Nuevo Rico’ is Serving Animated Latinx-Futurism

Nuevo Rico is a new animated short film set to make it’s highly anticipated premiere at 2021’s SXSW. The futuristic plot follows a brother and sister who stumble upon a celestial secret that changes their lives forever and propels them into Reggaetón stardom, but they soon discover that their newfound fame comes at a steep price.

Kristian Mercado Figueroa, director behind Nuevo Rico, is a Puerto Rican filmmaker living in Spanish Harlem whose music-driven short film “Pa’lante” won the SXSW Jury Award in 2019. His screenplay “HawkBells” was awarded at Slamdance for screenwriting in 2020. He was an official selection at SXSW 2020 for both Grammy-nominated Black Pumas and Miami Nights. Mercado Figueroa also directed comedy specials coming to Netflix for Hannibal Buress and SNL’s Sam Jay slated for a summer release, as well as content for Adult Swim, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Awkwafina, and MF DOOM.

Figueroa’s distinct voice addresses issues of identity, family, and systemic oppression across race and class. His work is celebrated for its poetic portrayal of working class struggles, highlighting the gaps between love and loss. The lead character, Barbie, is voiced by Jackie Cruz of Orange Is The New Black.