Launchpad (TV series)

Sisters Ameena and Zainab, two Muslim Pakistani immigrants, process the difficulties of living in a new place, including the lack of awareness their school has for their holiday of Eid.

A Chinese student attending an American boarding school tries out for a leadership position never attained by an international student.

Val Garcia, a Mexican-American teen who is half human/half vampire, maintains her identity a secret from both worlds, until her human best friend shows up at her monster-infested school.

A lonely Mexican-American woman struggling to carry on her traditions unknowingly summons a dark and ancient creature known as a chupacabra.

Avalon, a grief-stricken young woman who has recently lost her mother, is tasked to babysit a young boy named Noah for an evening.

Two young Chinese boys, Gabriel and Rob, befriend each other. Rob's father becomes suspicious about Gabriel’s feminine behavior and love of ballet and decides to intervene.

Kristen Yoonsoo Kim of The New York Times praised the series for approaching underrepresented groups of people across short films that are also made by minority filmmakers, found some of the shorts to be charming and sincere, while complimenting the dark tone of other films, stating they engage with somber stories and do not provide a predictable happy ending.[6] Jade Budowski of Decider found the short film Dinner Is Served impressively moving and praised the performances of the cast members, while stating the other films still manage to provide stories that are delightful and essential from fresh perspectives.[7]

Ashley Moulton of Common Sense Media rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, acclaimed the presence of positives messages, citing self-authenticity and pride, and praised the presence of role models, stating the series highlights underrepresented groups, while complimenting the educational value for its depiction of different cultures.[8] Josh Spiegel of SlashFilm rated the anthology series 8 out of 10, found that each short manages to have a distinct identity across the series, complimented the filmmakers for providing thoughtful and dark stories, and hoped the series to get a second season with new stories that stays both different and unexpected.[9]

The series was nominated for Outstanding Short-Form Series - Comedy or Drama at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards.[10][11] The Little Prince(ss) was nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 2022 Gold List Awards.[12][13]