Ciao Alberto
Ciao Alberto is a 2021 American computer-animated short film written and directed by McKenna Jean 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 movie, it received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its animation, humor, and emotional weight, with positive messages being well-received. Plot 
After 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 Marcovaldo. Alberto has been fully accepted by the townspeople and no longer hides his identity as a sea monster. However, despite Alberto's enthusiasm for his job, his relationship with Massimo is terse, as the elder fisherman barely speaks to him except to warn him against using their fishing boat without supervision. It becomes apparent that Alberto is desperate for Massimo's approval, and he worries constantly about being "fired" for his mistakes. Alberto tries to make his fish deliveries more expedient but keeps tossing the wrong fish to the wrong people. He attempts to cook lunch for Massimo but makes a mess of the kitchen. While Massimo converses with a customer, Alberto tries to lift a whole barrel of fish, only to buckle under the weight. Massimo lunges to save him but falls into the water with the barrel, losing their day's catch. That night, Alberto sneaks out of the house and takes the fishing boat to catch more fish, hoping to make up for the loss. He is startled by Machiavelli the cat, who stowed away on the boat, causing him to drop his lantern and accidentally set the boat on fire. They manage to escape just as Massimo races down to see the damage. Alberto sheepishly tries to explain himself, but Massimo only narrows his eyes and silently stares at the boat. Heartbroken by his inability to impress Massimo, Alberto packs his belongings and leaves. Massimo rushes after him, imploring him to reconsider. Alberto lambastes himself for his failures and questions why Massimo even bothered to come after him. As Massimo reaches out for him, Alberto blurts, "Just let me go, Dad! ", shocking 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, embracing their roles as surrogate father and son. The next day, Massimo and Alberto work side-by-side to fix the fishing boat, sharing stories and finally communicating with each other more openly. Voice cast 
 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
 Gino La Monica
 Arturo Sorino

Development 
Ciao Alberto was directed by McKenna Jean Harris and produced by Matt DeMartini with Enrico Casarosa as an executive producer. Music 
Dan Romer, who composed the music for the Pixar film Luca, composed the music for Ciao Alberto. The score was released on November 12, 2021. Track listing

Release 
Ciao Alberto was released on November 12, 2021, as a Disney+ exclusive short film. Reception

Audience viewership 
According 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. Critical reception 
Jennifer 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." Jay Snook of The Good Men Project complimented the humor of the short film. 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." Accolades

References

External links 

Cia Alberto at Rotten Tomatoes

2020s animated short films
2020s Disney animated short films
2020s English-language films
2021 animated films
2021 films
2021 short films
2020s American animated films
American animated short films
Children's and Family Emmy Award winners
Disney+ original films
Films scored by Dan Romer
Films set in Genoa
Animated films set in Italy
Pixar short films