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Although it stars astronauts and is set in space, the epic love story behind Apple TV+ Original Films' first animated short 'Blush' is about Filipino artist Joe Mateo and his wife Mary Ann.

Even the film's title is a tribute to Mary Ann, who Mateo met while studying fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.

"Our first week of college... I just heard this laughter that's filling up the room. I said, 'Hi!.' As soon as I introduced myself, she turned. She blushed," Mateo shared.

The couple started their life together in the Philippines and then immigrated to the U.S., working hard to attain their Filipino American dream. Eventually, they ended up at Disney.

They had two kids and were living their happily ever after, when tragedy struck and Mary Ann became gravely ill. Losing her devastated Mateo who started writing Blush half a year after his wife died. A scene in the film was based in his own experience of gasping for air and realizing that Mary Ann was the air he breathed.

"I remember struggling to go back to work... So I just might as well do something with all this. And then I just started thinking about [it] and what stood out to me was struggling to breathe. I didn’t know what was happening to me when it happened. I ended up telling basically our whole story, our whole love story."

Mateo grew up in Tondo, Manila, and found early inspiration in Filipino comic books that he rented in stores. Their vivid images woke up his interest in drawing and visual arts. In 2010, Mateo won an Emmy for his outstanding work as the storyboard artist of 'Prep & Landing.'

He stayed for 25 years at Disney Animation where he worked in films like Pocahontas, Mulan, and Big Hero 6 until he moved to Skydance Animation which produced Blush. It is his first writer-director project.

Mateo said "it's already a dream come true to make this love letter to my wife, but to be seen globally through Apple TV+... sometimes I have to pinch myself."

Blush is now streaming on Apple TV+.