Pixar short film ‘Float’ by Fil-Am animator gets over 1M views on YouTube | Inquirer Entertainment

Pixar short film ‘Float’ by Fil-Am animator gets over 1M views on YouTube

/ 12:04 PM March 01, 2021

The first Pixar short to feature Filipino characters, “Float” can now be viewed on YouTube and is quickly winning over audiences on the platform.

The short film by Filipino-American animator Bobby Rubio was first released in November 2019 on Disney+. This meant, however, that Asians — including Filipinos — have not been able to see it, since the streaming platform has yet to come to Southeast Asia.

“Float” was finally put up on YouTube last Saturday, Feb. 27, along with “Wind,” another poignant film by Korean director Edwin Chang. “Float” has earned over 1.2 million views as of writing.

Article continues after this advertisement

https://youtu.be/1HAGuju_yKY

FEATURED STORIES

Rubio was thrilled with the reception of his 7-minute film, even while there were some “dislikes,” as seen in his tweet today, March 1.

“Grateful for all the love and support for our short film!” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

The movie depicts a Filipino father raising his son who has the ability to float, which makes him worry about what other people in his neighborhood would think.

Article continues after this advertisement

Many admitted that the film made them cry, as seen in the comments section. Besides its representation of autism, it also received praise for its relatable portrayal of fatherhood.

Rubio has told news outlets that the film is inspired by how he handled his son’s autism diagnosis.

Article continues after this advertisement

“I was struggling when the diagnosis first came up… If I’m being honest, I went through a depression,” he said in an interview with KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, December 2019.

He also admitted that it did not even cross his mind to make the characters Filipino at first. He initially imagined them as white, which he realized was an unconscious bias, he told KABC-TV in November 2019.

It took a coworker to convince him that Filipino representation mattered. He recalled being hit with the question: “How’s your son going to feel when he looks up at the screen and that character is white?”

Rubio was born in San Diego, California and has been an artist for comic books and major animation studios, including Disney and Nickelodeon. JB

RELATED STORIES:

A Filipino in Disney TV lives to write our ‘wild, worth-telling’ stories

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Pixar’s latest short film ‘Out’ features first gay main character

Disney has first openly gay animated character in Pixar’s ‘Onward’

Follow @NGunoINQ on Twitter
TAGS: autism, Bobby Rubio, Fatherhood, Pixar, representation, short film

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.