Welcome back to the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! On this episode we get to know the director of the animation film In Your Dreams, Alex Woo.

Almost ten years in the making, director Woo’s debut feature is inspired by his memories of a brief period during childhood when his parents separated. That personal history became the foundation for the story of a young girl named Stevie who, alongside her brother Elliot, attempts to strike a deal with the Sandman to make their dream of reuniting their parents come true.

It’s a moving film that brings together the craft Woo developed during his formative years at Pixar, later refined through co-founding Kuku Studios, resulting in a debut that feels both deeply personal and assured.

We talked to Alex about his first foray into drawing, the lessons he learned at Pixar, dire ...