Ciao Alberto is a 2021 American animated short film written and directed by McKenna Harris, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Set after the events of the 2021 Pixar film Luca, the short was released on November 12, 2021, on Disney+. Like the film, it received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its animation, humor, and emotional weight, with positive messages being well-received.
| Ciao Alberto | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | McKenna Harris |
| Screenplay by | McKenna Harris |
| Story by |
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| Produced by | Matt DeMartini |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Jennifer Jew |
| Music by | Dan Romer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 8 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editAfter receiving a letter from Luca, who is away at school in Genoa with Giulia, Alberto writes back about his life in Portorosso and working at the town fishery with Giulia's father, Massimo. Alberto has been fully accepted by the townspeople and no longer hides his identity as a sea monster. However, despite his enthusiasm for his job, his relationship with Massimo is tense, as Massimo barely speaks to him except to warn him against using their fishing boat without supervision. Alberto is desperate for Massimo's approval, and he worries constantly about being "fired" for his mistakes.
Alberto makes repeated attempts to win Massimo's favor, all of which end poorly. After one such attempt results in the loss of the day's catch, Alberto sneaks out at night and takes the fishing boat to catch more fish. He is startled by Machiavelli the cat, who stowed away on the boat, and drops his lantern, accidentally setting the boat on fire. They manage to escape just as Massimo races down to view the damage.
Despondent, Alberto packs his belongings and leaves. Massimo goes after him, and Alberto lambastes himself for his failures. As Massimo reaches out for him, Alberto accidentally calls him "Dad", surprising them both. Massimo reveals that he once made his own father angry enough to punch through a brick wall, but afterwards they made up by fixing it together. He and Alberto then share a hug.
The next day, Massimo and Alberto work side-by-side to fix the boat, sharing stories and communicating more openly.
Voice cast
edit- Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano, Massimo's adopted son, Giulia's adopted brother and Luca's best friend
- Marco Barricelli as Massimo Marcovaldo, Giulia's father and Alberto's adoptive father
- Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro, Alberto's best friend
- Additional voices: Gino La Monica, Arturo Sorino[2]
Development
editCiao Alberto was directed by McKenna Harris and produced by Matt DeMartini with Enrico Casarosa as an executive producer.[3][4]
Music
editDan Romer, who composed the music for Luca, composed the music for Ciao Alberto. The score was released on November 12, 2021.[5]
| Ciao Alberto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
|---|---|
| Film score by | |
| Released | November 12, 2021 |
| Genre | Film score |
| Label | Hollywood |
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Dan Romer
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dear Luca" | 1:25 |
| 2. | "Lunch Is on Me" | 0:51 |
| 3. | "I'll Make Him Proud" | 0:46 |
| 4. | "You Don't Even Talk to Me" | 0:49 |
| 5. | "Tell Me Everything" | 0:45 |
| 6. | "Ciao Alberto" | 0:50 |
| Total length: | 5:26 | |
Release
editCiao Alberto was released on November 12, 2021, as a Disney+ exclusive short film.[6][7]
Reception
editAudience viewership
editAccording to Whip Media, Ciao Alberto was the 8th most watched film across all platforms in the United States during the week of November 14, 2022.[8]
Critical reception
editJennifer Roy of CBR.com found the short film to be an example of how communication matters between a parent and a child to build a strong bond, stating, "While Luca did subtextually set up Massimo as Alberto's new parental figure, Ciao Alberto makes this subtext text and shows that a large part of parenting is learning to adapt to each individual child's needs to make sure they feel supported and loved unconditionally."[9] Jay Snook of The Good Men Project complimented the humor of the short film.[10] Stephanie Morgan of Common Sense Media gave the short a 4 out of 5, praised the short film for the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing communication and perseverance, and complimented the diverse representations, writing, "Kids will love the silly adventures, while parents will appreciate the social-emotional lessons, like how Massimo learns to become a better communicator in order to improve his relationship with Alberto."[11]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Program | Ciao Alberto | Nominated | [12] |
| Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program | McKenna Harris | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program | Jennifer Jew | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for an Animated Program | Liz Marston, André Fenley, Nicholas Docter | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Ciao Alberto". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ End credits
- ^ Casarosa, Enrico [@sketchcrawl] (September 21, 2021). "That's right! Kenna directed this beautiful short! Sooooo cooool! Can't wait for you all to see it! Congrats Kennaaaa! And to Matt DeMartini produced! 👍👍👍😊" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Casarosa, Enrico [@sketchcrawl] (September 21, 2021). "I executive produced …" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Ciao Alberto Soundtrack". Soundtrack.Net. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ IndieWire [@IndieWire] (September 21, 2021). "Pixar's new animated short film #CiaoAlberto features characters from "Luca," and premieres on Disney+ on November 12" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Novaro, Brandon (November 7, 2021). "'Luca' Sequel Short 'Ciao Alberto' Trailer Brings Us Back to the Italian Riviera". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (November 16, 2021). "'Shang-Chi,' 'Big Mouth' Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ Roy, Jennifer (November 13, 2021). "Ciao Alberto Shows That Families Can Take Many Different Forms". CBR. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ Snook, Jay (November 12, 2021). "Someone Learns an Important Lesson in 'Ciao Alberto'". The Good Men Project. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ Morgan, Stephanie (January 6, 2022). "Ciao Alberto Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "2022 CAFE Nominees (ALL) - The Emmys". Emmy Awards. November 1, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2022.