Cosquillas
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
Our film is a hyper-realistic, stylistic look at two things Latin men are notorious for ignoring: anxiety & failure. We want to create this film to send a clear message to all men; it is okay to not be okay.
Cosquillas
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Comedy
2 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,270 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
43 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Our film is a hyper-realistic, stylistic look at two things Latin men are notorious for ignoring: anxiety & failure. We want to create this film to send a clear message to all men; it is okay to not be okay.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Everything has seemed to have gone wrong in Gio’s life. He and his longtime girlfriend broke up 1 year after having a child. He has no friends. His job laid him off. He’s been out of serious income for months. His apartment is falling apart and he faces eviction in just a few weeks. He is completely & utterly depressed.
Now, Gio must find out how to salvage the most important aspects of his life and hopefully, start anew. He hopes to find this new beginning with a new, unlikely survival job.
What started as a silly comedy bit with a friend became a story I found I was itching to tell. I wanted to find a way to grab this simple concept and tell the story of a man who is truly struggling. One who is suffering to keep his head straight & temperament cool. As men, I find that we often refuse to talk about our internal issues, we just dive into work or hobbies to avoid the conversation. In my experience, that sentiment goes double for the Latine community.
Growing up, I felt as though many extended family members or friends would often dismiss mental health struggles as non-existent. Any struggles were automatically viewed as failures or created due to a lack of work ethic. So in having this self-reflection, I found Gio; a man who has blamed himself for all of life’s misfortunes. A man who has ignored his loved ones because he cannot accept help. A man who has tried to dive into shitty job after shitty job just to keep his mind off of his biggest issue — himself.
I hope audiences can watch this and see themselves in this character while also seeing that sometimes, if we allow it, even the smallest things can make us smile. Even the smallest amount of vulnerability can change the course of our life.
We want the character to be the central focus of this film. The goal is to make sure that we fully buy into his perspective on the world by highlighting all of the extremes he is going through mentally. To do this, we plan on using intense wides & very intense closeups that keep the audience on edge and engaged. Presented in black & white and primarily told in long one-shots, we hope that the film will lean on its core message & meticulously detailed shots to carefully tell this story.
Adjacent Film Styles
•Roma
•Better Call Saul
•Beau is Afraid
•The French Dispatch
•Asteroid City
Upon completion of our 4-day shoot, we will dive right into the post-production process! This will consist of editing, coloring, foley, sound-mixing, and scoring. We aim to have all these steps complete by the end of 2023, so that we can begin work on festival submissions in January!
We will submit "Cosquillas" to a number of festivals- great and small. Among some of the wider-known festivals on our list are Tribeca, Sundance, Telluride, Slamdance, and TIFF. Following its festival run, we hope to find our film a home on a free online streaming platform, so everyone has the opportunity to watch and share.
We would sincerely appreciate any amount donated to our campaign! Every dollar we raise will help our film so much and will continue to help foster more creative ides and projects at CK Films.
If you cannot donate -- we totally understand! We would still appreciate your support with a follow on social media and with sharing our campaign!
Follow the film at @CKFilmsNY or learn more about CK Films at ckproductionsnewyork.com/film
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Camera, Lenses & Attachments
Costs $1,125
Looking to get our hands on a few pieces of camera gear including a RED camera.
Partial Crew Payment
Costs $2,300
We have a 15-person production crew and want to make sure that they are compensated PROPERLY for their time! They are the heart of the film.
Subway Film Set
Costs $1,575
A partial sum for one of our most vital locations.
Share this update!
About This Team
ETHAN FELIZZARI-CASTILLO - DIRECTOR/WRITER
Felizzari-Castillo is a director, writer & producer in New York. He has worked in many projects ranging from theatrical ventures to film to music. Ethan founded CK Productions Inc., a production company, in December of 2013. He has since produced over 80 music videos, 10 films, commercial content and over 100 live events/theatrical productions. Film Credits: La Sangre en Nuestras Venas (Short), ABUELO (Short), Santi (Short), Wild Minds Never Learn (Short) & more. Theatre (Regional): Backyard / Desert - World Premiere (Prod./Dir.), columbinus (Prod./Dir.), The Great Gatsby (Prod./Dir.), Turkey Go on Strike (Prod./Dir./Writer) & more. His love & passion for the arts & telling the stories of the voiceless has led him to create some very unique work & ideas. Ethan is proudly producing “Cosquillas” alongside his staff at his production company, CK Productions Inc., and their branch CK Films.
Learn more about CK Films at ckproductionsnewyork.com/films
GIL PEREZ-ABRAHAM - GIO (Principal Actor)
Gil Perez-Abraham is a Venezuelan-American actor of Spanish, Lebanese, and Dutch descent. After immigrating from Venezuela, his parents moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he was born and raised. Growing up, his family relocated to Wichita, Kansas where he lived until settling down in Union City, New Jersey. He attended the William Esper Studio on a full scholarship and recently starred in The Batman as Officer Martinez.
ROSIE DEAN - PRODUCER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Rosie Dean is an actor, producer and multi-hyphenate creative. She has most recently appeared on screen in “Night Drive” (CK Films), “The Glass” (Underhill Productions) and “The Last Christmas Party” (City Bear Movies.) Behind the scenes Rosie is producing a number of exciting projects, directing music videos and writing her first feature film! She is beyond excited to be on the team of Cosquillas and can’t wait to get plans into motion.
RYAN ANDERSON - PRODUCER
Ryan Anderson is a writer and producer for CK Films.
ADAM DEL VALLE - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Adam Del Valle (aka ÖZÑ VALLE) is a 21 year old Latino-American writer, fundraiser, recording artist, graphic designer & producer based in New York City. Since founding the NYC based creative collective, known as FLESH in 2020, Adam and his partners have worked together on various projects ranging from fashion, music and most recently film. Drawing inspiration from various genres of music, cinema, literature and life in the city that never sleeps, Adam seeks to honor the art that has made him who he is by bringing his unique perspective to the mediums that shape our culture.
PETER WILLIAM-JAMIESON - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Based in New York city, Peter originally hails from Sydney, Australia where for the past 13 years he has been working in a multitude of theater, television and film projects, whether it's being credited as an actor, director or an award winning writer for the stage and screen. His most recent artistic venture saw him start his own production company Street Kid Collective which produced Peter's critically acclaimed one man show Borderless which will be making it's US premiere in New York city in the summer of 2023. This piece gathered a Semi-Finalist place (3rd overall) at the International Script and Storyboard Showcase for Best New Stage Play in 2020 and was shortlisted for the 2020 Rodney Seaborn Playwrighting Award. His short film Evening Caller successfully won a selection as best screenplay in the Los Angeles International Film Festival and a Semi-Finalist place in the International New York Screenplay Awards. In addition to this he was put forward for a nomination to the 2020 AACTA / AFI Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the Australian Indie feature Bloodshot Heart.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
CK FILMS (A CK Productions Company) - Est. 2015. New York Based, award-winning production company. https://ckproductionsnewyork.com/film
STREET KID COLLECTIVE - Australia/New York-based production company producing theatre & film.
FLESH - A creative collective founded by Adam Del Valle that focuses on all things music, art and most recently, film.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Everything has seemed to have gone wrong in Gio’s life. He and his longtime girlfriend broke up 1 year after having a child. He has no friends. His job laid him off. He’s been out of serious income for months. His apartment is falling apart and he faces eviction in just a few weeks. He is completely & utterly depressed.
Now, Gio must find out how to salvage the most important aspects of his life and hopefully, start anew. He hopes to find this new beginning with a new, unlikely survival job.
What started as a silly comedy bit with a friend became a story I found I was itching to tell. I wanted to find a way to grab this simple concept and tell the story of a man who is truly struggling. One who is suffering to keep his head straight & temperament cool. As men, I find that we often refuse to talk about our internal issues, we just dive into work or hobbies to avoid the conversation. In my experience, that sentiment goes double for the Latine community.
Growing up, I felt as though many extended family members or friends would often dismiss mental health struggles as non-existent. Any struggles were automatically viewed as failures or created due to a lack of work ethic. So in having this self-reflection, I found Gio; a man who has blamed himself for all of life’s misfortunes. A man who has ignored his loved ones because he cannot accept help. A man who has tried to dive into shitty job after shitty job just to keep his mind off of his biggest issue — himself.
I hope audiences can watch this and see themselves in this character while also seeing that sometimes, if we allow it, even the smallest things can make us smile. Even the smallest amount of vulnerability can change the course of our life.
We want the character to be the central focus of this film. The goal is to make sure that we fully buy into his perspective on the world by highlighting all of the extremes he is going through mentally. To do this, we plan on using intense wides & very intense closeups that keep the audience on edge and engaged. Presented in black & white and primarily told in long one-shots, we hope that the film will lean on its core message & meticulously detailed shots to carefully tell this story.
Adjacent Film Styles
•Roma
•Better Call Saul
•Beau is Afraid
•The French Dispatch
•Asteroid City
Upon completion of our 4-day shoot, we will dive right into the post-production process! This will consist of editing, coloring, foley, sound-mixing, and scoring. We aim to have all these steps complete by the end of 2023, so that we can begin work on festival submissions in January!
We will submit "Cosquillas" to a number of festivals- great and small. Among some of the wider-known festivals on our list are Tribeca, Sundance, Telluride, Slamdance, and TIFF. Following its festival run, we hope to find our film a home on a free online streaming platform, so everyone has the opportunity to watch and share.
We would sincerely appreciate any amount donated to our campaign! Every dollar we raise will help our film so much and will continue to help foster more creative ides and projects at CK Films.
If you cannot donate -- we totally understand! We would still appreciate your support with a follow on social media and with sharing our campaign!
Follow the film at @CKFilmsNY or learn more about CK Films at ckproductionsnewyork.com/film
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Camera, Lenses & Attachments
Costs $1,125
Looking to get our hands on a few pieces of camera gear including a RED camera.
Partial Crew Payment
Costs $2,300
We have a 15-person production crew and want to make sure that they are compensated PROPERLY for their time! They are the heart of the film.
Subway Film Set
Costs $1,575
A partial sum for one of our most vital locations.
Share this update!
About This Team
ETHAN FELIZZARI-CASTILLO - DIRECTOR/WRITER
Felizzari-Castillo is a director, writer & producer in New York. He has worked in many projects ranging from theatrical ventures to film to music. Ethan founded CK Productions Inc., a production company, in December of 2013. He has since produced over 80 music videos, 10 films, commercial content and over 100 live events/theatrical productions. Film Credits: La Sangre en Nuestras Venas (Short), ABUELO (Short), Santi (Short), Wild Minds Never Learn (Short) & more. Theatre (Regional): Backyard / Desert - World Premiere (Prod./Dir.), columbinus (Prod./Dir.), The Great Gatsby (Prod./Dir.), Turkey Go on Strike (Prod./Dir./Writer) & more. His love & passion for the arts & telling the stories of the voiceless has led him to create some very unique work & ideas. Ethan is proudly producing “Cosquillas” alongside his staff at his production company, CK Productions Inc., and their branch CK Films.
Learn more about CK Films at ckproductionsnewyork.com/films
GIL PEREZ-ABRAHAM - GIO (Principal Actor)
Gil Perez-Abraham is a Venezuelan-American actor of Spanish, Lebanese, and Dutch descent. After immigrating from Venezuela, his parents moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he was born and raised. Growing up, his family relocated to Wichita, Kansas where he lived until settling down in Union City, New Jersey. He attended the William Esper Studio on a full scholarship and recently starred in The Batman as Officer Martinez.
ROSIE DEAN - PRODUCER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Rosie Dean is an actor, producer and multi-hyphenate creative. She has most recently appeared on screen in “Night Drive” (CK Films), “The Glass” (Underhill Productions) and “The Last Christmas Party” (City Bear Movies.) Behind the scenes Rosie is producing a number of exciting projects, directing music videos and writing her first feature film! She is beyond excited to be on the team of Cosquillas and can’t wait to get plans into motion.
RYAN ANDERSON - PRODUCER
Ryan Anderson is a writer and producer for CK Films.
ADAM DEL VALLE - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Adam Del Valle (aka ÖZÑ VALLE) is a 21 year old Latino-American writer, fundraiser, recording artist, graphic designer & producer based in New York City. Since founding the NYC based creative collective, known as FLESH in 2020, Adam and his partners have worked together on various projects ranging from fashion, music and most recently film. Drawing inspiration from various genres of music, cinema, literature and life in the city that never sleeps, Adam seeks to honor the art that has made him who he is by bringing his unique perspective to the mediums that shape our culture.
PETER WILLIAM-JAMIESON - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Based in New York city, Peter originally hails from Sydney, Australia where for the past 13 years he has been working in a multitude of theater, television and film projects, whether it's being credited as an actor, director or an award winning writer for the stage and screen. His most recent artistic venture saw him start his own production company Street Kid Collective which produced Peter's critically acclaimed one man show Borderless which will be making it's US premiere in New York city in the summer of 2023. This piece gathered a Semi-Finalist place (3rd overall) at the International Script and Storyboard Showcase for Best New Stage Play in 2020 and was shortlisted for the 2020 Rodney Seaborn Playwrighting Award. His short film Evening Caller successfully won a selection as best screenplay in the Los Angeles International Film Festival and a Semi-Finalist place in the International New York Screenplay Awards. In addition to this he was put forward for a nomination to the 2020 AACTA / AFI Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the Australian Indie feature Bloodshot Heart.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
CK FILMS (A CK Productions Company) - Est. 2015. New York Based, award-winning production company. https://ckproductionsnewyork.com/film
STREET KID COLLECTIVE - Australia/New York-based production company producing theatre & film.
FLESH - A creative collective founded by Adam Del Valle that focuses on all things music, art and most recently, film.