KAPWA

KAPWA KAPWA STUDIOWORKS is an Oscar-shortlisted, AACTA-nominated film and animation studio based in Sydney, Australia.

KAPWA STUDIOWORKS is an Oscar-shortlisted, AACTA-nominated film and animation studio based in Sydney, Australia, founded by award-winning director and producer, Robertino Zambrano. We are best known for our Academy Award-shortlisted animated documentary, Love in the Time of March Madness, our Annecy-winning animated poem called TED-Ed: Accents, and for our work on Not My Responsibility, which feat

ured in Billie Eilish’s Grammy-nominated music film, Happier Than Ever (Disney+). Most recently we were commissioned by the Washington Post to create a series of animations celebrating Simone Biles ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Our work has screened in dozens of festivals world-wide, and we have produced work for some of the world's biggest brands including Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Netflix, Google, Apple, Nike, ESPN and National Geographic. Kapwa is currently in development on an original animated series called FISH BOI with Screen Australia and SBS.

Last week we had our first KAPWAMILYA gathering at our new Surry Hills studio. We hoped it would be a simple chill gathe...
22/12/2025

Last week we had our first KAPWAMILYA gathering at our new Surry Hills studio. We hoped it would be a simple chill gathering of our collaborators - filmmakers, animators, writers, designers, editors and directors, family and friends from the Filipino community and beyond.

It was an impromptu decision - after a crazy busy year, we weren’t sure if we had the energy to add this to our plates. But certain moments only happen once, and we knew we had to create some space… to bless the space. And that meant blessing this moment, and our friendships that got us here: friends that have been in the trenches with us since day one. Friends riding with us now to make new dreams happen.

It turned out to be so much more fun than we imagined - watching the creative, ambitious, daring, caring and kind friends around us connect with each other. All while the Titas and Titos made chismis in our conference room; and the kids (and Chris) duked it out on NBA2K on the PS5.

The vibes were damn good.

And so was the food. Lucky us! The Manalad/Parcutela/Oris family (Empanada Queen ) brought the killer Filo spread (thank you Kuya Ago!), and to our friends at .au for the gelato and .syd for the ube brownies, and huge thanks to for the in-kind support with the Filipino drinks. You all brought the soul to the party.

Thank you everyone for coming, connecting, loving and making this small moment a special one for the memories, and helping us close out the year with a warm and fuzzy hug.

Let’s make the next one happen.

With love,
Team Kapwa

19/11/2025

KAPWA worked with Compare Club and Clemenger BBDO to design and develop a bespoke illustration system for Compare Club’s brand relaunch. The challenge was to create a unique, ownable and expandable illustration style for the Compare Club world, which celebrated individuality across the extremely diverse everyday heroes of Australia - the John and Jane Smiths of our country. The illustrated design system had to span all media channels, from character design for TVCs and national outdoor campaigns; to illustrated icon systems for digital.

KAPWA worked with Clemenger to take the Compare Club team on an extensive design journey to define a characterful visual system which pushed all the right buttons for the brand, strategically and creatively.



CREDITS

Technique: Branded Illustration System and 2D Character Animation Campaign

Client: Compare Club
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Production Company: KAPWA Studioworks

KAPWA with AIM Creative Studios
Creative Director: Robertino Zambrano
Head of Production: Dulce Aguilar
Co-Directors: Christoph Sarow, Robertino Zambrano
Production Coordinator: Maristelle Tandog
Junior Director: Aki Clayton
Producer: Tiago Ribeiro
Project Manager: Daniela Carvalho
Storyboard & Animatic: Christoph Sarow
Illustration: Christoph Sarow
Additional Illustration: Cristina Neto, Daniel Roque
Animation Supervisor: Christoph Sarow
Animation: Alexandre Sousa, Rúben Dantas, Padelis Paradisis, Cristina Neto, Ana Farinha, Ana Iutes
Motion Design: André Cunha, Jorge Ramos, Daniela Carvalho

Sound
By Rumble Studios
Voice Director: Ralph Van Dijk
Voice Talent: Jean Kittson

In an age of algorithmic sameness, celebrating the beautifully ordinary has never felt more radical.We’re thrilled to un...
11/11/2025

In an age of algorithmic sameness, celebrating the beautifully ordinary has never felt more radical.

We’re thrilled to unveil our latest character animation campaign for Compare Club’s brand relaunch — an genuine and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the wonderfully unique John and Jane Smiths of Australia.

The project was commissioned by Compare Club and developed with the direction and collaboration of the brilliant team at Clemenger BBDO. KAPWA Studioworks led the creation of a bespoke illustration system and directed a suite of 2D animated TVCs, digital content and outdoor media that captures the quirky charm of everyday Aussies — in all their mismatched, magnificent glory.

“It’s not every day you get to work on such a wonderful brief,” says KAPWA Creative Director Robertino Zambrano who directed the campaign with Christoph Sarow. “Imagining all the different John and Jane Smiths of Australia became a joyful expression of artistry for the entire team. We’re lucky to have a team and partners so deeply committed to great craft.”



CREDITS

Technique: Branded Illustration System and 2D Character Animation Campaign

Client: Compare Club club
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Production Company: KAPWA Studioworks

KAPWA with AIM Creative Studios
Creative Director: Robertino Zambrano
Head of Production: Dulce Aguilar
Co-Directors: Christoph Sarow, Robertino Zambrano
Production Coordinator: Maristelle Tandog
Junior Director: Aki Clayton
Producer: Tiago Ribeiro
Project Manager: Daniela Carvalho
Storyboard & Animatic: Christoph Sarow
Illustration: Christoph Sarow
Additional Illustration: Cristina Neto, Daniel Roque
Animation Supervisor: Christoph Sarow
Animation: Alexandre Sousa, Rúben Dantas, Padelis Paradisis, Cristina Neto, Ana Farinha, Ana Iutes
Motion Design: André Cunha, Jorge Ramos, Daniela Carvalho

Sound
By Rumble Studios
Voice Director: Ralph Van Dijk
Voice Talent: Jean Kittson

We are thrilled to share that our adult animated comedy drama, FISH BOI, has been announced as a grantee of the The Film...
17/09/2025

We are thrilled to share that our adult animated comedy drama, FISH BOI, has been announced as a grantee of the The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) International Co-Production Fund (ICOF).

FISH BOI represents a first-of-its-kind co-production collaboration between Manila-based Puppeteer Studios (Philippines) and KAPWA Studioworks, a Filipino-Australian-owned animation studio based in Sydney. The project is proudly written, directed and produced by a Filipino-Australian team, with animation leadership driven by homegrown Filipino talent at Puppeteer.

We thank the FDCP for supporting a unique creative project that seeks to push the boundaries of adult animated drama, and celebrates and reflects on the complexities of the Filipino diaspora in Australia through a comedic lens.

It was amazing to see FISH BOI’s announcement at the SBS Upfronts for 2026. We’ve got an exciting road ahead of us as we...
17/09/2025

It was amazing to see FISH BOI’s announcement at the SBS Upfronts for 2026. We’ve got an exciting road ahead of us as we move into completing development, but we’re just going to take this moment, to celebrate every little win for KAPWA. We’re going to savour and celebrate this milestone.

A huge thank you to our EP’s and co-development partners Gabrielle Joosten and Libbie Doherty for your invaluable guidance and support. And a huge thank you to Zareh Nalbandian for your mentorship and backing. We are truly blessed.

A huge thanks to the team at SBS On Demand and Screen Australia that has supported us so far. And to our wonderful development team: our rockstar script editor Melissa Lee Speyer, production co-ordinator Maristelle Tandog, and the legends that have backed us in the writer’s rooms: Lily Cheng, Mark Mariano, Claire Atkins and Ange Pezzano. A big thanks to our friends at Arts and Cultural Exchange - ACE for all your support with our writer’s rooms.

Thank you all for backing our journey so far. We look forward to making a fantastic show. As always, stay tuned for more.

Team photos at the KAPWA studio by Justin Cueno.

KAPWA
-animation

We are seeking concept designers from the Filipino-Australian community or Western Sydney for art department and storybo...
22/08/2025

We are seeking concept designers from the Filipino-Australian community or Western Sydney for art department and storyboard roles on our animated adult comedic drama, FISH BOI. We are especially looking for those with a strong familiarity and experience with Filipino-Australian culture, fashion, iconography and visual language, and/or familiarity with the Blacktown City area and surrounds.

Roles include Concept Artist Generalists, Matte Painters, Character Designers, Environment/Background Designers, and Storyboard Artists.

Follow the LINK for job postings and more details: https://www.kapwa.co/jobs

Prerequisites: Australian citizens or working visas only



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Kapwa Studioworks is assembling an art department team for our new original animated adult series, FISH BOI, a hypebeast...
22/08/2025

Kapwa Studioworks is assembling an art department team for our new original animated adult series, FISH BOI, a hypebeasty comedic drama set in the late 90’s. We’re seeking highly skilled and passionate artists to help bring this world to life.

Wanted: Concept Artist Generalists, Matte Painters, Character Designers, Environment/Background Designers, and Storyboard Artists.

Follow the LINK for job postings and more details: https://www.kapwa.co/jobs

Prerequisites: Australian citizens or working visas only



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We're proud to announce that our Kapwa Founder, Robertino Zambrano is on the Festival Jury this year for the TV & Commis...
13/05/2025

We're proud to announce that our Kapwa Founder, Robertino Zambrano is on the Festival Jury this year for the TV & Commissioned Films and VR Works categories at Annecy Festival 2025.

After many years being on the screen at this festival, we're honored and excited to contribute to this event! We look forward to seeing some amazing work.

If you will be in Annecy in June - reach out and say hello!

Big News! 🎉 KAPWA is a Webby Awards Nominee!We’re honoured to be nominated in The Webby Awards for The Washington Post: ...
08/04/2025

Big News! 🎉 KAPWA is a Webby Awards Nominee!

We’re honoured to be nominated in The Webby Awards for The Washington Post: The Signature Skills of Simone Biles (Paris 2024).

Now, we need your support to bring home the Webby People’s Voice Award! 🏆

Cast your vote in each of these categories:

🎥 Animation (Video & Film)
🔗 Vote here: https://wbby.co/3XAxgl6

🎨 Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics (Websites and Mobile Sites - Features & Design)
🔗 Vote here: https://wbby.co/4i25Iww

🏅 Sports (Video & Film)
🔗 Vote here: https://wbby.co/4hO8zc8

🗳 Voting closes Thursday, April 17th, at 11:59 PM PDT—let’s bring this home!

A huge thank you to our amazing team and collaborators for bringing this project to life. Now, let’s make some noise and get those votes in!

Looking Back on NodeFest 2024! 🎬✨Kapwa is proud to have been a Bronze Sponsor for Node last November, supporting such an...
17/02/2025

Looking Back on NodeFest 2024! 🎬✨

Kapwa is proud to have been a Bronze Sponsor for Node last November, supporting such an incredible gathering of creative minds. Huge thanks to James Cowen and the Yes Captain team for putting together an inspiring event and we look forward to the 2025 edition!

Shoutout to all the incredible speakers—your insights were truly valuable. We left feeling inspired and energised!

Already counting down to Node25—see you there!

Today we celebrate our legendary Head of Production, Dulce Aguilar, being included on the AWG Pathways First Break list....
13/11/2024

Today we celebrate our legendary Head of Production, Dulce Aguilar, being included on the AWG Pathways First Break list. AWG Pathways is hosted by ACE Parramatta in partnership with Screen Trades.

“As KAPWA expands its operations into film and TV development, AWG Pathways has given me an opportunity to grow my voice as a creative producer, and emerging writer, letting me build on my production experience with a creative toolkit as we work to build an exciting development slate. At KAPWA, we encourage the upskilling of our team across all parts of the business, as we believe great ideas can come from anywhere, as well us giving us more power for open knowledge-sharing with our community.”

Feel free to reach out and say hello to Dulce Ags.

If you’re interested in participating in a similar program, ACE & Screen Trades are holding a fantastic follow-up workshop "Fundamentals of Script Coordination for TV Dramas and Comedies" on Sat 23 & 30 Nov at ACE. Visit Arts and Cultural Exchange - ACE and Screen Trades for more info.

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Suite 166/20-40 Meagher Street
Chippendale, NSW
2008

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