“Luna” fancies herself as a bit of an astronaut, but what are her chances? She is still at school and lives with her dad who cobbles to keep them going. As she grows up, we see her become a little more introverted and less connected with her father until one fateful day she arrives home from college to find an empty chair awaiting her. Now alone, will this empower her to focus her efforts on getting her astrophysics degree and maybe, just maybe, get into the seat on a rocket into outer space? The message in eminently transferable here. You don’t need to be of any nationality, sex or age to get something from a story that encourages “Luna” to think big, to dream and aspire - but that also reminds her to remain grounded and count the blessings she already has before they are, inevitably, taken away. The animation is lively and quickly paced, with the big-eyed “Luna” engaging as she and her variety of footwear tell us a story that packs a bit of soul into eight minutes.

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One Small Step
2018 • 0h 8m • ★ 7.6 (154 votes) Released
Luna is a vibrant young Chinese-American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. From the day she witnesses a rocket launching into space on TV, Luna is driven to reach for the stars. In the big city, Luna lives with her loving father Chu, who supports her with a humble shoe repair business he runs out of his garage. As Luna grows up, she enters college, facing adversity of all kinds in pursuit of her dreams.
Director
Bobby Pontillas
Writer
Shaofu Zhang
Screenplay
Andrew Chesworth
Rating
7.6
Runtime
8 min
Production
Taiko Studios
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Audience Reviews
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CinemaSerf
★ 7/10 • Feb 14, 2026
Keywords
adolescencedreamscartoongrowing upspaceastronautfatherhoodfather daughter relationshipshort film