That was the way to get through what I'd been through.ĭS: I can't imagine what that was like. I just wanted to share this message of healing and hope, and what you have to do is surround yourself with people you love. I went through that rough time and was very fortunate to be surrounded by the people I love, including my two kids, that became my big support in everything. And that's where the idea kind of came from. And that same night, I couldn't breathe and had to call a doctor friend of ours, who let me know I was having a panic attack, which I'd never had before.

Joe Mateo: Well, it started when I lost my wife Mary Ann four and a half years ago to cancer. Share with us a bit about the genesis of the story and why you decided to tell this particular story. And note, there are a few spoilers in the interview below.ĭan Sarto: Blush is a highly personal film. When an ethereal visitor arrives, the once-lone traveler discovers the joy in building a new life and realizes the universe has delivered astonishing salvation.įirst take a look at the trailer, then take a few minutes to learn more about Mateo’s film, the tragic loss that inspired him and his insights on the importance of surrounding yourself with, and learning to rely on, your friends and family. Mateo developed the short alongside the Skydance Animation team the film is produced by Heather Schmidt Feng Yanu ( Toy Story, the Cars Trilogy) and executive produced by Oscar winner John Lasseter ( Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars).īlush follows the journey of a stranded horticulturist-astronaut, struggling to survive after he crash lands on a desolate dwarf planet. Written and directed by Mateo, Blush shares the storyteller’s deeply personal journey of healing, hope, and the undeniably human moments of being rescued by love. An Apple Original Film, the inaugural Apple/Skydance Animation short debuts globally today on Apple TV+. But that’s exactly what Emmy Award-winning artist and filmmaker Joe Mateo ( Prep & Landing, Big Hero 6) put himself through with his brand-new CG animated short, Blush.

Now imagine working through them while writing and directing an animated short film based directly on a devastating personal tragedy. We know all too well the seven stages of grief.

First Blush by D.D. Story