A father builds his dream home; his son grows up watching it fall apart.

A koi pond with a waterfall. A towering birdcage. Huge rooms.
Through a child’s eyes, a son remembers the grand house his family once lived in together in an autobiographical animated documentary. Not everything endured.

  
    


  titlethe greatest house my father built
categoryshort film
genreanimated documentary
duration13 minutes
format4:3 digital
techniqueshand-drawn 2D, game capture
thematicfamily, childhood, coming-of-age
languageHakka with English subtitles
countryMalaysia
year2027

  

Three brothers.

One true Malaysian story.

Told through hand-drawn animation and game footage.

“This film draws from my memories of a house meant to hold my family together but tore us apart. Making it helped me find meaning in those growing pains. I believe its universal themes can spark dialogue about unspoken family struggles and show how something beautiful can grow from the ruins. ”

King Yaw Soon

Director - Writer - Animator - Editor

Hailing from Malaysia, King Yaw Soon is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose films have been featured at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Cinequest, and SF DocFest. Living in San Francisco, he also shapes global game culture through his editorial work at Electronic Arts, crafting acclaimed trailers for The Sims 4 and EA Sports FC.

Past Films

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, JAPAN 2021
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia National Tour, JAPAN 2021
San Francisco Documentary Festival, USA 2021
Nòt Film Fest, ITALY 2022
Lampa International Film Festival, RUSSIA 2021
Hawaii International Film Festival, USA 2021
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, USA 2021
Boston Asian American Film Festival, USA 2021
Austin Asian American Film Festival, USA 2021
DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, USA 2021
Houston Asian American & Pacific Islander Film Festival, USA 2021
Featured on Malaysian National Newspaper

Cinequest Film Festival, USA 2019
CAAMFest, USA 2019
6th Season of KQED Film School Shorts, USA
San Francisco Indie ShortsFest, USA 2019
Houston Asian American Film Festival, USA 2019
Boston Asian American Film Festival, USA 2019
Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, USA 2019
Represent Film Festival, USA 2019

Campus MovieFest “National Best Picture”, USA 2017
Campus MovieFest Showcase at Cannes Court Métrage, FRANCE 2017
Seeker Stories Documentary Finalist, USA 2017
Reno Tahoe International Film Festival, USA 2017
Utah Film Festival And Awards, USA 2018

Allison Kim

PRODUCER
SYSTEMS ENGINEER at PIXAR Animation studios

Korean-born and based in San Francisco, Allison Kim works at Pixar Animation Studios by day while pursuing creative projects across film and music. As producer of The Greatest House My Father Built, she supports the film’s development and production.

Selected Credits (Pixar & Independent):
Hoppers (2026)
Wishing Trees (2025)
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Elemental (2023)

Meet the team.

Jackson Soon • Music Composer

Since age five, Jackson Soon has excelled in competitive singing. Now a UCSI University student, he expands into composition, with his debut for Yello premiering at the 2021 Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia.
Ellie • Art Director

Ellie, also known as SillyJellie, is a Kuala Lumpur–based illustrator and muralist whose work includes concept art for No Straight Roads, posters for Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, and murals for Subway. Instagram @ellietophia
Andy WaiKit • Animator

Andy Wai Kit is a Kuala Lumpur–based animator and freelance illustrator specializing in 2D animation. He has worked on animated TV series, games, and international projects including Final Fantasy XIV, FILA x Peanuts, and Ford. Instagram @andy_waikit
Mina Chacko • Animator

Mina Chacko is a California-based character designer, illustrator, and filmmaker, and a BFA graduate in Character Animation from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Her previous short films include Giselle, Eclipse, and Lunch Hour. Instagram @kanicomics
Morgan Bernados • Marketing Coordinator

When not at her nonprofit 9-5 job, Morgan is a Bay Area photographer, content creator, and professional hype woman.
instagram & tik tok: @morganbernados
YanCheng Zhang • Sound Designer

Zhang YanCheng is a Los Angeles–based re-recording mixer and sound designer from China. His work has been featured at Cannes, Berlin, and TIFF, with credits including The Water Murmurs, winner of the Short Film Palme d’Or, and The Crossing, nominated for the Berlinale Crystal Bear. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents 2024 and CHANEL x BIFF Asian Film Academy 2025. Instagram @yanchengzhang99