Meet Malish Koala: Film maker, Book writer and Illustrator.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Malish Koala and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Malish, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It all started as a small project, just for myself. I was making a mini film, just for fun. Only when I posted it online and received dozens of requests for the continuation of the story, I realized that I’m not the only one who finds it interesting, and I’m making something special. After releasing the second movie it was clear, there is no going back! And oh boy, what a great adventure it became. What started as a hobby became a career that brings me so much joy. Every day I receive heartwarming messages from people from all around the world, This is really what keeps me going. And this is what inspired me to branch out into writing and illustrating books. The fact that you can put a smile on someone’s face is priceless. No matter what my project is, I’m looking for a universal language to be able to reach everyone. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As you already know, I am a filmmaker and writer. And of course, I’m not doing it alone. I have my family, my crew by my side. And we do everything together. Makeup, hair, editing, set designs, it is all done in house. And of course, our plushie community fuels our work and gets us going! They help our dreams come true. At the beginning of 2020, we launched a Kickstarter campaign for our first-ever children’s book. And with the help of our friends from all over the world, we were able to reach our goal and publish the first “Malish Koala“ book! Friends from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, and the United States helped to bring this project to life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One word… Disneyland! If you ever in LA, you have to visit it! My favorite area of the park is ADVENTURELAND, it has the best rides and best treats! “Jungle Cruise”, “Tiki Room”, “Indiana Jones Adventure” are my favorite attractions. I’d like to share a little secret with you, after riding the world’s famous Jungle Cruise you can go to one of the skippers and ask for a map of the cruise, they will ask you to do a fun little task and the map is yours. While at Adventureland make sure to go to the “Tropical Hideaway” for a Dole Whip and Sweet Lumpia. After that, we usually head over to New Orleans Square. Here you can ride the “Pirates of the Carrebian” and “Haunted Mansion”. Not everybody knows but you can find the most delicious Mickey doughnuts at the Mint Julep Bar next to the New Orleans Square train station. And of course, don’t forget about Churros! On a very hot day, it is really nice to ride “Splash Mountain”, and when you exit it you’ll find yourself at the entrance of another one of my favorites – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, what a sweet ride that is. I also recommend to stay until the end of the day and catch Fantasmic! It’s a nighttime show featuring fireworks, characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am without the incredible support of the Plushies of Instagram. You wouldn’t believe how many wonderful plushies are there, with their own unique stories to tell. The amount of support I receive every day is incredible. It is such a strong community. Everyone is helping and encouraging each other.

Website: malishkoala.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malishkoala/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malishkoala
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmkRfARAliDByTCIeYgNkdw

Image Credits
Kurochka-Petushok