Behind the imaginative worlds, characters, and stories audiences see on screen is a technology foundation built to keep pace with increasingly ambitious creative work. For Lenovo and DreamWorks Animation, that foundation has grown through a long-standing technology relationship that brings together Lenovo workstations, high-performance computing infrastructure, data center technology, and services to support the studio’s artistic and technical teams.
The collaboration is helping power DreamWorks Animation’s production slate, including Forgotten Island, the studio’s new original animated feature inspired by Filipino culture, mythology, and experiences.
Forgotten Island follows lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa, voiced by Grammy and Academy Award winner H.E.R. and Filipino actress Liza Soberano. As the two prepare to take different paths after high school, they unexpectedly find themselves transported to Nakali, a fantastical island populated by magical and mythological creatures rooted in stories from their Filipino families.
The film is written and directed by Academy Award nominee Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and produced by Academy Award nominee Mark Swift, the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Its voice cast also includes Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, and Lea Salonga.
“Forgotten Island is particularly meaningful for us in the Philippines because it shows how a story deeply inspired by Filipino culture can connect with audiences on a global scale,” said Michael Ngan, President and General Manager of Lenovo Philippines. “At DreamWorks, there are countless creative decisions, ideas, and people working together. Our role at Lenovo is to provide technology that helps give those creators the performance and reliability they need so they can stay focused on what matters most—the story they want to tell.”
Technology Behind Animation
In 2025, DreamWorks expanded its relationship with Lenovo by naming the company its preferred compute services, workstation, and solutions provider. The collaboration brings together Lenovo workstations, high-performance computing infrastructure, data center technology, and services to support the demanding needs of modern animation production.
The collaboration builds on years of work between the two companies. DreamWorks has used Lenovo high-performance workstations as part of workflows across the studio, while Lenovo infrastructure has supported the large-scale computing requirements involved in creating animated worlds and characters.
“Every animated film begins with artists and storytellers, but bringing their ideas to the screen also requires a technology foundation capable of keeping pace with their imagination,” said Kate Swanborg, SVP, Technology Communications and Strategic Alliances, DreamWorks Animation. “With Forgotten Island, we had the opportunity to build a vibrant world inspired by Filipino culture and mythology. Having technology partners like Lenovo supporting our production environment helps our teams focus on creating the characters, environments, and moments that make that world feel alive.”
Filipino Inspiration for a Global Audience
Beyond the technology behind its creation, Forgotten Island puts Filipino culture at the heart of a story designed for audiences around the world.
At the center are Jo and Raissa’s friendship and the mysterious island of Nakali, where creatures and stories familiar to generations of Filipinos become part of a larger adventure about memory, change, and holding on to the people who matter.
For Lenovo Philippines, the film also illustrates how technology can serve as an enabler rather than the center of the creative process—giving creators the tools to translate ideas rooted in their own experiences into work capable of reaching audiences far beyond their home market.
“Technology is at its best when it helps people turn imagination into something others can experience,” Ngan added. “Seeing Filipino-inspired stories represented on this scale is something worth celebrating, and we are proud that Lenovo technology is helping support the creators bringing those stories to audiences around the world.”
