Bobby Rubio, the Filipino-American director of Float, is calling upon the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to consider his film for an Oscar for Animated Short Film. Oscar nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards are set to be announced in March.
The touching Pixar short film about a Filipino-American father and son was released in November 2019. Bobby Rubio both wrote and directed the film under Pixar’s SparkShorts project — a program wherein the animation company gives its employees six months and a budget to come up with animated short films. Anyone within Pixar can join the program, in an effort to diversify their films and give opportunities to budding talents. Rubio, who has worked with Pixar as a story artist in 2012, bagged one of the spots that year. The Fil-Am talent has been working in animation with Disney since the 90s, working in classic Disney movies like Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Here’s what Rubio wrote on his Facebook page:
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A friendly reminder to the #AMPAS members that @Pixar “Float” is eligible for the #AcademyAwards for best #AnimatedShortFilm. Our film is very personal, based on my relationship with my son. It’s also universal with themes of #Love #Acceptance and the #CelebrationOfOurDifferences. #PixarFloat was a @PeabodyAwards nominee. Thank you for your consideration. #AcademyAwards #Oscars
The film, which is about a father who discovers his son is different because he can float, reflects Rubio’s own challenges as a father when he learned his son has autism. It’s a deeply personal story that sends a universal message on acceptance and unconditional love.
Have you seen the short film? Do you agree that it deserves an Oscar? Help support a kababayan and share Bobby Rubio’s post here.
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