Tanvi Malkarnekar is an emerging film maker, writer and animator based in Pune, India. She is a recent graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad where she learnt Animation Film Design. Her work is often in the form of comics and animated documentaries. She describes it as a collection of observations -striving to understand the emotion and beauty behind ordinary stories. On an average day you’ll probably find her reading, dancing, or petting a cat! She lives life by one simple philosophy, ” There is no failure, you either win, or learn.”

Directors Statement:
“Ladybugs Still Fly” began with a simple curiosity: what happens when we stop telling children what to think and instead start listening to how they see the world? This film is built entirely from real conversations I had with children between the ages of 7 and 9 – a time when they’re unintentionally funny, fierce, and philosophical. As I listened to them talk about anger, the origins of the universe, and everything in between, I was struck by their emotional clarity and wonder. It reminded me of a version of ourselves that often gets buried with age: hopeful, raw, curious. Animation allowed me to honor that wonder – through crayons, cutouts, and textures, I tried to reflect the playful and chaotic beauty of how children experience life.My hope is that viewers come away laughing, reflecting, and maybe even reconnecting with a part of themselves they thought was long gone.