Genius is often a term used when discussing Usman Riaz.

Learning and performing intricate music, touring globally with TED, being offered a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music, recording in Coke Studio, having a Tiny Desk Concert. The man is the traditional definition of success. But that wasn’t his dream.

Animation was.

He dropped out of Berklee after a conversation while visiting Studio Ghibli, and decided to start his own animation studio in Pakistan. Recruiting the amazing creative minds around him, Mariam Paracha and Khizer Riaz. Over the next 10 years he would lead them in the overwhelming challenge of making a hand drawn animated feature, in Pakistan, a country that has no infrastructure to support something of this scale. Recruiting doctors, dentists and anyone with a passion and commitment to animating, but also having to convince their parents that this was a viable career path.

10 years later they premiered The Glassworker at Annecy.

Usman’s passion is so raw, so truthful and in all honesty, so infectious. I’m honoured to be swept up along the trail he’s blazing.

These are a few of the things we talked about:

- Why start a hand drawn animation studio?
- The pursuit of passion in the face of cultural barriers
- Influences of the Glassworker

& so much more!

I’m really excited to hear your thoughts.