SkyDance Animation and Apple Original Films came together with studio head John Lasseter to produce an animated short film called Blush. Blush premiered on June 13 at the Tribeca Film Festival. This film debuts as a part of a revolutionary multi-year deal concluded by the two studios and will be available on Apple TV+ soon.

Executive Producer John Lasseter

The film is produced by John Lasseter, who was born in Hollywood, California, and started his film career back in the 1970s when he graduated from the CalArts Character Animation program, which former Disney animators created. Lasseter has had his hand in many animated classics like The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Lion King, Toy Story, and Beauty and the Beast. He has earned numerous Academy Awards - one for best short animated film, Tin Toy, and a special achievement award for Toy Story. John Lasseter had flipped between Pixar and Disney for many years, until January 2019, when he became SkyDance Media's animation division head.

About SkyDance Animation

SkyDance Media was founded back in 2006 and co-produced with Paramount Pictures starting in 2009. They have produced films such as True Grit, Star Trek Beyond, Snake Eyes, Baywatch, and Geostorm. SkyDance launched its SkyDance Animation sector in March 2017, starting a new chapter for the company with upcoming films such as Luck, Spellbound, and other future projects.

Blush: About The Film and How It Got Its Name

Blush is about an astronaut whose ship is hit by an asteroid and inevitably lands him on a rock, where he ends up permanently stranded and running out of oxygen. The astronaut begins to question his survival and his ability to find a way out. However, an alien also lands on the same rock and makes it livable for the astronaut. They share food and start to fall in love, which begins with the alien blushing. The film has no spoken words, yet the audience understands the characters' body language. The characters realize the joy of starting a new life together and appreciating the universe.

The film is inspired by director and writer Joe Mateo's wife, who passed away in 2017 after an eight-year battle against breast cancer. Mateo uses the astronaut to describe his feelings after the passing of his wife, using the alien in the film to represent his wife, who was the air he needed to breathe. The emotions he felt after his wife was gone were translated to the story - and they shine through the animated piece authentically.

Film Director Joe Mateo

Joe Mateo is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who has worked on projects such as Prep & Landing, Big Hero 6, Cars, and Toy Story, where he worked with Oscar winner John Lasseter. The two continue their partnership with Blush, debuting it at New York's Tribeca Film Festival as a part of a showcase led by Whoopi Goldberg. This film follows Apple's most recent Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature for Wolfwalkers. In addition, Apple TV+ is set to create more content over the next year following their partnership with SkyDance Media.

No set release date has been advertised for Blush following the Tribeca Film Festival. For more information about SkyDance Media and upcoming projects, visit their website or follow SkyDance on social media for any updates.