Azúcar
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
Azúcar is a queer historical reimagining psychological drama based around 3 iconic salsa stars at the horizon of the genre set in New York City in 1969. The story of a bisexual love triangle, spiritual psychosis, jealousy, ambition and of course, salsa.
Azúcar
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $21,561 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
250 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Azúcar is a queer historical reimagining psychological drama based around 3 iconic salsa stars at the horizon of the genre set in New York City in 1969. The story of a bisexual love triangle, spiritual psychosis, jealousy, ambition and of course, salsa.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
While experiencing spiritual psychosis, up-and-coming Cuban singer Kali's career is threatened when her big time producer (and situationship) welcomes the only contender to take her spot.
As Kali spirals into a spiritual psychosis that blurs visions with reality, her world tilts further when the producer she loves—and depends on—introduces a new starlet poised to take her place. What begins as a glittering ascent into fame becomes a fever dream of rivalry, desire, and betrayal…Blending the heightened drama of a telenovela with the intimacy of queer romance, Azúcar is a story of stars fighting to be chosen, set against the intoxicating rhythms of a music scene on the verge of legend.
KALI - Gorgeous Latina with big hair and big dreams. A soulful voice with so much pain in it, a past she won't speak of. She's controllable for better or for worse. Beautifully defiant to authority, learning her worth.
CIELO - Demure Afro-Latina Cuban singer. Has been in the game for a bit. She yearns for what was, but is still dreaming of her possibilities. She's ben waiting for her moment, she has the look, the voice but can her spirit get her through?
BETO - Big shot producer for salsa being created and coming up in New York City. Has has the upper hand as he's established in town. He's at the frontier of a whole new genre and anyone who's anyone is signed to his label, Hacienda Records. But there's only one spot for his leading lady...
DONNA - Owner of the hottest join in town, "Donna's Den." Knows everyone, dictates who's who. Has seen some shit, so they have a short tolerance. The club is not their only source of income.
I have been an avid and passionate fan of classic salsa since the day I was born. I have been fascinated with the timbal and the drums, the singing , the piano and the classiness of the whole genre. I’ve also been a writer and an actor that has been looking for ways to represent myself and intersectional communities through my art. As I continued to journey through my entertainment career, I started to yearn for a story that could tell the unspoken stories that might have happened behind the glitz and the glamour of the genre (based off my fantasies of course). And that’s why I want to make Azúcar, I love salsa, I love gay, and god knows I love drama. Of course, telenovelas raised me. And especially in a time where latine and queer communities are being attacked, reimagining our past might help us reimagine our future.
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November 2025 - December 2025: Crowdfunding campaign for Production
December 2025 - March 2026: Pre-production + Seed&Spark incentives fulfilled
April 2026: Production
May 2026 - August 2026: Post-production + Seed&Spark incentives fulfilled
August 2026 - December 2026: Festival submissions and marketing strategy
Early 2027: World Premiere
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay Our Cast
Costs $1,800
This amount covers the rate for our entire cast, from leads to background actors.
Pay Our Crew
Costs $4,925
Help pay our talented crew! All department heads and assistants are needed to bring this '60s salsa club to life.
Production Design
Costs $3,000
Help us rent and buy period accurate set pieces and props to build the world of glamour, live music, and blurred reality in Azúcar.
Salsa-Inspired Costumes
Costs $3,000
We'll need costumes fit for a '60s NYC salsa club, fit for a raising starlet, club manager, love interest and background of salseros.
Insurance
Costs $1,704
Insurance to cover our production.
Camera Team
Costs $3,600
Essential to capture raw moments on stage and off, blurred reality, and a palpable chemistry between two starlets that can't be denied.
Contingency
Costs $1,900
Sometimes expenses come up during production that are not planned for! Help us cover any unexpected costs.
Hard Drives
Costs $1,000
Help us cover the cost of hard drives!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are so excited to have some amazing folks attached to the project so far. From our Executive Producer to our Visual Consultants - our team is filled with experts of the craft that are passionate about storytelling. It was critical for Michelladonna to find a team that understood their vision and mission behind this story. That is why, with intention, they collaborated with a team of QTBIPOC filmmakers to bring this film to life. This production will be highlighting a queer and black, indigenious, people of color cast + crew. I know how hard it is to try to find work in spaces + institutions that aren’t made for us, so let’s create that space ourselves.
💃The Team 💃
- Writer, Director and Actor Michelladonna
- Executive Producer Kristian Mercado
- Director of Photography Alicia Ramirez
- Producer Maria Akay
- Producer Nikaya Manley
- Producer Jocelyn Ramirez
- Visual Consultant Jason Lemos
MICHELLADONNA (Writer, Director, Actor):
Michelladonna is a Webby Award-winning dynamic actor, comedian, director, and community organizer from Queens, NY. Michelladonna is the bilingual host of the internet sensation and Webby Award-winning show SHOP CATS. She is the creator and host of BODEGA CHAT (@bodegachat), a podcast and platform highlighting New York culture + up-and-coming creatives and organizers.
Michelladonna is also the creator and host of latine comedy variety show LIL SÁBADO (@lilsabado), most recently a part of the 2025 New York Comedy Festival. They are the founder and host of the community collective I’M FINNA TALK (@imfinnatalknyc), a free + accessible workshop and open mic series for Queer Black and Brown artists in NYC. Additionally, Michelladonna has been featured on GAME THEORY (HBO) with Bomani Jones and portrayed ‘Phone Chica” in the short film A HISTORY OF SITTING IN WAITING ROOMS (OR WHATEVER LONGER TITLE YOU PREFER). Michelladonna regularly performs at comedy clubs and venues across New York, LA, and Chicago. Their comedy connects their authenticity and cuntiness to their Gen-Z Colombian New Yorker perspective. And diva, it’s juicy.
They have been featured on the TODAY SHOW, THE NEW YORK TIMES, FOX 5 NEWS, PEOPLE MAGAZINE + more.
ALICIA RAMIREZ (Director of Photography):
Her work spans a wide range of genres and visual styles, driven by a commitment to finding the most authentic visual language for each story. She gravitates toward projects centered on queer, BIPOC, and female perspectives, bringing a thoughtful and dynamic eye to every frame. Alicia's work has been featured a festivals including Newfest, Bushwick Film Festival, New York International Shorts Fest, Outfest, Out on Film, Palm Springs Cinema, and New Faces New Voices.
Her commercial and branded collaborations include LA Sparks, NY Liberty, BK Nets, Paramount, BET, MTV, Saks Fifth Avenue, The New Yorker, and Paper Magazine.
MARIA AKAY (Producer):
Maria Akay is an NYC-based producer and industry professional. As the Marketing Manager at Spotlight Cinema Networks, she curates the CineLife Preshow Short Shorts Program in collaboration with film festivals nationwide. Maria has produced short films which have premiered at festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, BFI London, among others, and currently serves as the Lead Programmer for the New York Latino Film Festival presented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
NIKAYA MANLEY (Producer):
Nikaya is a producer, cinematographer, writer, and director, born and raised in New York City. She believes deeply in the power of storytelling to build and heal communities and often uses her hometown as the backdrop of her own narratives. Nikaya is drawn to creating dramatic narratives - afrofuturistic in nature, centering odd communities and unlikely pairings. She has many years of experience as a producer & production manager in the commercial and narrative spaces.
JOCELYN RAMIREZ (Producer):
Jocelyn Ramirez is a Brooklyn-based video producer and director. Over the past five years, she has produced stories across a range of formats on teams at Condé Nast and Vox Media. Beyond her professional work, Jocelyn enjoys collaborating with friends on passion projects and experimenting with new (to her) mediums of expression. She’s especially drawn to stories that explore identity, place, and human connection.
JASON LEMOS (Visual Consultant):
With training from the American Conservatory Theater, Beverly Hills Playhouse, and Sheila Gray Studios, Jason has acted in projects such as For Them (2021) and HBO Max's And Just Like That (2025), and previously worked in Los Angeles as a director's assistant for Sacred Heart Films, pitching feature films including The Woman King (2022) and Ponyboi (2024).
Garnering over 1.5M views, Jason now serves as social media and video content coordinator for Newfest, New York's premier LGBTQ+ film and media organization.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
While experiencing spiritual psychosis, up-and-coming Cuban singer Kali's career is threatened when her big time producer (and situationship) welcomes the only contender to take her spot.
As Kali spirals into a spiritual psychosis that blurs visions with reality, her world tilts further when the producer she loves—and depends on—introduces a new starlet poised to take her place. What begins as a glittering ascent into fame becomes a fever dream of rivalry, desire, and betrayal…Blending the heightened drama of a telenovela with the intimacy of queer romance, Azúcar is a story of stars fighting to be chosen, set against the intoxicating rhythms of a music scene on the verge of legend.
KALI - Gorgeous Latina with big hair and big dreams. A soulful voice with so much pain in it, a past she won't speak of. She's controllable for better or for worse. Beautifully defiant to authority, learning her worth.
CIELO - Demure Afro-Latina Cuban singer. Has been in the game for a bit. She yearns for what was, but is still dreaming of her possibilities. She's ben waiting for her moment, she has the look, the voice but can her spirit get her through?
BETO - Big shot producer for salsa being created and coming up in New York City. Has has the upper hand as he's established in town. He's at the frontier of a whole new genre and anyone who's anyone is signed to his label, Hacienda Records. But there's only one spot for his leading lady...
DONNA - Owner of the hottest join in town, "Donna's Den." Knows everyone, dictates who's who. Has seen some shit, so they have a short tolerance. The club is not their only source of income.
I have been an avid and passionate fan of classic salsa since the day I was born. I have been fascinated with the timbal and the drums, the singing , the piano and the classiness of the whole genre. I’ve also been a writer and an actor that has been looking for ways to represent myself and intersectional communities through my art. As I continued to journey through my entertainment career, I started to yearn for a story that could tell the unspoken stories that might have happened behind the glitz and the glamour of the genre (based off my fantasies of course). And that’s why I want to make Azúcar, I love salsa, I love gay, and god knows I love drama. Of course, telenovelas raised me. And especially in a time where latine and queer communities are being attacked, reimagining our past might help us reimagine our future.
November 2025 - December 2025: Crowdfunding campaign for Production
December 2025 - March 2026: Pre-production + Seed&Spark incentives fulfilled
April 2026: Production
May 2026 - August 2026: Post-production + Seed&Spark incentives fulfilled
August 2026 - December 2026: Festival submissions and marketing strategy
Early 2027: World Premiere
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Pay Our Cast
Costs $1,800
This amount covers the rate for our entire cast, from leads to background actors.
Pay Our Crew
Costs $4,925
Help pay our talented crew! All department heads and assistants are needed to bring this '60s salsa club to life.
Production Design
Costs $3,000
Help us rent and buy period accurate set pieces and props to build the world of glamour, live music, and blurred reality in Azúcar.
Salsa-Inspired Costumes
Costs $3,000
We'll need costumes fit for a '60s NYC salsa club, fit for a raising starlet, club manager, love interest and background of salseros.
Insurance
Costs $1,704
Insurance to cover our production.
Camera Team
Costs $3,600
Essential to capture raw moments on stage and off, blurred reality, and a palpable chemistry between two starlets that can't be denied.
Contingency
Costs $1,900
Sometimes expenses come up during production that are not planned for! Help us cover any unexpected costs.
Hard Drives
Costs $1,000
Help us cover the cost of hard drives!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are so excited to have some amazing folks attached to the project so far. From our Executive Producer to our Visual Consultants - our team is filled with experts of the craft that are passionate about storytelling. It was critical for Michelladonna to find a team that understood their vision and mission behind this story. That is why, with intention, they collaborated with a team of QTBIPOC filmmakers to bring this film to life. This production will be highlighting a queer and black, indigenious, people of color cast + crew. I know how hard it is to try to find work in spaces + institutions that aren’t made for us, so let’s create that space ourselves.
💃The Team 💃
- Writer, Director and Actor Michelladonna
- Executive Producer Kristian Mercado
- Director of Photography Alicia Ramirez
- Producer Maria Akay
- Producer Nikaya Manley
- Producer Jocelyn Ramirez
- Visual Consultant Jason Lemos
MICHELLADONNA (Writer, Director, Actor):
Michelladonna is a Webby Award-winning dynamic actor, comedian, director, and community organizer from Queens, NY. Michelladonna is the bilingual host of the internet sensation and Webby Award-winning show SHOP CATS. She is the creator and host of BODEGA CHAT (@bodegachat), a podcast and platform highlighting New York culture + up-and-coming creatives and organizers.
Michelladonna is also the creator and host of latine comedy variety show LIL SÁBADO (@lilsabado), most recently a part of the 2025 New York Comedy Festival. They are the founder and host of the community collective I’M FINNA TALK (@imfinnatalknyc), a free + accessible workshop and open mic series for Queer Black and Brown artists in NYC. Additionally, Michelladonna has been featured on GAME THEORY (HBO) with Bomani Jones and portrayed ‘Phone Chica” in the short film A HISTORY OF SITTING IN WAITING ROOMS (OR WHATEVER LONGER TITLE YOU PREFER). Michelladonna regularly performs at comedy clubs and venues across New York, LA, and Chicago. Their comedy connects their authenticity and cuntiness to their Gen-Z Colombian New Yorker perspective. And diva, it’s juicy.
They have been featured on the TODAY SHOW, THE NEW YORK TIMES, FOX 5 NEWS, PEOPLE MAGAZINE + more.
ALICIA RAMIREZ (Director of Photography):
Her work spans a wide range of genres and visual styles, driven by a commitment to finding the most authentic visual language for each story. She gravitates toward projects centered on queer, BIPOC, and female perspectives, bringing a thoughtful and dynamic eye to every frame. Alicia's work has been featured a festivals including Newfest, Bushwick Film Festival, New York International Shorts Fest, Outfest, Out on Film, Palm Springs Cinema, and New Faces New Voices.
Her commercial and branded collaborations include LA Sparks, NY Liberty, BK Nets, Paramount, BET, MTV, Saks Fifth Avenue, The New Yorker, and Paper Magazine.
MARIA AKAY (Producer):
Maria Akay is an NYC-based producer and industry professional. As the Marketing Manager at Spotlight Cinema Networks, she curates the CineLife Preshow Short Shorts Program in collaboration with film festivals nationwide. Maria has produced short films which have premiered at festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, BFI London, among others, and currently serves as the Lead Programmer for the New York Latino Film Festival presented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
NIKAYA MANLEY (Producer):
Nikaya is a producer, cinematographer, writer, and director, born and raised in New York City. She believes deeply in the power of storytelling to build and heal communities and often uses her hometown as the backdrop of her own narratives. Nikaya is drawn to creating dramatic narratives - afrofuturistic in nature, centering odd communities and unlikely pairings. She has many years of experience as a producer & production manager in the commercial and narrative spaces.
JOCELYN RAMIREZ (Producer):
Jocelyn Ramirez is a Brooklyn-based video producer and director. Over the past five years, she has produced stories across a range of formats on teams at Condé Nast and Vox Media. Beyond her professional work, Jocelyn enjoys collaborating with friends on passion projects and experimenting with new (to her) mediums of expression. She’s especially drawn to stories that explore identity, place, and human connection.
JASON LEMOS (Visual Consultant):
With training from the American Conservatory Theater, Beverly Hills Playhouse, and Sheila Gray Studios, Jason has acted in projects such as For Them (2021) and HBO Max's And Just Like That (2025), and previously worked in Los Angeles as a director's assistant for Sacred Heart Films, pitching feature films including The Woman King (2022) and Ponyboi (2024).
Garnering over 1.5M views, Jason now serves as social media and video content coordinator for Newfest, New York's premier LGBTQ+ film and media organization.