Dumpling comes to life in first Pixar short helmed by female director

News has finally broken on the new Pixar short that will precede Incredibles 2 in theaters this summer. It’s called Bao, and will be the studio’s first short film helmed by a female director. It will also be Pixar’s longest short film to date, topping out at about 8 minutes.

The short will screen at Tribeca Film Festival at the end of the month. The festival’s description states that Bao is about an “empty-nesting Chinese mom who gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life, but she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever” (Cartoon Brew).

Domee Shi has written and directed the short, the first time a female has done so over the 20 shorts Pixar has released throughout the past 32 years. Shi’s first Pixar credit was as a storyboard artist on Inside Out, and she has since worked on Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. She began her Pixar career with an internship in 2011.

Bao is produced by Becky Neiman-Cobb and executive produced by Peter Docter and John Lasseter. Toby Chu (Burn Notice, Henchmen, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return) has written the score.

Check out a new clip of the short below!