Growing up Mexican American and bisexual in a family of anthropologists, Pace wanted to showcase what it meant to be an outsider and finding your place. She also is a huge fan of the supernatural. So, why not put the two and two together? That’s exactly what she did.

In Growing Fangs, Val Garcia, a Mexican American teen who is half human/half vampire, has had to keep her identity a secret from both worlds. But when her human best friend shows up at her monster-infested school, she has to confront her truth, her identity, and herself.

The Nerds of Color guest host Michael Lee got to chat with Pace about the project and her connection to the story. 

Check it out below:

Don’t forget to check out the other amazing shorts from Disney’s Launchpad on Disney+ out now.

For more coverage on Disney’s Launchpad, click here.

Disney’s Launchpad: Shorts Incubator — a filmmaking program dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices — celebrates six directors in its inaugural year to create a story centered on the theme of ‘Discover.’