Pixar short film 'Float' stars Filipino characters, debuts on YouTube
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Pixar Animation Studios has released a short film called 'Float' about a Filipino boy with autism
Pixar just released the short film Float, featuring Filipino characters and it's available on YouTube.
Float is a short animation film written and directed by Filipino-American animator Bobby Rubio. He said on Instagram, "I am grateful that Pixar is showing solidarity with the Asian and Asian American community against Anti-Asian hate and chooses to celebrate stories that feature Asian characters and promote inclusion everywhere."'
The seven-minute film shows the story of a Filipino father who discovers that his son is different because of his ability to float. He kept his son hidden from the public until he came to terms with his son's uniqueness. Bobby Rubio based the story on his own experience as a father.
In a 2019 interview with GMA, Bobby revealed the characters he drew were originally Caucasians, but a colleague suggested changing them to Filipino-American.
“She said it was my story based on my relationship with my son and how will my son feel when he looks up on the screen and sees a white kid playing him. That hit me. I didn't want my son to feel like he wasn't worth it.”
Float's ending credits show a message from Bobby thanking his son Alex for making him a better father. He also dedicated the film to “all families with children deemed different.”
Bobby Rubio's message to his son
The short film premiered on Disney's streaming platform in November 2019, eventually, it was uploaded to YouTube last February 26 after Pixar Animation Studios and SparkShorts filmmakers wanted the film to be available for everyone. It now has over 4 million views.
Pixar stated on the short film's description, “[We] are in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms.”
“We are proud of the onscreen representation in this short and have decided to make it widely available, in celebration of what stories that feature Asian characters can do to promote inclusion everywhere,” it added.
Another Pixar short film, Wind, is making waves on the internet. Pixar shared a statement about Float and Wind and their aim to eradicate Anti-Asian hate.
"Pixar Animation Studios and the SparkShorts filmmakers of 'Wind' and 'Float' are in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms. We are proud of the onscreen representation in both of these shorts and have decided to make them widely available on YouTube starting today, in celebration of what stories that feature Asian characters can do to promote inclusion everywhere."
The release of the short films on YouTube was preceded by calls for racial equality and justice amid reports of several attacks against Asians in the US.
Watch Float here:
