We’ve been patient. You’ve been patient. And now, Azúcar is finally coming to the big screen! 

We’re excited to announce that Azúcar will premiere at the Socially Relevant Film Festival New York. Now in its 10th year, and with thousands of attendees, SRFF is the perfect venue for Azúcar, with films from around the world that promote awareness of social issues. 

The festival kicks off on March 16th, with a red carpet and reception at Lincoln Center. Azúcar will headline a collection of shorts on March 18th at 1PM at the Cinema Village in Midtown, followed by a Q&A with us, the filmmakers. You can purchase tickets to the festival and events at FilmFreeway.

If you’re in the area, we would love to see you, and the organizers of SRFF would love your support. Early-bird tickets are available for a limited time. 

And if you can’t make it to NYC, we’ve also been selected for the LA Latinx Film Festival. We’ll have more details on that soon…

What is Azúcar?

Azúcar is an animated short film about a boy and his mother. 

Ana and Marcelo have traveled 1500 miles from Honduras to the U.S. border. Tonight is the night they will attempt to cross the Rio Grande.

During the crossing we will learn why they have come so far, and endured so much, to get here. We will also see them face their greatest challenge of the journey.

Ana and Marcelo arrive at the riverbank carrying little more than hope, resilience, and a few packets of sugar—azúcar—to keep them going. But will their hope and resilience survive the night? 

Azúcar was made with the generous support of executive producer George Bard. The Planet Nutshell team worked on the story, design, and animation in-between client work during the pandemic. The story is based on interviews, as well as the personal experiences of our art director, Jen Sanchez, whose family is from Colombia. 

Why Did We Make Azúcar, and What’s Next?

Azúcar is essentially a proof of concept. We wanted to prove to ourselves, and to our audience, that we could make a narrative short that tells an authentic, impactful story. If you know us, then you know that every frame is drawn with our hearts, and our personal stories. 

Azúcar is the first episode of a series of stories about human migration around the globe. In this time of war and climate change, people are on the move in unprecedented numbers. The movement of humans is challenging our ideas of national and ethnic identity, as well as our faith in, and adherence to, the notions democracy and freedom. 

The ultimate goal is to create stories that reveal our shared humanity, and thereby move us all to a better place.

If you’d like to join us in our efforts and support this series, please contact us.