It’s finally here! After more than two years, eight film festivals, incredible audience response, and a feature by the United Nations, our labor of love is available for public viewing. Azúcar is available to stream here for a modest fee of $7.99.

If you would like to support our future work on non-commercial projects like this one, there is an option to pay more, and we humbly invite you to do so. All told, this film cost us roughly $200,000 to produce. Production has been supported by key donors–including Executive Producer George Bard–the operating funds of Planet Nutshell, and the sweat equity of our leadership team. We produced this film with no commercial or financial aspirations, simply because we think this is a story that needs to be told, and because we believe stories can change the world. We are asking for a contribution to this effort from our audience, and we deeply appreciate your support.

As part of the public release, we’re announcing an enhanced edition that includes improved character animation, all new frame-by-frame animated character lighting, and various improvements that only obsessive types like us will notice.

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? 

Watch the trailer below:

We’re beaming with pride that the United Nations chose to profile our incredible art director, Jen Sanchez, on World Refugee Day. If you don’t know about Jen’s background and family, get ready to be touched and inspired by this short documentary.

The profile offers a behind-the-scenes look at how our short film, Azúcar, grew out of the stories of refugees and immigrants in our own lives. 

A huge thank you to the team at USA for UNHCR  for highlighting Jen and our work.

And don’t worry, everyone will have an opportunity to watch Azúcar soon. Stay tuned for that…

We recently worked on a set of animation sequences for Berkeley, CA-based singer/songwriter Don Arbor that helps raise awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans. The sequences were commissioned for inclusion in Don’s most recent music video, “Message in a Billion Bottles.” 

I’m super grateful to our designer/animator Songyi for her exquisite 3D modeling/animation and to Jen, our art director, for the superb character design and animation of the seal.