Blue Collar Blues
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Drama
Blue Collar Blues is a queer working-class drama focused on three individuals navigating relationships, attraction, and identity in NYC. The story's origin comes from my experiences navigating two different queer communities, as well as my work as a union member in labor union communications.
Blue Collar Blues
New York City, New York | Film Short
LGBTQ, Drama
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
12 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$1,400
Goal: $13,000 for production
Blue Collar Blues is a queer working-class drama focused on three individuals navigating relationships, attraction, and identity in NYC. The story's origin comes from my experiences navigating two different queer communities, as well as my work as a union member in labor union communications.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
Romantic sparks fly when workers Oscar and Gordon are assigned to a construction site together. While Oscar is openly gay and navigating his way through the queer dating space, Gordon is a closeted family man, struggling to connect with his wife (Angelina) and son (JP).
The flirtation carries over from work to a union meeting where Oscar inadvertently runs into Angelina, unaware of her role in Gordon’s life. Gordon and Oscar leave the meeting early to drink at a bar and, finally, make out.
Later, Oscar leads Gordon to a gay nightclub where the queer space clashes with Gordon, forcing him to confront his own sexuality, which makes him uncomfortable. Gordon relaxes a bit when alone and intimate with Oscar, but eventually is caught by Angelina, bringing the romantic triangle to a head. Each of Oscar, Gordon, and Angelina are forced to confront their own variations of heartbreak at the unfolding events.
BACKGROUND
I moved to New York City in 2021, and it quickly became the city I love and call home. It beckoned to me as a place of freedom and liberation, where I could openly date in a different environment. However, dating is still dating. Regardless of geography, struggles with sexuality and identity are common. These complexities strain a relationship when people are trying to understand themselves as well as their sexuality. The majority of queer content focuses on the act of coming out in an environment that might not be as open. While this is the foundation of one’s journey, finding yourself and also what you want romantically is a source of tension and drama. The film focuses on three characters whose relationships with their identities create a ripple effect that shapes their home lives, their next loves, and their futures.
While at Brooklyn College, I have focused heavily on films with queer relationships centered around sexuality and self-exploration. The experience has helped me mature both as a writer and a director and has connected me with a number of talented filmmakers and creators in the queer space. When I am not in class or on set, I work a union job for labor unions, helping with their media and press work. I want to combine these two worlds and have them come together on screen.
WHY
I would love to see more working-class stories told in the queer space. Working-class Americans and the LGBTQ+ community are often framed as having opposing values, a perspective I hope to change. I want to show the reality of everyday working people, who are not a monolith, and add to the representation of another queer experience in an underrepresented space.
New York.
The film moves through five distinct environments
- Construction site
- Union hall
- Dive Bar
- Gordon's home
- Oscar's home
- Queer nightclub
OSCAR, a first-generation US citizen and construction worker living in Brooklyn. He is openly queer and is often a frequent face in the Brooklyn queer nightlife scene.
GORDON, an Italian-American hailing from Brooklyn. He works at the same site as Oscar. At home is husband to Angelina and father to John Paul.
ANGELINA Gordon's wife. She works as a business representative for Gordon and Oscar's union. She and her coworkers are the paid staff of the union representing workers in arbitration and grievances. She has a kind, empathetic heart.
Brooklyn College's MFA program has given us something most independent productions don't have: professional equipment and a crew. Every dollar you contribute goes straight to cast, locations, and meals.
SCHEDULE
Pre-production: June – August 2026 Casting, location scouting, crew lock, rehearsals, intimacy coordinator sessions
Principal Photography: September 2026 6 shoot days across Brooklyn locations
Post Production: October – December 2026 Picture edit, color grade, sound mix, festival deliverables
Festival Submission: Early 2027
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Bar Location
Costs $1,000
A Brooklyn bar: where our characters finally get to be soft. Covers the location fee for our day shoot.
Cast
Costs $3,800
ur actors are giving everything to this story. This covers fair pay for the trust and vulnerability they bring.
Intimacy & Fight Coordinator
Costs $300
Every intimate and physical scene is choreographed with care. This covers our intimacy and fight coordinators.
Travel & Accomodations
Costs $2,000
This will help us with a van rental, gas and other transportation expenses.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
- Isaac Reese is a queer filmmaker born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT, but now calls Brooklyn, NY home. He attended the University of Utah, earning a B.S. in International Studies with minors in political science and campaign management. He originally worked in political campaigns and politics but quickly transitioned to public relations, working with labor unions, abortion access advocates, environmental activists, and other progressive groups. He is currently pursuing his MFA in live-action filmmaking at Brooklyn College while continuing his political comms work.
- Born in Izmir, Turkey, Lal Ütün is an Istanbul-based filmmaker with a background in Psychology and Visual Arts. While doing cinematography work in various Indie short narratives, she has a background in producing. Their collaborations usually explore themes of identity, perception, and human connection. Right now, they are pursuing an MFA in Film Production in New York, United States, as a Fulbright scholar focusing on cinematography. Their hobbies include various dance styles and global cinema.
- Gigi Tamayo Boado is an Argentinian-Peruvian filmmaker and producer based in New York City. She grew up in the theater, learning early that stories don't just entertain — they shift something in the people who witness them. She holds an MFA in Film Producing from Brooklyn College and is 1/3 of Stray Tales Pictures. Gigi co-wrote Gina's Fiend, a short film that won Best Narrative and Best Screenplay at the 2018 BMCC Film Festival, and has since produced and AD'd across seven short films — building a quiet, ground-up mastery of what it takes to move a story from instinct to screen. Her projects explore race, identity, gender, and class not as topics, but as textures.
- Alex Kaufman is a Polish-American filmmaker originally from Minneapolis, MN, but has lived in Brooklyn for over a decade. Kaufman has worked on countless film and television sets but has made a career as a colorist for major production companies, most recently with Company 3. After working for several years, Kaufman decided to return to school to pursue an MFA in live-action filmmaking at Brooklyn College. He enjoys surreal and satirical films that examine the absurdities of daily life and culture.
- Katie Homer-Drummond is a New York-based writer, director, and artist originally from upstate South Carolina. They graduated from Oberlin College in 2022 with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Cinema Studies. Much of their work is in the genres of horror and surrealism, exploring themes of nature, religion, and queerness. They focus primarily on color, lighting, and texture, which they use to create rich, vibrant, though claustrophobic, worlds.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
SYNOPSIS
Romantic sparks fly when workers Oscar and Gordon are assigned to a construction site together. While Oscar is openly gay and navigating his way through the queer dating space, Gordon is a closeted family man, struggling to connect with his wife (Angelina) and son (JP).
The flirtation carries over from work to a union meeting where Oscar inadvertently runs into Angelina, unaware of her role in Gordon’s life. Gordon and Oscar leave the meeting early to drink at a bar and, finally, make out.
Later, Oscar leads Gordon to a gay nightclub where the queer space clashes with Gordon, forcing him to confront his own sexuality, which makes him uncomfortable. Gordon relaxes a bit when alone and intimate with Oscar, but eventually is caught by Angelina, bringing the romantic triangle to a head. Each of Oscar, Gordon, and Angelina are forced to confront their own variations of heartbreak at the unfolding events.
BACKGROUND
I moved to New York City in 2021, and it quickly became the city I love and call home. It beckoned to me as a place of freedom and liberation, where I could openly date in a different environment. However, dating is still dating. Regardless of geography, struggles with sexuality and identity are common. These complexities strain a relationship when people are trying to understand themselves as well as their sexuality. The majority of queer content focuses on the act of coming out in an environment that might not be as open. While this is the foundation of one’s journey, finding yourself and also what you want romantically is a source of tension and drama. The film focuses on three characters whose relationships with their identities create a ripple effect that shapes their home lives, their next loves, and their futures.
While at Brooklyn College, I have focused heavily on films with queer relationships centered around sexuality and self-exploration. The experience has helped me mature both as a writer and a director and has connected me with a number of talented filmmakers and creators in the queer space. When I am not in class or on set, I work a union job for labor unions, helping with their media and press work. I want to combine these two worlds and have them come together on screen.
WHY
I would love to see more working-class stories told in the queer space. Working-class Americans and the LGBTQ+ community are often framed as having opposing values, a perspective I hope to change. I want to show the reality of everyday working people, who are not a monolith, and add to the representation of another queer experience in an underrepresented space.
New York.
The film moves through five distinct environments
- Construction site
- Union hall
- Dive Bar
- Gordon's home
- Oscar's home
- Queer nightclub
OSCAR, a first-generation US citizen and construction worker living in Brooklyn. He is openly queer and is often a frequent face in the Brooklyn queer nightlife scene.
GORDON, an Italian-American hailing from Brooklyn. He works at the same site as Oscar. At home is husband to Angelina and father to John Paul.
ANGELINA Gordon's wife. She works as a business representative for Gordon and Oscar's union. She and her coworkers are the paid staff of the union representing workers in arbitration and grievances. She has a kind, empathetic heart.
Brooklyn College's MFA program has given us something most independent productions don't have: professional equipment and a crew. Every dollar you contribute goes straight to cast, locations, and meals.
SCHEDULE
Pre-production: June – August 2026 Casting, location scouting, crew lock, rehearsals, intimacy coordinator sessions
Principal Photography: September 2026 6 shoot days across Brooklyn locations
Post Production: October – December 2026 Picture edit, color grade, sound mix, festival deliverables
Festival Submission: Early 2027
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Bar Location
Costs $1,000
A Brooklyn bar: where our characters finally get to be soft. Covers the location fee for our day shoot.
Cast
Costs $3,800
ur actors are giving everything to this story. This covers fair pay for the trust and vulnerability they bring.
Intimacy & Fight Coordinator
Costs $300
Every intimate and physical scene is choreographed with care. This covers our intimacy and fight coordinators.
Travel & Accomodations
Costs $2,000
This will help us with a van rental, gas and other transportation expenses.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
- Isaac Reese is a queer filmmaker born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT, but now calls Brooklyn, NY home. He attended the University of Utah, earning a B.S. in International Studies with minors in political science and campaign management. He originally worked in political campaigns and politics but quickly transitioned to public relations, working with labor unions, abortion access advocates, environmental activists, and other progressive groups. He is currently pursuing his MFA in live-action filmmaking at Brooklyn College while continuing his political comms work.
- Born in Izmir, Turkey, Lal Ütün is an Istanbul-based filmmaker with a background in Psychology and Visual Arts. While doing cinematography work in various Indie short narratives, she has a background in producing. Their collaborations usually explore themes of identity, perception, and human connection. Right now, they are pursuing an MFA in Film Production in New York, United States, as a Fulbright scholar focusing on cinematography. Their hobbies include various dance styles and global cinema.
- Gigi Tamayo Boado is an Argentinian-Peruvian filmmaker and producer based in New York City. She grew up in the theater, learning early that stories don't just entertain — they shift something in the people who witness them. She holds an MFA in Film Producing from Brooklyn College and is 1/3 of Stray Tales Pictures. Gigi co-wrote Gina's Fiend, a short film that won Best Narrative and Best Screenplay at the 2018 BMCC Film Festival, and has since produced and AD'd across seven short films — building a quiet, ground-up mastery of what it takes to move a story from instinct to screen. Her projects explore race, identity, gender, and class not as topics, but as textures.
- Alex Kaufman is a Polish-American filmmaker originally from Minneapolis, MN, but has lived in Brooklyn for over a decade. Kaufman has worked on countless film and television sets but has made a career as a colorist for major production companies, most recently with Company 3. After working for several years, Kaufman decided to return to school to pursue an MFA in live-action filmmaking at Brooklyn College. He enjoys surreal and satirical films that examine the absurdities of daily life and culture.
- Katie Homer-Drummond is a New York-based writer, director, and artist originally from upstate South Carolina. They graduated from Oberlin College in 2022 with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Cinema Studies. Much of their work is in the genres of horror and surrealism, exploring themes of nature, religion, and queerness. They focus primarily on color, lighting, and texture, which they use to create rich, vibrant, though claustrophobic, worlds.