Panchita!! The Girl with the Dancing Heart 

Based on a true story, Panchita!! is the tale of a South American girl looking for stable foundations to follow her tap dancing dreams. Currently at film festivals, we’re proud to share a closer look at our vibrant world of characters and unveil our glossy art book, The Art of Panchita!!

A project for TECHO, an NGO that makes a tangible difference to the world. In the last 25 years, they have built homes for 131,000 South American families in 18 countries and counting.

It’s easy to forget there are still places where people struggle for basic necessities. 

This project was an opportunity to recapture some of our wide eyed innocence and inspire action! Proud to be sponsored by companies key to Panchita's creation - Maxon, Garagefarm, Jawset, Wacom & Syncsketch. 

Help us make a change! 

us.techo.org/panchitamovie

Story & Characters

“Mama we have a floor! We have a floor!” From the moment a volunteer described the joy of seeing a 6-year-old girl dance in her new Techo house for the first time, our short story began to fall into place. 

Upon unearthing a magical old VCR,  Panchita discovers her calling - to tap dance.

Guided by an unexpected, supernatural friend and mentor, a new passion transforms her very surroundings.

Like most of us, Panchita did not choose her home. She's blissfully unaware of her grandma’s day to day struggle in an informal settlement in South America. Even so, Panchita is as wide-eyed and precocious as any 6-year-old has ever been.

Artwork

Through Panchita's eyes, it's a wide new world full of tropical colors and simple, innocent shapes. Visually, we wanted the film to inspire people to make change and uplift. Techo empowers and is something to be optimistic about; it's a tale of hope and triumph against adversity. We settled on an illustrative, almost toy-like miniature visual style that appealed to all ages.

When you donate, TECHO enables you to reach into an informal settlement and affect someone's life in a physical way. Our toy-like set makes it easy to imagine placing a new model home into the scene with your own hands.

Early Design Exploration

Terrain & Nature

Within the informal settlement, there is no space free from the elements, the very ground is unforgiving. The sand, a key member of our cast, visually and technically was a challenging balance. It needed to move realistically, feel miniature and stay consistent with our world of simplified shapes. 

The Team

Proud to be empowering South American artists, sound designers and animators.

The Team

Proud to be empowering South American artists, sound designers and animators.

''Remember animators! When you are six years old, your feet don't respect your wishes.''

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