Surf Soup®️ BUTTONS

Surf Soup® Buttons is a deeply personal and artistically crafted animated short from Emmy-honored animator, illustrator, and author Donna Kay Lau. Rooted in Lau’s Chinese American heritage, the film draws on her vivid childhood memories of time spent in her grandfather’s Los Angeles laundry, a space filled with warmth, resilience, and quiet magic—set against the historical backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act era.

In this poetic and whimsical story, a simple button becomes a key to boundless imagination. Inside a magical laundry, everyday objects—garments, sewing tools, spools of thread—come alive, unfolding into playful characters and visual metaphors for family, culture, and the resilience of the immigrant experience. Buttons act as symbolic portals, linking generations and weaving together shared memories and dreams.

Every frame of Surf Soup® Buttons was hand-drawn on paper, scanned, and completed with minimal digital compositing to preserve the organic beauty of pencil lines and the texture of painted backgrounds. Watercolor-inspired imagery infuses the film with softness and nostalgia, while the layered composition gives depth to its magical realism.

The film’s independent, handcrafted approach mirrors the perseverance and resourcefulness at the heart of Lau’s family history. At its core, Surf Soup® Buttons is more than a story about a laundry—it’s a celebration of heritage, memory, and the everyday magic that stitches life together.

• Runtime: 10 minutes
• Format: DCP (2K Flat), Stereo Sound, Color
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States

Credits:

Director Donna Kay Lau

Writer Donna Kay Lau

Producer  Donna Kay Lau

Animator Donna Kay Lau

Editor Donna Kay Lau

Music J.S. Bach (Public Domain), arranged by Donna Kay Lau

Note: Sole creator and filmmaker.

‘Logline: A Chinese American girl uncovers her family's hidden strength through a bowl of buttons — sewn with stories of survival, the Exclusion Era, and deep-rooted resilience.

Donna Kay Lau is an Emmy-honored animator, author, and illustrator whose work spans television, film, and children’s literature. She is the creator of the Surf Soup® book series (100+ titles) and the Oscar-qualified animated short Surf Soup® Buttons. Drawing on her Chinese American heritage and a career in hand-drawn animation, Lau’s work blends cultural storytelling with whimsical artistry. She has contributed to beloved animated series for major networks, while independently producing original works that preserve the craft of traditional animation. Through her films, books, and art, Lau celebrates identity, heritage, and the magic hidden in everyday life. Surf Soup® Buttons is her first Oscar-submitted film, a labor of love created entirely by hand.

Surf Soup® Buttons is a love letter to my heritage, my family, and the art form that shaped my life. I grew up in my grandfather’s Los Angeles laundry, a place that—on the surface—was filled with starch, steam, and the hum of sewing machines. But to me, it was a magical world where threads danced, buttons rolled like tiny planets, and every corner held a story.

This film is rooted in those early memories and in the resilience of my family’s immigrant journey. My grandfather’s laundry existed during the lingering impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a time when belonging was fragile. Yet, inside those walls, I found a sense of home and the quiet strength of cultural connection.

I chose to create this film using traditional 2D animation—drawing every frame by hand on paper—because the tactile quality of pencil lines mirrors the intimacy of memory. The process was slow, personal, and deliberate, echoing the way family stories are passed down: one detail at a time, with care.

Surf Soup® Buttons is not just about a magical laundry—it’s about identity, perseverance, and the threads that tie generations together. I hope audiences leave not only entertained but reminded of their own small, magical places and the people who shaped them.

Located in the lively and energetic area of Hollywood's Vinyl District, Cinelounge® Sunset offers an upscale and exciting moviegoing experience with one auditorium. This contemporary theater supports premium formats like Dolby Cinema and features special amenities like comfortable leather seats, artisan snacks from the concession stand, and wheelchair access. Motherwolf, Thompson Rooftop, Grandmaster Recordings, Gwen, Superba are some convenient nearby spots to grab a bite to eat before or after the movie. Three-hour parking is available for $5 in the building parking lot.

Emmy-Honored Animator Donna Kay Lau Brings Her Chinese American Heritage to Life in a Hand-Drawn 2D Film Inspired by Her Grandfather’s LA Laundry

LOS ANGELES – August 8, 2025 – Emmy-honored animator, author, and illustrator Donna Kay Lau celebrates a milestone day with the launch of her newest children’s book Surf Soup® Buttons, the launch of her Kickstarter campaign, and the upcoming theatrical Oscar-qualifying run of her animated short film of the same name at Cinelounge in Hollywood, September 8–14, 2025.

Surf Soup® Buttons is a whimsical, heartfelt animated short inspired by Lau’s Chinese American heritage and her childhood spent in her grandfather’s Los Angeles laundry. Drawn entirely by hand on paper and finished with traditional painted backgrounds, the 2D short blends cultural storytelling, humor, and the tactile beauty of classic animation.

The film’s theatrical run at Cinelounge, 6464 Sunset, Hollywood, CA qualifies it for consideration in the Best Animated Short Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards®. The companion book release expands the Surf Soup® series to over 100 titles, bringing Lau’s imaginative world to both the screen and the page.

“Surf Soup® Buttons is about more than a magical laundry—it’s about family, identity, and finding wonder in the everyday,” said Lau. “This story stitches together my heritage with the joy of hand-crafted animation.”

Screening times, tickets, and Kickstarter details can be found at https://Surfsoup.tv/buttons

Surf Soup Book Series://https://bit.ly/m/SurfSoupTV

About Donna Kay Lau / Surf Soup Studios
Donna Kay Lau is an Emmy-honored animator, illustrator, and author whose work spans television, film, and children’s literature. She is the creator of the Surf Soup® book series—now over 100 titles—and the Oscar-qualified animated short Surf Soup® Buttons. Lau’s work blends cultural storytelling with whimsical artistry, often inspired by her Chinese American heritage and personal history. As founder of Surf Soup Studios, she is dedicated to preserving the craft of traditional hand-drawn animation and sharing meaningful, imaginative stories with audiences worldwide.

Surf Soup Buttons

An Immigrant’s Asian American Dream Born in Grandpa’s Laundry

In the back of a steamy, bustling laundromat, little Donna didn’t need toys—she had crayons, oatmeal teddy bear, and a magical porcelain chicken bowl filled with buttons and stories. This heartwarming, whimsical tale draws from the real-life childhood of an Asian American girl growing up in her grandfather’s “Laundry”

While her grandparents folded clothes and chased dreams in a new land, Donna dreamed, too—turning socks into characters, laundry machines into animation studios, and buttons into storytellers.

A tribute to family, creativity, and the power of small beginnings, Surf Soup Buttons gently introduces young readers to the immigrant experience, while celebrating imagination, love, and cultural heritage.

The book includes a special section that offers historical context about Chinese American laundries, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and a heartfelt message from the author.

Ideal for readers ages 5–12, this book is perfect for fans of Asian American stories, immigrant family tales, and anyone who believes that magic can be found in the everyday moments of life.