a day ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
This Miami filmmaker made an animated boxing drama — starring roosters
Imagine if Rocky Balboa were a Cuban fighting rooster and his dream of becoming a great boxer was forged in Little Havana.
The protagonist of 'Pollo Punch,' a short film directed by Cuban-American Miami native Alec Castillo, probably didn't need to seek inspiration from Sylvester Stallone's iconic character because Cuba has produced so many great boxers of its own. But his short film combines all the elements of a 'Rocky' film with Castillo's own roots.
'Pollo Punch' is 'basically a boxing drama with roosters,' said Castillo about the short film he presented in March at the Miami Film Festival, and that later won the Best International Animated Short Film award at the Puerto Rico Film Festival.
But 'Pollo Punch' is much more; it's funny, clever, tender, and quintessentially Cuban without letting that detail overshadow it. A rooster wearing a Cuban link gold chain around his neck? Well, that's a strong start.
'Pollo Punch' is also a nostalgic and loving look at the rapidly changing Miami — where your childhood haunts, like the diner you went to after school, the bowling alley and the skating rink are disappearing.
'Seeing how the city changed rapidly in recent years, I wanted to do something that reflected the people and places where I grew up,' said Castillo, who is now based in Los Angeles.
'Whether it's an older generation speaking in a specific way that starts disappearing or a street corner being demolished to build a luxury condominium tower, much of old Miami has begun to fade away with the city's transformation,' he said.
'While I can't shoot a period live-action film in the Miami of the '70s and '80s, I can definitely animate it. With animation, I can preserve those aspects of old Miami to endure in this film,' says Castillo.
Castillo is proud of the team he assembled for the project.
Comedian Mike Menendez is the voice of Yunián, whose name is a product of the Cuban Generation Y.
Yolanda, Yunián's hen wife, is voiced by actress Jenny Lorenzo, known for her role as the Cuban abuela, which she has popularized on social media. Lorenzo, from Kendall, also lives in Los Angeles, where she develops her career as a voice actress.
El Flaco, Yunián's owner, is a humble Cuban exile trying to establish himself in a new city. 'He lives on cigarettes and Vienna sausages,' Castillo points out. He's voiced by Chris García, a comedian, actor and writer known for his work in 'Minx' (HBO) and the sitcom 'Mr. Iglesias' (Netflix) with comedian Gabriel Iglesias.
Chris De La Guardia was the art director for the film.
'I met Chris while taking an art history class at Miami-Dade College, and he's a brilliant artist. Once I secured funding for the film, I knew I had to have him because his visual touch is electrifying,' said Castillo.
'Being away from home for the first time, working on this film daily, and watching the Marlins lose on TV became a helpful way to feel closer to home in a new city. It was crucial for this film to be something that people could watch when they felt a bit nostalgic and wanted to remember Miami,' said Castillo.
Funding the short was a challenge, Castillo acknowledged, while offering hope to young people following these paths. 'If you have the right idea, someone will want to support it.'
In his case, he got support from LatinXinAnimation, the Latino Film Institute, the Netflix Spark Animation Grant, as well as local organizations like ArtesMiami, Oolite Arts, and some private donors.
'It was crucial to gather so many talented artists and pay them for their incredible work,' he said.
'Currently, Miami just doesn't have a sustainable film industry. Many major productions want to tell stories about Miami characters; however, the current tax incentives make it difficult for them to shoot those films in South Florida,' he said, acknowledging it did offer him more opportunities to study.
'Growing up and living in Miami during my college years was undoubtedly a key factor in producing a lot of work that helped me find my creative voice,' he said, offering some examples of how it benefited him.
'As an emerging filmmaker, if you're in Miami, you'll have much more access to local tools and resources than if you were in New York or Los Angeles. It'll be much easier to shoot in a Kendall restaurant than one in Pasadena,' he noted.
Castillo, 27, concluded with tips for young people who want to become filmmakers
'In the beginning, I made the mistake of trying to be too ambitious too soon,' he acknowledged. 'Start small and work your way up! The smaller the failures, the faster you can achieve great things.'
