‘Pollo Punch’: A Narcoleptic Rooster Fights For The Immigrant Dream In Our Pick Of The Day

What do you get when you mix a narcoleptic rooster, the Cuban-American dream, and a wicked left hook? Alec Castillo’s Pollo Punch, a humorous and heartfelt animated short that packs a surprising emotional wallop.

When Yunian, a dozing pet rooster with boxing fantasies, lets down his hard-working owner Flaco one too many times, the duo are forced to chase an unlikely path to redemption: the boxing ring.

Castillo, alongside co-creator Mike Menendez, turns a whimsical premise into a fable about sacrifice, exile, and resilience, wrapped in vibrant visuals and flashy combat sequences.

Produced with the support of Netflix’s LXiA Spark Animation Grant and premiering at LALIFF 2024, Pollo Punch is a love letter to Miami’s Cuban diaspora and a punchy reminder that even the sleepiest underdog can rise.