Support “Pollo Punch”

“Pollo Punch” is a 2D animated short film directed by Alec Castillo that is being produced with the support of LatinXinAnimation’s Spark Grant and is currently fundraising an additional round of financing to cover production costs.

Logline: A narcoleptic pet rooster, Yunian, never wakes up on time because he’s too busy dreaming of being the greatest boxer of all-time. But when he and his owner fall into tough times, he’ll finally get his chance to step into the ring. It’s Ratatouille meets Raging Bull in this re-imagining of the Cuban-American story of coming to the United States.

Director’s Note:
Growing up in Miami, I was raised with the stories of the Cuban exile. Whether they were told by grandparents, uncles, or teachers, these stories had a fairytale-like quality and value. These were stories about sacrifice, discipline, the funny ways that you can make the most of a little, and much much more.

Pollo Punch is an opportunity to examine my community’s creation myth through the lens of the classic ‘Rocky’ underdog come-up story and, of course, a hyper-masculine rooster. With this film, I wanted to take these stories and their values and synthesize it all into an animated short film that can last forever.

As the generation of original Cuban exiles begin to pass and as Miami faces massive cultural gentrification, Pollo Punch is an incredible opportunity to use my medium of animation to capture a people and place that’s becoming lost in time. When done right, this film would be something that people could watch years down the road to remember home and remember the people, places, dialects, etc. that shaped them.

Alec Castillo Bio:
Alec Castillo is a Cuban-American animator, filmmaker, and comedian. He’s originally from Miami, but currently based in Los Angeles. Alec’s past animation and illustrations have been featured on Adult Swim, Netflix, FunnyOrDie, Mitú, The Plantain, and more. More information available upon request. Please contact aleccastlecastillo@gmail.com.

Directed by: Alec Castillo
Produced by: Angel Ruvalcaba, Alec Castillo, and Mike Menendez
Written by: Alec Castillo and Mike Menendez
Art Director: Christopher de la Guardia