopment project to evict an elderly couple from their rural home. If not, poor Mr. Otter will face losing his own company-issued housing. Don't miss the film - remember to get your tickets to festival!
Cartoons Underground 15th Edition
Date: 14 November 2026 (Saturday)
Venue: Filmhouse, 6001 Beach Rd, #05-00, Singapore 199589
Time: Programme C: Playground (All ages) – 1:30 PM, Programme A: Held Breath – 4:30 PM, Programme B: Rip Tides – 7 PM
Tickets: Buy them at https://filmhouse.sg/seasons-events/cu2026/
Website: www.cartoonsunderground.com
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