As The World Cup Begins, Esteban Pedrozo’s ‘Julio’ Delivers A Love Letter To Soccer In Its Purest Form (EXCLUSIVE)

As the World Cup gets underway today with Mexico facing South Africa, a new animated short from Paraguayan artist Esteban Pedrozo reminds us that most of soccer’s most profound stories happen far from the stadium lights.

(Note: To avoid confusion, we’re going to call it football for the rest of this article, since it’s based on an interview with the director who referred to it as such)

Julio: A Football Story is, by design, a modest production. It runs for less than a minute and is a simple narration by a man reflecting on a childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer. Rather than fast-paced sports action or bright-lights celebrity, the film meditates on how football becomes woven into memory, family, and identity, regardless of where life ultimately leads.

“It was born from the passion I’ve had for football since I was a child, but it’s not your typical success story,” Pedrozo told Cartoon Brew ahead of today’s debut. “The central premise is the idea of someone who always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer but doesn’t make it. I wanted to convey that this doesn’t mean something bad, because the love for the sport remains despite everything.”

That perspective feels especially timely as the World Cup once again takes center stage. This World Cup in particular, for which conversation about trophies, stars, and national expectations is being overshadowed by corruption, politics, disastrous visa and immigration policies, militant employment of ICE agents, horrific weather conditions for sport, and a host country that continues to embarrass itself at every possible turn.

Instead, Julio is interested in the millions of people whose relationship with football exists entirely outside the professional game.

The film was created as a personal exercise during a busy period in Pedrozo’s career. Rather than waiting for funding or a larger production opportunity, he chose to make something small.

“Due to a lack of resources and a desire not to let the project stay shelved, I decided to start with this short exercise,” he explained.

The project also became an opportunity for him to explore directing. Best known professionally as a CG character artist and visual development artist with credits on Maya and the Three, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Star Wars: Visions, a hugely ambitious Pan American Games spot, and other major studio productions, Pedrozo viewed his short as a testing ground for something bigger on the horizon.

“My friend Max Rayo was a huge help with the script, and this project has really become my laboratory to practice directing,” he explained. “My goal is to eventually move from being a CG character artist in visual development to directing my own feature film one day.”

For the film’s look, Pedrozo embraced a rougher, handmade aesthetic that echoes the story’s humbler themes.

“For the aesthetic, I looked for a handcrafted look that embraced imperfections,” he said. “I felt that since it was a story about an ‘imperfect’ life, the visuals and the character’s movements should reflect that same essence.”

Helping bring that vision to life were two notable figures from Latin American animation. Animation supervision was handled by Ignacio Carlos Ochoa, whose credits include Metegol and the upcoming Mafalda series. Providing the voice of Julio is acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Jorge R. Gutiérrez.

The casting carries particular significance for Pedrozo, whose professional journey is closely tied to Gutiérrez.

“I’ve known Jorge for many years, and he’s had a tremendous impact on my career,” Pedrozo said. “He gave me opportunities to work on major productions at a time when I had very little experience, and that kind of trust can completely change the course of someone’s life.”

In 2018, Pedrozo traveled to the United States to attend CTN Expo with a portfolio and hopes of finding work. The trip became one of the key turning points in his career.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Jorge Gutiérrez,” he recalled. “I sat in the front row for one of his talks, and afterward, he signed my The Book of Life art book.”

The encounter eventually led Gutiérrez to contact him about helping develop characters for the Netflix series Maya and the Three.

“I will always be grateful to him for giving me that first hand and helping me get my foot in the industry’s door,” Pedrozo said.

That opening led to work on projects including My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Netflix’s visual development department under veteran artist Todd Pilger, and feature productions such as Ultraman: Rising and Steps.

He remains deeply appreciative of the mentors who helped him navigate both the language barrier and the demands of large-scale productions.

“Todd is a key figure for me, and I owe him so much,” Pedrozo said. “He has always shown me incredible empathy and patience, especially because it took me a long time to learn the language and adapt to the fast pace of these major productions.”

Regarding working with Gutiérrez, Pedrozo says the director’s collaborative approach is key to a well-functioning pipeline in which the artists are all invested in the final product.

“He’s one of the few directors I’ve worked with who genuinely listens and makes you feel like a creative partner rather than simply someone carrying out instructions,” he said. “The relationship never feels top-down. He invites artists into the creative process, values their opinions, and creates an environment where people feel comfortable contributing ideas.”

For that reason, having Gutiérrez voice Julio felt particularly meaningful.

“When I was thinking about who could bring the right warmth and authenticity to Julio, he was one of the first people who came to mind,” Pedrozo said. “Having him lend his voice to such a personal project meant a great deal to me, not only because of his talent as a storyteller, but because of the influence he has had on my own creative journey.”

Today, Pedrozo continues developing original projects with his wife, writer Julie Ann Pedrozo, while pursuing the long-term goal of directing larger works of his own. Among those efforts is a children’s horror project, working title La Siesta, for which he is collaborating with artist Brandon Wu on designs.

Before those ambitions become reality, however, Julio stands as an intimate snapshot of where he is now as an artist.

As football takes center stage over the coming weeks, Julio offers a quieter perspective. Its message is simple but resonant. Not every childhood dream ends the way we imagine, but that doesn’t diminish the joy that inspired it in the first place. It’s clear that Pedrozo isn’t only talking about football with this short.