Disney's 'Launchpad' features a half human-half vampire teen, boy ballerina

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Six creative and culturally rich original live-action shorts have been added to Disney's legendary collection.

It's called Launchpad , a new initiative to shine a spotlight on filmmakers from under-represented communities.

Here's a look at two of the brand new live-action shorts:

In Growing Fangs, viewers meet a half-human, half-vampire Mexican-American teen who is struggling to keep her identity a secret from both worlds.

Filmmaker Ann Marie Pace was inspired by her own life.

"I grew up Mexican-American and bisexual and was always feeling in between identities and struggling to figure out where I belonged," Pace said.

In The Little Prince(ss), filmmaker Moxie Peng also looked to their past.

"The story is loosely based on what happened to me when I was a kid," Peng said. "I was Gabriel. I was always a little feminine. One day, my friend's dad came to our dinner table and told my dad that I was not normal and I need to be fixed. I started to cry. And then my dad really stood up for me and told him that he loved me."

Peng is honored to add this moment of visibility, of empathy, to the Disney collection.

"I felt that I needed to tell the story," Peng added. "Not just for myself, but for the other kids who don't feel they don't fit in."

These are just two of the six brand new Launchpad films streaming right now on Disney+.