WHAT'S A 'BRITISH CHRISTMAS' IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

Disney EMEA wanted a Christmas film to anchor their Q4 campaign.

They knew it would be a 3D animation.

They knew it would centre on a family you don't often see in Christmas advertising.

What they didn't have yet was the story.

Rather than chasing representation for representation's sake, I wanted to tell a story that felt recognisable to the people living it.

The result was The Stepdad, a three-minute animated film following Mike as he moves into the home of his partner Nicole and her two children. As they find their rhythm as a new family, they create a Christmas tradition that's entirely their own, blending Jamaican and Filipino heritage with just a little Disney magic.

Working with Disney's in-house animation team over six months to help shape a script and visuals that felt less like a statement about diversity and more like an honest portrait of what a British family can look like today.