Tracey Laguerre’s (Film/Video BFA 17) CalArts student project has found a new home at Cartoon Network. I Love You, Jocelyn, Laguerre’s animated short, is featured in the network’s revived Cartoon Cartoons program.
The seven-minute pilot follows a magical girl in a world shaped by Caribbean folklore, drawing from the oral storytelling traditions Laguerre grew up with. Its visual style also takes inspiration from Haitian culture and Afro-Latino art traditions.
For Laguerre, the project has always been deeply personal.
“I remember when I was making my student film, I was excited about creating something that represented me as an artist,” says Laguerre. “I Love You, Jocelyn is a reflection of who I am, and I think that carried over to the Cartoon Network pilot. The art is my heart on a plate—everything I care about transmuted into a classic tropical folktale.”
After graduation, the world of I Love You, Jocelyn continued to grow through sketches and character ideas, expanding into a much larger universe. Laguerre eventually submitted materials to Cartoon Cartoons and pitched the project over Zoom using painted sketchbook pages. Once selected for the incubator program, she was given authorship over the pilot, working with a team to guide the film from concept to final product.
Looking back, Laguerre says she never expected her student film to travel this far.
“I am surprised, because as a student I had no idea my passion project would become what it has today,” she says. “I think it’s a testimony to following your heart. I made I Love You, Jocelyn because I have stories inside me that need to be said, and I felt there was something missing in the world that I had to create. I’m glad I trusted my instincts and invested in myself, and I’m excited about what the future holds—stay tuned!”
I Love You, Jocelyn is now available to watch as part of Cartoon Network’s Cartoon Cartoons shorts program.
