Julie Takes a Walk
Tulsa, Oklahoma | Film Short
Comedy, Romantic Comedy
Julie Takes a Walk utilizes romantic, situational comedy to explore the complexities of being queer, Native, and adopted. This short film allows for a Native and queer crew to tell an authentic story about paving one's own path and falling in love.
Julie Takes a Walk
Tulsa, Oklahoma | Film Short
Comedy, Romantic Comedy
1 Campaigns | Oklahoma, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $10,200 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
100 supporters | followers
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Julie Takes a Walk utilizes romantic, situational comedy to explore the complexities of being queer, Native, and adopted. This short film allows for a Native and queer crew to tell an authentic story about paving one's own path and falling in love.
In Partnership With
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
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Julie's life choices have been dictated by her large Italian American family. This all changes when she is told just moments before her own wedding that she is adopted. Confused and shocked, she runs away and follows the only clue she has to a small town on the other side of Oklahoma.
That's where Julie meets the stoic yet secretly sweet Cass, a Native bartender who would rather be reading or fixing up an old car than in any sort of social setting. They both can feel the instant chemistry which only furthers the identity crisis Julie is having.
Should Julie stick around and see this potential spark through or return to the family who has always made decisions around her life for her?
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The short film is inspired by the silliness of 1990s romantic comedies like Runaway Bride, the queer classics like Desert Hearts and Bound, and the Native authenticity of Fancy Dance.
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We want to show queer and Native characters through a lens overwhelmed with nostalgic Americana. Despite our stories with this sort of background not often told, queer and Native people exist and have existed in this setting for quite some time.
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Siyo, I’m Cherokee comedian and writer Shea Vassar. I created Julie Takes a Walk to explore the complexities of being Native, queer, adopted, and raised outside of my culture.
While both the Native and queer people have so many stories to tell, too often our communities are only allowed to talk about our experiences through a traumatic lens. Yes, trauma is real but I also believe that joy is radical and finding the humor in our stories also brings about a path to healing. That is my personal motivation to make this short film happen! Weird stuff happens to us! We fall in love! We have weird families! And we laugh! A LOT! Also! Enjoy this picture of me as an awkward kid!
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For the Julie Takes a Walk team to make this film, we need your support in spreading the word!
Even if you cannot financially support, sharing with your community, networks, or on social media really can make the difference.
And make sure to follow our Instagram: @julietakesawalk.
This is where you can find out more about the project, the team, and so much more.
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs $1,000
Food is vital to keeping this cast and crew going. We would love if you'd buy us dinner (and breakfast and lunch!)
Locations
Costs $800
Our story depends on the Oklahoma setting. Help us bring this film to life with locations!
Cast Pay
Costs $1,000
Our actors bring this story to life. We want to pay everyone on our team what they deserve.
Crew Pay
Costs $2,000
Our crew works hard and they deserve to be rightfully compensated.
Costumes
Costs $500
Among other outfits, we need a retro wedding dress for our Julie. Help us out with that?
Lodging
Costs $1,000
A place to rest and recharge between shoot days is vital for our team. We will be staying in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Post Production
Costs $3,700
Post Production is a vital part of the filmmaking process. Help us put our film together!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Shea Vassar (she/they)
Shea Vassar is a writer and comedian currently based between Brooklyn and Oklahoma. She dabbles in various creative mediums which utilize existentialism to look at Indigenous diaspora, connection to land, generational trauma, and the irony of being alive. Shea is a 2024 Sundance Native Labs Artist in Residence and currently produces live shows with Howdy Cat Comedy, her comedy production company.
Julie Takes a Walk originates from Shea's head. She will be working on this project as a producer and writer.
Anpa'o Locke (she/her)
Anpa'o Locke is an Afro-Indigenous writer, filmmaker, and curator who is Húŋkpapȟa Lakota and Ahtna Dené (Village of Tazlina), born in the Standing Rock Nation and now residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Anpa'o was a 2023 Native Lab Fellow and a 2022 Full Circle Fellow at the Sundance Institute. She holds a degree in Film Studies from Mount Holyoke College, where she developed a love for 35mm, Super 8, and 16mm. Her notable work includes curating Imagining Indigenous Cinema at the UCLA Film & Television Archives in 2023, a groundbreaking film series that highlighted over 40 films by US-based Indigenous artists in the post-Standing Rock era. Her upcoming short film Kawá was developed at the Sundance Native Labs.
She will be working on this project as a producer.
Shayna Mayci Warner (they/them)
Shayna Mayci Warner is a GLAAD Rising Star-awarded Brooklyn- based writer and film programmer who is obsessed with television. Their words on queer films, shows, and feelings have appeared in Paste magazine, The Film Stage, Women and Hollywood, and Autostraddle, among other publications, and they have contributed to festival programming at NewFest, Outfest, Tribeca, and Nitehawk Cinema. Their debut book The Rainbow Age of Television is a survey of over seventy years of broadcasting that tracks the history and evolution of queer icons across the televised ages and into the future of streaming, and "[makes] for a genuine page-turner chronicling American LGBTQIA+ TV." (Sav Rodgers, filmmaker and founder of the Transgender Film Center).
They will be working on this project as a producer.
Francesca Pedersen (she/her)
Frankie Pedersen (Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation) is a director, performer, and teaching artist. Born and raised in New York City, she earned her BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago with a concentration in directing and a minor in digital cinema production. Frankie was recently named a Walder Foundation Virtual Commissioned Artist grantee and currently serves as a United National Indian Tribal Youth 25 Under 25 Awardee and Safe Harbors NYC 2021 Native Directors Lab Inductee. Her work has been seen at DePaul University, Chicago Fringe Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Southern Repertory Theatre, and NOLA Playhouse. In her free time, she enjoys supporting Native youth, singing on the drum, and playing rugby.
She will be working on this project as the on-set director.
Kendall Davis (she/her)
Kendall Davis is a NYC-based writer, comedian, and producer. She is the cohost of the bi-weekly Hot Mic Comedy show in Manhattan. Her show Discount Disco ran at the 2023 Boom Chicago Comedy Festival in Amsterdam and at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Kendall is a recipient of Netflix’s Native American Writer Accelerator Grant.
Kendall will be portraying the titular role 'Julie'.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Julie's life choices have been dictated by her large Italian American family. This all changes when she is told just moments before her own wedding that she is adopted. Confused and shocked, she runs away and follows the only clue she has to a small town on the other side of Oklahoma.
That's where Julie meets the stoic yet secretly sweet Cass, a Native bartender who would rather be reading or fixing up an old car than in any sort of social setting. They both can feel the instant chemistry which only furthers the identity crisis Julie is having.
Should Julie stick around and see this potential spark through or return to the family who has always made decisions around her life for her?
The short film is inspired by the silliness of 1990s romantic comedies like Runaway Bride, the queer classics like Desert Hearts and Bound, and the Native authenticity of Fancy Dance.
We want to show queer and Native characters through a lens overwhelmed with nostalgic Americana. Despite our stories with this sort of background not often told, queer and Native people exist and have existed in this setting for quite some time.
Siyo, I’m Cherokee comedian and writer Shea Vassar. I created Julie Takes a Walk to explore the complexities of being Native, queer, adopted, and raised outside of my culture.
While both the Native and queer people have so many stories to tell, too often our communities are only allowed to talk about our experiences through a traumatic lens. Yes, trauma is real but I also believe that joy is radical and finding the humor in our stories also brings about a path to healing. That is my personal motivation to make this short film happen! Weird stuff happens to us! We fall in love! We have weird families! And we laugh! A LOT! Also! Enjoy this picture of me as an awkward kid!
For the Julie Takes a Walk team to make this film, we need your support in spreading the word!
Even if you cannot financially support, sharing with your community, networks, or on social media really can make the difference.
And make sure to follow our Instagram: @julietakesawalk.
This is where you can find out more about the project, the team, and so much more.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering
Costs $1,000
Food is vital to keeping this cast and crew going. We would love if you'd buy us dinner (and breakfast and lunch!)
Locations
Costs $800
Our story depends on the Oklahoma setting. Help us bring this film to life with locations!
Cast Pay
Costs $1,000
Our actors bring this story to life. We want to pay everyone on our team what they deserve.
Crew Pay
Costs $2,000
Our crew works hard and they deserve to be rightfully compensated.
Costumes
Costs $500
Among other outfits, we need a retro wedding dress for our Julie. Help us out with that?
Lodging
Costs $1,000
A place to rest and recharge between shoot days is vital for our team. We will be staying in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Post Production
Costs $3,700
Post Production is a vital part of the filmmaking process. Help us put our film together!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Shea Vassar (she/they)
Shea Vassar is a writer and comedian currently based between Brooklyn and Oklahoma. She dabbles in various creative mediums which utilize existentialism to look at Indigenous diaspora, connection to land, generational trauma, and the irony of being alive. Shea is a 2024 Sundance Native Labs Artist in Residence and currently produces live shows with Howdy Cat Comedy, her comedy production company.
Julie Takes a Walk originates from Shea's head. She will be working on this project as a producer and writer.
Anpa'o Locke (she/her)
Anpa'o Locke is an Afro-Indigenous writer, filmmaker, and curator who is Húŋkpapȟa Lakota and Ahtna Dené (Village of Tazlina), born in the Standing Rock Nation and now residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Anpa'o was a 2023 Native Lab Fellow and a 2022 Full Circle Fellow at the Sundance Institute. She holds a degree in Film Studies from Mount Holyoke College, where she developed a love for 35mm, Super 8, and 16mm. Her notable work includes curating Imagining Indigenous Cinema at the UCLA Film & Television Archives in 2023, a groundbreaking film series that highlighted over 40 films by US-based Indigenous artists in the post-Standing Rock era. Her upcoming short film Kawá was developed at the Sundance Native Labs.
She will be working on this project as a producer.
Shayna Mayci Warner (they/them)
Shayna Mayci Warner is a GLAAD Rising Star-awarded Brooklyn- based writer and film programmer who is obsessed with television. Their words on queer films, shows, and feelings have appeared in Paste magazine, The Film Stage, Women and Hollywood, and Autostraddle, among other publications, and they have contributed to festival programming at NewFest, Outfest, Tribeca, and Nitehawk Cinema. Their debut book The Rainbow Age of Television is a survey of over seventy years of broadcasting that tracks the history and evolution of queer icons across the televised ages and into the future of streaming, and "[makes] for a genuine page-turner chronicling American LGBTQIA+ TV." (Sav Rodgers, filmmaker and founder of the Transgender Film Center).
They will be working on this project as a producer.
Francesca Pedersen (she/her)
Frankie Pedersen (Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation) is a director, performer, and teaching artist. Born and raised in New York City, she earned her BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago with a concentration in directing and a minor in digital cinema production. Frankie was recently named a Walder Foundation Virtual Commissioned Artist grantee and currently serves as a United National Indian Tribal Youth 25 Under 25 Awardee and Safe Harbors NYC 2021 Native Directors Lab Inductee. Her work has been seen at DePaul University, Chicago Fringe Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Southern Repertory Theatre, and NOLA Playhouse. In her free time, she enjoys supporting Native youth, singing on the drum, and playing rugby.
She will be working on this project as the on-set director.
Kendall Davis (she/her)
Kendall Davis is a NYC-based writer, comedian, and producer. She is the cohost of the bi-weekly Hot Mic Comedy show in Manhattan. Her show Discount Disco ran at the 2023 Boom Chicago Comedy Festival in Amsterdam and at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Kendall is a recipient of Netflix’s Native American Writer Accelerator Grant.
Kendall will be portraying the titular role 'Julie'.