When the Heart and Circuit Breaks: Finding Light in Luki and the Lights

On this episode of Filmmaker Mixer, we sit down with filmmakers Toby Cochran and Adrian Ochoa to talk about their deeply moving animated short, Luki and the Lights.

The film follows LUKi—a lively, soccer-playing robot who loves his friends and lives life to the fullest—until a sudden diagnosis changes everything. When LUKi learns he has ALS, his world shifts, but his spirit doesn’t dim.

Toby and Adrian share how they approached such a sensitive and rarely explored topic through a lens of hope, friendship, and resilience, all within a beautifully stylized, futuristic world. From the animation style to the emotional beats, this is a powerful conversation about storytelling with purpose.

Whether you're into animation, indie filmmaking, or stories that stay with you long after the credits roll, this one’s for you.