Blisssick
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Romance
HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED TRANS PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE? April hasn't dated since she started transitioning. But when she is asked out by a regular at her cafe, she takes a chance on love.
Blisssick
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Romance
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,437 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
43 supporters | followers
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HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED TRANS PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE? April hasn't dated since she started transitioning. But when she is asked out by a regular at her cafe, she takes a chance on love.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A year ago when I began writing this script I had just finished making an experimental short doc about language — the ways it is mistranslated, weaponized, internalized. Understandably, this was a grueling and isolating process. So after this...I resolved to write about love. Blisssick draws inspiration from my own real world meet-cute with my partner.
Over the past few months, things have gotten worse for the trans community, and the fears that fueled my last film have only gotten worse. But this time, instead of locking myself in my room, toiling over drafts and editing into the night, I stepped up. I decided to reach out to my community of trans filmmakers, performers, artists, and professionals to make a story about love and connection.
This is not a story about transition, healthcare, or trauma. This is a story about two people meeting and taking a chance on love. That's it.
Amidst the daily pour of headlines telling the world that trans people are complicated and different, I want to tell a story that conveys the opposite.
It's about being giddy, crush-shy, nervous, and being so close you could kiss. As an emotion, being "Blisssick" is universal.
April, a barista, meets May, a new regular at her cafe. When May surprises her by asking her to come out to a comedy show one night, she decides to take a chance despite her crippling anxiety. When she shows up at the show late, she spots May working the sound board behind the stage and watches them instead of the show. The two finally get a chance to sit and talk after the show, and the brewing romantic tension heats up with every word.
April (25, she/her) is a barista and a poet. She's reserved, and anxious, but once she is able to step past her anxiety, her honest charm shines through.
She is portrayed by Ella Yurman (she/her), the creator and host of Going Down with Ella Yurman: an independent, trans-led political comedy news show on YouTube and Brooklyn public access. Ella also works as a staff writer for Some More News. Her long-form journalism can be found on Autostraddle, NYU Local, and Substack.
May (25, he/they) is a stage manager and a habitual flirt. He meets April and is immediately drawn to her. His charm and extroverted personality becomes the center of attention anywhere he goes.
May is portrayed by Rose Tablizo (he/they), best known as the producer and host of Brooklyn’s first all-trans comedy show, T4T. On-stage and behind the scenes, Rose is a regular of New York’s off-Broadway scene, contributing to The Big Gay Jamboree, Titanique, and Mike Birbiglia's The Old Man and the Pool at Lincoln Center.
Blisssick is a film about the act of watching— Watching someone who doesn't see you watching...watching someone watching you.
In love and in life, we are voyeurs. In Blisssick, the camera embodies the lovers' perspective, watching their counterparts with nervous closeness, love, attention, and care.
In the game of eyes, it's like playing chicken: who looks when, who looks away, and who looks back first?
This is the estimate for how your money will be spent on our production! No frills here— most of it is spent making sure so the cast and crew can be fed .
We will begin filming as soon as the fundraising period is complete and we are planning on completing the final cut by September. We will be posting updates on this Seed and Spark page during the post production process. Once the cut is finalized, we will begin submitting to festivals and everyone who contributed, regardless of how much, will get an early access link to the film!
Make sure to donate, follow, and share this page and follow us on Instagram at @blisssick_film. Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Post-Production
Costs $1,150
The final step: Color, Sound Editing and Mixing, and Original Score. Help the film across the finish line!
Camera Kit
Costs $650
Can't make a film without a camera! This will cover the fee for our camera kit rental.
Transportation
Costs $1,200
BIG TRUCK!!! We need a mule to carry our gear and cash to cover crew transportation!
Costumes, Hair, Makeup, Props
Costs $300
Help bring the setting and characters to life with essential props, wardrobes, and HMU!!
Distribution
Costs $1,500
Film festival submissions can be expensive. We need your help taking the film across the country in front of audiences and eyeballs!
Catering
Costs $2,000
The crew needs to eat! This will cover nutritious meals for crew and cast for the shooting days to keep everyone fed and energized!
Continency+Petty Cash
Costs $1,200
Taxes(!), emergencies, and miscellaneous expenses! This will help us with unexpected expenses, equipment, and emergencies like urgent care.
Location
Costs $2,300
With your help, we can lock down our locations as the iconic Metropolitan gay bar, as well as our cafe location.
Share this update!
About This Team
When building the team, it was important that we put together a crew from the very community of trans and queer artists that the film is about. It was essential that the team felt connected to and understood the story and the characters intimately, and extend the feeling of community past the scene in front of the camera to the rest of the set as well.
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DIRECTOR—June Jung is a South Korean writer, director, and editor based in Brooklyn, New York.
Her work is deeply integrated with the local New York trans and queer community. Her film These Kids Don't Get It, Ma. has played in queer film festivals such as TransLations in Seattle and MIX NYC.
She is also a published poet and an award winning composer.
PRODUCER—Anna Sofia Pegurier is a Brazilian filmmaker based in New York City. She began carving her path as a production designer and SFX artist on music videos such as YSN Flow’s GEEKED UP (1 million+ views) and ILLEGAL GUNS (6.1 million+ views), but now focuses her time as an assistant director and producer. Her projects include Anitta’s SÃO PAULO music video, Man-Hating Lesbians, Tiffany & Co Holiday Campaigns and The Tonight Show. Armed with her love of all things camp, spreadsheets, and indie cinema, she’s diving headfirst to a male dominated industry letting nothing stand in her way. She is currently an Assistant Coordinator on Saturday Night Live.
PRODUCER—Sylvia Breaux is a Producer and Assistant Director working out of New York and Washington D.C. She has had her own films screened in festivals around America, such the Boston International Kids Film Festival where she won the Audience Choice Award, as well as a smattering of other honors at 20+ festivals across America. Previous clients of her include The Washington Post, Investigation Discovery, and PBS.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A year ago when I began writing this script I had just finished making an experimental short doc about language — the ways it is mistranslated, weaponized, internalized. Understandably, this was a grueling and isolating process. So after this...I resolved to write about love. Blisssick draws inspiration from my own real world meet-cute with my partner.
Over the past few months, things have gotten worse for the trans community, and the fears that fueled my last film have only gotten worse. But this time, instead of locking myself in my room, toiling over drafts and editing into the night, I stepped up. I decided to reach out to my community of trans filmmakers, performers, artists, and professionals to make a story about love and connection.
This is not a story about transition, healthcare, or trauma. This is a story about two people meeting and taking a chance on love. That's it.
Amidst the daily pour of headlines telling the world that trans people are complicated and different, I want to tell a story that conveys the opposite.
It's about being giddy, crush-shy, nervous, and being so close you could kiss. As an emotion, being "Blisssick" is universal.
April, a barista, meets May, a new regular at her cafe. When May surprises her by asking her to come out to a comedy show one night, she decides to take a chance despite her crippling anxiety. When she shows up at the show late, she spots May working the sound board behind the stage and watches them instead of the show. The two finally get a chance to sit and talk after the show, and the brewing romantic tension heats up with every word.
April (25, she/her) is a barista and a poet. She's reserved, and anxious, but once she is able to step past her anxiety, her honest charm shines through.
She is portrayed by Ella Yurman (she/her), the creator and host of Going Down with Ella Yurman: an independent, trans-led political comedy news show on YouTube and Brooklyn public access. Ella also works as a staff writer for Some More News. Her long-form journalism can be found on Autostraddle, NYU Local, and Substack.
May (25, he/they) is a stage manager and a habitual flirt. He meets April and is immediately drawn to her. His charm and extroverted personality becomes the center of attention anywhere he goes.
May is portrayed by Rose Tablizo (he/they), best known as the producer and host of Brooklyn’s first all-trans comedy show, T4T. On-stage and behind the scenes, Rose is a regular of New York’s off-Broadway scene, contributing to The Big Gay Jamboree, Titanique, and Mike Birbiglia's The Old Man and the Pool at Lincoln Center.
Blisssick is a film about the act of watching— Watching someone who doesn't see you watching...watching someone watching you.
In love and in life, we are voyeurs. In Blisssick, the camera embodies the lovers' perspective, watching their counterparts with nervous closeness, love, attention, and care.
In the game of eyes, it's like playing chicken: who looks when, who looks away, and who looks back first?
This is the estimate for how your money will be spent on our production! No frills here— most of it is spent making sure so the cast and crew can be fed .
We will begin filming as soon as the fundraising period is complete and we are planning on completing the final cut by September. We will be posting updates on this Seed and Spark page during the post production process. Once the cut is finalized, we will begin submitting to festivals and everyone who contributed, regardless of how much, will get an early access link to the film!
Make sure to donate, follow, and share this page and follow us on Instagram at @blisssick_film. Thank you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Post-Production
Costs $1,150
The final step: Color, Sound Editing and Mixing, and Original Score. Help the film across the finish line!
Camera Kit
Costs $650
Can't make a film without a camera! This will cover the fee for our camera kit rental.
Transportation
Costs $1,200
BIG TRUCK!!! We need a mule to carry our gear and cash to cover crew transportation!
Costumes, Hair, Makeup, Props
Costs $300
Help bring the setting and characters to life with essential props, wardrobes, and HMU!!
Distribution
Costs $1,500
Film festival submissions can be expensive. We need your help taking the film across the country in front of audiences and eyeballs!
Catering
Costs $2,000
The crew needs to eat! This will cover nutritious meals for crew and cast for the shooting days to keep everyone fed and energized!
Continency+Petty Cash
Costs $1,200
Taxes(!), emergencies, and miscellaneous expenses! This will help us with unexpected expenses, equipment, and emergencies like urgent care.
Location
Costs $2,300
With your help, we can lock down our locations as the iconic Metropolitan gay bar, as well as our cafe location.
Share this update!
About This Team
When building the team, it was important that we put together a crew from the very community of trans and queer artists that the film is about. It was essential that the team felt connected to and understood the story and the characters intimately, and extend the feeling of community past the scene in front of the camera to the rest of the set as well.
DIRECTOR—June Jung is a South Korean writer, director, and editor based in Brooklyn, New York.
Her work is deeply integrated with the local New York trans and queer community. Her film These Kids Don't Get It, Ma. has played in queer film festivals such as TransLations in Seattle and MIX NYC.
She is also a published poet and an award winning composer.
PRODUCER—Anna Sofia Pegurier is a Brazilian filmmaker based in New York City. She began carving her path as a production designer and SFX artist on music videos such as YSN Flow’s GEEKED UP (1 million+ views) and ILLEGAL GUNS (6.1 million+ views), but now focuses her time as an assistant director and producer. Her projects include Anitta’s SÃO PAULO music video, Man-Hating Lesbians, Tiffany & Co Holiday Campaigns and The Tonight Show. Armed with her love of all things camp, spreadsheets, and indie cinema, she’s diving headfirst to a male dominated industry letting nothing stand in her way. She is currently an Assistant Coordinator on Saturday Night Live.
PRODUCER—Sylvia Breaux is a Producer and Assistant Director working out of New York and Washington D.C. She has had her own films screened in festivals around America, such the Boston International Kids Film Festival where she won the Audience Choice Award, as well as a smattering of other honors at 20+ festivals across America. Previous clients of her include The Washington Post, Investigation Discovery, and PBS.