Partners in Crush
New York City, New York | Film Short
Romantic Comedy, Comedy
You can't spell enemy without ENM (ethically non-monogomous)
Partners in Crush
New York City, New York | Film Short
Romantic Comedy, Comedy
12 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$695
Goal: $10,100 for post-production
You can't spell enemy without ENM (ethically non-monogomous)
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
) (1440 x 440 px).png)
Crushes are so fun but can spiral out of control when you're not careful. Partners In Crush is a romantic comedy exploring the intersections of crushes, friendship, and ethical non-monogamy. Samira and Jay are dating, Cameron and Britney are dating, and Britney and Jay are in an open relationship and Samira and Cameron are just friends.
It's really not as confusing as it seems but if you're not getting it just look at the pictures of the actors below for visual assistance.
When Samira and Cameron run into each other at Jay and Britney's home one night, they aren't sure if they should be shocked or excited. Finding a friend to lean on in this specifically awkward situation might make it all the more bizarre but it also creates an atmosphere for comedic moments. Samira and Cameron hide in the couple's bathroom to further discuss how they each ended up dating someone in an open relationship because one thing friends are gonna do is spill their guts to each other no matter how embarrassing it is.
In the midst of gossip, Cameron ends up revealing his feelings for Britney and Samira for Jay.
Coming face to face with this truth, Samira tries to convince Cameron of what might possibly be the worst idea she could think of on the spot: break up the couple. Worlds collide when Jay and Britney fracture the weird bathroom meeting and move the group to their living room.
Getting everyone together like this is what it feels like when you have no idea what to do with your hands for a picture.
Cameron and Samira try to keep their composure while Jay and Britney share anecdotes about their relationship. The night continues to unfold into a battle of relationship charades. Are Cameron and Samira better friends than Jay and Britney as a couple or does Cameron know some things about Britney that Jay doesn't or do Jay and Samira share some inside jokes no one is privy to?
) (1440 x 440 px)-2.png)
There's a renaissance waiting to happen to romantic comedies, especially in this age of openly exploring kinks, ethical non-monogamy, and other non-traditional relationships. While the joke is usually that this is stuff only white people engage in, it's also incredibly untrue. To exclude people of color from an experience that is actually traditionally a part of our larger cultures, is the work of colonization.
Despite what anyone's personal feelings might be about non-traditional relationships, there's no reason to center whiteness in this topic when that's already what's happening in so many other cases. And before that happens to open relationships being depicted in films, we present to you Partners in Crush, starring an all POC cast. While the crew was small, it was also mostly POC aside from a couple of ENMs (ethical non-minorities).
) (1440 x 440 px)-3.png)
The tone and mood of Partners In Crush is reminiscent of the romantic comedies we grew up with in the early 2000s. Our most basic need in entertainment is to watch friends create hijinks and fail at their schemes. This isn't just any rom-com, this is a friends to partners... in crush story.
Thanks to a scrappy team of go-getters who truly believed in this project from Day 0, the film has already been shot over the course of three days. What we are working on now is post-production, everything from editing, coloring, to sound and sound design and submitting to film festivals.
Help us reach our goal and finish our project! Everyone on the team is so great and has volunteered their time to make this film come to fruition and it would be great to pay each cast and crew member what they deserve.
) (1440 x 440 px)-4.png)
If you are loving the idea of Partners In Crush but cannot aid us monetarily, please check out the other ways you can help!
- Follow us on Instagram (@partnersincrush)
- Share our Seed & Spark on your social media as this can help our outreach
- Follow our Seed & Spark - keep up on updates for the film and help us reach some milestones on here!
Thank you so much for your support and don't forget to send this to your crush!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Festival Submissions
Costs $1,500
Submissions cost money and this would help us get our film out there!
Cast & Crew
Costs $4,000
The cast & crew generously volunteered their time to make this film. We would love to pay them!
Festival Travel
Costs $3,000
Help the cast and crew travel to the film festivals to spread the word about our film and ENM (jk)
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Team
Zubi Ahmed - Zubi Ahmed is a Bangladeshi-American writer, comedian, and filmmaker from New York City. Short in height and temper, Zubi is most aptly described as a homicidal softy on stage and in real life. She effortlessly connects to audiences from all walks of life with her relatable and belligerent humor. As a filmmaker, Zubi was the recipient of the BBC Diversity Scholarship for her short film Rupali V. Society, and her web-series, Polterheist, was selected to screen at South Asian Film Festival of America and NY Lift-Off Film Fest. She also wrote Partners in Crush and is starring in the short film as Samirah.
Amamah Sardar - dynamic stand-up comedian, actress, writer, and producer thriving in New York City. As the co-writer and star of the critically acclaimed series Girls Aren’t Funny, which won Best Pilot at the Laugh After Dark Festival and Best Writer at SeriesFest, she’s making waves in the industry. Her sharp, witty writing has graced the pages of McSweeney’s, Flexx Magazine, and Little Old Lady Comedy. She is the producer of Partners in Crush and is playing the role of Britney.
Ellis Flurry - Ellis is a prolific writer and director based in Brooklyn. He has previously written and directed his web-series HBO Girls But Boys which you can watch on a phone or tablet n
earest you.
Tyler Cino Maradiaga - Tyler (they/he) is a Nicaraguan-American filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in a deep commitment to social justice that began during their undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, Tyler brings nearly a decade of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion to their artistic practice. They earned an M.A. in Film Directing from the Feirstein graduate school of cinema at Brooklyn College, where they honed an exciting cinematic voice that blends drama, comedy, and the fantastical. through this lens, Tyler crafts stories that delve into identity, community, and the complexities of social change.
The Crew
The Cast
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Crushes are so fun but can spiral out of control when you're not careful. Partners In Crush is a romantic comedy exploring the intersections of crushes, friendship, and ethical non-monogamy. Samira and Jay are dating, Cameron and Britney are dating, and Britney and Jay are in an open relationship and Samira and Cameron are just friends.
It's really not as confusing as it seems but if you're not getting it just look at the pictures of the actors below for visual assistance.
When Samira and Cameron run into each other at Jay and Britney's home one night, they aren't sure if they should be shocked or excited. Finding a friend to lean on in this specifically awkward situation might make it all the more bizarre but it also creates an atmosphere for comedic moments. Samira and Cameron hide in the couple's bathroom to further discuss how they each ended up dating someone in an open relationship because one thing friends are gonna do is spill their guts to each other no matter how embarrassing it is.
In the midst of gossip, Cameron ends up revealing his feelings for Britney and Samira for Jay.
Coming face to face with this truth, Samira tries to convince Cameron of what might possibly be the worst idea she could think of on the spot: break up the couple. Worlds collide when Jay and Britney fracture the weird bathroom meeting and move the group to their living room.
Getting everyone together like this is what it feels like when you have no idea what to do with your hands for a picture.
Cameron and Samira try to keep their composure while Jay and Britney share anecdotes about their relationship. The night continues to unfold into a battle of relationship charades. Are Cameron and Samira better friends than Jay and Britney as a couple or does Cameron know some things about Britney that Jay doesn't or do Jay and Samira share some inside jokes no one is privy to?
There's a renaissance waiting to happen to romantic comedies, especially in this age of openly exploring kinks, ethical non-monogamy, and other non-traditional relationships. While the joke is usually that this is stuff only white people engage in, it's also incredibly untrue. To exclude people of color from an experience that is actually traditionally a part of our larger cultures, is the work of colonization.
Despite what anyone's personal feelings might be about non-traditional relationships, there's no reason to center whiteness in this topic when that's already what's happening in so many other cases. And before that happens to open relationships being depicted in films, we present to you Partners in Crush, starring an all POC cast. While the crew was small, it was also mostly POC aside from a couple of ENMs (ethical non-minorities).
The tone and mood of Partners In Crush is reminiscent of the romantic comedies we grew up with in the early 2000s. Our most basic need in entertainment is to watch friends create hijinks and fail at their schemes. This isn't just any rom-com, this is a friends to partners... in crush story.
Thanks to a scrappy team of go-getters who truly believed in this project from Day 0, the film has already been shot over the course of three days. What we are working on now is post-production, everything from editing, coloring, to sound and sound design and submitting to film festivals.
Help us reach our goal and finish our project! Everyone on the team is so great and has volunteered their time to make this film come to fruition and it would be great to pay each cast and crew member what they deserve.
If you are loving the idea of Partners In Crush but cannot aid us monetarily, please check out the other ways you can help!
- Follow us on Instagram (@partnersincrush)
- Share our Seed & Spark on your social media as this can help our outreach
- Follow our Seed & Spark - keep up on updates for the film and help us reach some milestones on here!
Thank you so much for your support and don't forget to send this to your crush!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Festival Submissions
Costs $1,500
Submissions cost money and this would help us get our film out there!
Cast & Crew
Costs $4,000
The cast & crew generously volunteered their time to make this film. We would love to pay them!
Festival Travel
Costs $3,000
Help the cast and crew travel to the film festivals to spread the word about our film and ENM (jk)
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the Team
Zubi Ahmed - Zubi Ahmed is a Bangladeshi-American writer, comedian, and filmmaker from New York City. Short in height and temper, Zubi is most aptly described as a homicidal softy on stage and in real life. She effortlessly connects to audiences from all walks of life with her relatable and belligerent humor. As a filmmaker, Zubi was the recipient of the BBC Diversity Scholarship for her short film Rupali V. Society, and her web-series, Polterheist, was selected to screen at South Asian Film Festival of America and NY Lift-Off Film Fest. She also wrote Partners in Crush and is starring in the short film as Samirah.
Amamah Sardar - dynamic stand-up comedian, actress, writer, and producer thriving in New York City. As the co-writer and star of the critically acclaimed series Girls Aren’t Funny, which won Best Pilot at the Laugh After Dark Festival and Best Writer at SeriesFest, she’s making waves in the industry. Her sharp, witty writing has graced the pages of McSweeney’s, Flexx Magazine, and Little Old Lady Comedy. She is the producer of Partners in Crush and is playing the role of Britney.
Ellis Flurry - Ellis is a prolific writer and director based in Brooklyn. He has previously written and directed his web-series HBO Girls But Boys which you can watch on a phone or tablet n
earest you.
Tyler Cino Maradiaga - Tyler (they/he) is a Nicaraguan-American filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in a deep commitment to social justice that began during their undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, Tyler brings nearly a decade of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion to their artistic practice. They earned an M.A. in Film Directing from the Feirstein graduate school of cinema at Brooklyn College, where they honed an exciting cinematic voice that blends drama, comedy, and the fantastical. through this lens, Tyler crafts stories that delve into identity, community, and the complexities of social change.
The Crew
The Cast