Calleen Koh is a Singaporean BAFTA-nominated animated short film director, animator, and artist, currently studying at the California Institute of the Arts under the Experimental Animation MFA Programme. She gained recognition for her two award-winning animated short films done during her time at LASALLE College of the Arts. She finds joy in turning serious societal problems into whacky stories using her crazy sexy characters, like anthropomorphic sushis, phallic Crayola-coloured children, or walking butts, in her manic animated films.
Her films have been screened in notable festivals around the world such as Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, Kaboom Animation Festival, Stuttgart Trickfilm International Animated Film Festival, Seoul Indie-Anifest, and more.
Her directorial debut with the animated short film, Sexy Sushi (2020), which explored existential themes within consumerism and satire of sexually-charged Japanese advertisements, was selected for over 40 festivals internationally including – clinching awards such as Best Art Director in Singapore’s National Youth Film Awards (NYFA), the Air Canada Award, and Gold in the Crowbar Awards for animation and art direction.
Her graduation film, To Kill the Birds & the Bees (2021), explores a cross-generational conflict in attitudes and knowledge about sex in Singapore. It was most notably shortlisted for the Yugo BAFTA Student Awards in 2022. The film also swept up 3 awards at NYFA – for Best Original Music, Best Screenplay, and Best Art Direction. It won 5 Gold awards at the Crowbar Awards, the Audience Choice award at ANIMAC, Best Student Film and Audience Choice at Cartoons Underground 2022, and the Michael Fukushima Animasian Award from Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. The film has screened over 30 festivals to date.
In 2022, she directed a team of talented artists at Finding Pictures for her animated short film, Hot Buns (2022), under the NYFA Film Facilitation Programme and was under the mentorship of Oscar-nominated animation director, Song Siqi, for it. She is currently developing her first TV series alongside her studies.