SQUEEZE
Beacon, New York | Film Short
Drama, Family
What happened when a high school wrestling coach put Tony’s autistic son on the team? Adam conquered his biggest fear, touching, and as a result transformed the culture of his high school. Inspired by this story, SQUEEZE captures the sincerity, pain and humor of this extraordinary event.
SQUEEZE
Beacon, New York | Film Short
Drama, Family
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $27,720 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
52 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
What happened when a high school wrestling coach put Tony’s autistic son on the team? Adam conquered his biggest fear, touching, and as a result transformed the culture of his high school. Inspired by this story, SQUEEZE captures the sincerity, pain and humor of this extraordinary event.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When a high school wrestling coach recruits outsider Noah, a student with autism, for his team, Noah has to face his overprotective single father and overcome his biggest fear in this film inspired by a true story.
As a single father in the 1980s, Tony raised an autistic son.
The doctors told him to make his son comfortable for a couple of years and then put him away. He couldn’t do that.
When Carrie asked Tony what turned things around for him and his son, Tony said: “An intensely fanatic high school wrestling coach who was determined to put Adam on the team.”
Adam had to conquer his fear of touching, and in the process it not only changed his life but transformed the culture of his high school.
Adam was voted the most likely to be remembered by his senior classmates.
Inspired by this story, SQUEEZE captures the sincerity, pain and humor of this extraordinary event.
SQUEEZE has the heart and humor of CODA, and the irresistible charm of the sports underdog movie, RUDY.
Like PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, SQUEEZE follows the story of a young man with a disability who wants to make a difference in the world.
SETTING
It takes place in a typical mid-Hudson Valley town in the 1990s.
THE STORY
Our story follows Noah Levy, 17, an autistic teenager armed with movie quotes and game show trivia, who refuses to face another day of the routine bullying that goes with being a "special needs" kid. His single father, Jay, uses every tactic in his arsenal to get Noah out the door. Their world is rocked when a PE teacher invites Noah to join the wrestling team. Jay insists that autistic kids don’t want to be touched, much less wrestle. Inspired by one of his favorite movies, Vision Quest, Noah defies his father and determines that wrestling will be the way to make his mark. Noah’s courage in overcoming his personal fear and the obstacles others have put in front of him not only changes his life but elevates everyone he comes in contact with.
Vision Quest
CHARACTERS
Casting has begun to find the ensemble that will make this film come alive. Here are our prototypes for our main characters:
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion have made great strides, people with disabilities are still isolated from fully participating in society.
SQUEEZE allows us to feel the struggles and victories of a neuro-divergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting and love, and will hopefully pull at your heartstrings. It is a movie that transports and entertains first but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience.
The victory in the film is not winning a match, it is staying in the fight.
When Tony raised a son, 4 in 10,000 people were diagnosed with autism. Tony and Adam had to forge a path to get Adam included so he could flourish. Tony and Carrie have spent 25 years together writing and performing plays and screenplays inspired by true events. Now they are finally ready to write about one of their own true events.
Tony has insight into the history of inclusion and the ongoing challenges for neurodivergent people. We have put together a strong team of artists and advocates to bring this inspiring story to the screen. We want to encourage people to include the nearly 2% of the population diagnosed on the spectrum, not only because it is the right thing to do but because we know it will elevate everyone in the process.
We have a full-length feature script inspired by this story with more characters and more compelling story elements. We decided to make a short to tell this moving story in an abbreviated form and to attract investors and producers who want to see the whole story come to life on screen. Once the short is made we plan to submit it to Oscar-qualifying film festivals. We have put together a team of filmmakers that will not only tell a compelling story but put their own unique spin on it to create a beautiful cinematic film with high production value. We want SQUEEZE to be completely engaging and to change how people see the world.
When we reach full funding with you being the key to that goal, we are ready to go into production. Our location has been donated by a Hudson Valley high school that is thrilled to be part of making this story come to life. The casting has begun, the team is in place, all we are waiting for is a green light. We plan to work with local wrestling groups and organizations who support the neurodivergent community and their families. We want you to be part of the community building by sharing the text below with everyone you know.
RAISING AWARENESS
- Less than 5% of children with disabilities live with a single father.
- In 1980, when Adam was born, 4 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism.
- In 2023, 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
TIMELINE & COST
We plan to film SQUEEZE in August in the Hudson Valley because we love the heat of the summer. LOL We are working with a school district to coordinate shooting in their wrestling gym and main gym when their regular students are not there which just happens to be the hottest part of the summer. So far so good. We plan to use SAG/AFTRA actors and are working with a production team and crew that are at the top of their game but love this project so much they are charging us the minimum. You can see the dollar amounts in the wishlist but here is how it breaks down by percentage:
We hope you are feeling inspired by our film, the story behind it, and the awareness it will bring. Please support us by completing one or all of the steps below:
Be our hero! Choose from the "Incentives" list (on this page above) and make a donation.
Send an email to at least five of your friends, colleagues, and even a few strangers! To make this easy, cut and paste the following:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Friend (hopefully your friend has a name),
I just became a part of the community supporting the making of "Squeeze", a short film inspired by a true story about how wrestling changed the life of a neurodivergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting and love, and will make you laugh and pull at your heartstrings. The goal is to make a movie that transports and entertains first, but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience.
I hope you will learn more about the film and support it in any way you can. Spreading the word is as important as donating. Here is the link to learn about the film and how you can help: https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Help us spread the word by posting this on social media:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi everyone! Please join me and my friends in supporting the making of "Squeeze", a short film inspired by a true story about how wrestling changed the life of a neurodivergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting, love, and will make you laugh while pulling at your heartstrings. The goal is to make a movie that transports and entertains first, but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience: https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
https://www.facebook.com/squeezethemovie
https://www.squeezethemovie.com/
PLEASE NOTE:
We are proud SAG-AFTRA members who support the strike for SAG-AFTRA and our WGA writers. We have checked with the union and our Short Project Agreement is not affected by the strike. The union will be issuing waivers to projects like ours that are not affiliated in any way with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $4,800
We have a great production team dedicated to the project and we should compensate them
Cinematography
Costs $7,100
We need a camera, right? DP can help. A gaffer would be fantastic and some equipment is super!
Talent
Costs $6,096
We are committed to working with SAG/AFTRA talent under the Short project agreement.
Art/Production Design
Costs $3,800
From the set to the poster to the whole look of the film, this is what movie making is about.
Post Production Sound and Picture
Costs $3,800
:We'll fix it in post!" We will also make the movie come alive in post.
Locations
Costs $1,000
Location, location, location! True in life and movies!
Transportation and Accommodations
Costs $1,350
If we can't get them there, we don't have a movie.
Food
Costs $2,400
A well fed cast and crew is a happy cast and crew!
Insurance and Legal Stuff
Costs $1,500
Not only does it protect everyone, it's the law.
Marketing and Festival Fees
Costs $2,200
If people don't know it's exists, they won't see it. We want this film to have impact.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR
Mike Clarke | Liverpool, UK
Armed with a camcorder, Mike Clarke was shooting short films he had also written at the age of 11. His work caught the attention of film critics and was featured in one of the largest movie magazines in the world. Since then his first full length feature A Light Through Coloured Glass, recently won over 30 festival awards for best film and best director. He is drawn to SQUEEZE through the lens of being a father of an autistic child and his love of good story telling.
WRITER
Tony Curry | Seattle, WA
Tony Curry is an award-winning actor, director and playwright. Divine Hysteria: Armageddon Outta Here, the first of his Hysteria Trilogy, was produced Off-Broadway in New York. He was the recipient of the Artist Trust Fellowship for Playwrights for Unidentified Flying Object, his solo show about raising Adam. Curry now teaches for Seattle’s Village Theater and acts as playwrighting mentor in their youth curriculum’s new works program.
"Raising Adam, was not only the biggest challenge of my life but it also gave me the greatest rewards. Adam made me believe in miracles." Tony and Adam are ready to tell their story in hopes of sharing the love and humor they have found in their life journey together.
WRITER & PRODUCER
Carrie Gibson | Beacon, NY
Carrie Gibson has founded two touring theater companies and spent much of her adult life touring original work on social issues to schools, and communities throughout the U.S. Carrie’s credits include Bones, Scream Queens, Superstore, All Rise, Hollywood, This is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, Lucifer, ACS: Impeachment, FBI: Most Wanted, a recurring role on the Netflix comedy The Politician and the must-see movie, King Richard. She has been in a number of independent films on both coasts and just recently shot a recurring role on Barry.
Having written and performed with Tony for over twenty-five years, Carrie has always been moved by Tony and Adam's positivity and strength as they encountered the many obstacles people with disabilities face in this country. They always came out stronger and in the process made whatever group they were a part of more inclusive. Carrie believes in the power of SQUEEZE to inspire empathy and inclusion.
PRODUCER
Ophir Ariel | Beacon, NY
Seasoned producer and founder of Blend Pictures, Ophir has been line producing and directing for over sixteen years. As a father himself, he was drawn to the story of the Father-Son relationship at the core of the film. He came on board to pour more light on how opportunities given to children on the spectrum early in life can have far reaching consequences. Growing up in Israel watching American wrestling added to his desire to make a film about the subject.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Elsa Rinde | Brooklyn, NY
Elsa is a Brooklyn based production and scenic designer for film and television, and is coincidentally related to one of the writers, making this her first multigenerational project.
COSTUME DESIGNER
Alicia Austin | Brooklyn, NY
Alicia is a Brooklyn based Costume Designer for Film, TV, and Theatre. aliciajaustin.com
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When a high school wrestling coach recruits outsider Noah, a student with autism, for his team, Noah has to face his overprotective single father and overcome his biggest fear in this film inspired by a true story.
As a single father in the 1980s, Tony raised an autistic son.
The doctors told him to make his son comfortable for a couple of years and then put him away. He couldn’t do that.
When Carrie asked Tony what turned things around for him and his son, Tony said: “An intensely fanatic high school wrestling coach who was determined to put Adam on the team.”
Adam had to conquer his fear of touching, and in the process it not only changed his life but transformed the culture of his high school.
Adam was voted the most likely to be remembered by his senior classmates.
Inspired by this story, SQUEEZE captures the sincerity, pain and humor of this extraordinary event.
SQUEEZE has the heart and humor of CODA, and the irresistible charm of the sports underdog movie, RUDY.
Like PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, SQUEEZE follows the story of a young man with a disability who wants to make a difference in the world.
SETTING
It takes place in a typical mid-Hudson Valley town in the 1990s.
THE STORY
Our story follows Noah Levy, 17, an autistic teenager armed with movie quotes and game show trivia, who refuses to face another day of the routine bullying that goes with being a "special needs" kid. His single father, Jay, uses every tactic in his arsenal to get Noah out the door. Their world is rocked when a PE teacher invites Noah to join the wrestling team. Jay insists that autistic kids don’t want to be touched, much less wrestle. Inspired by one of his favorite movies, Vision Quest, Noah defies his father and determines that wrestling will be the way to make his mark. Noah’s courage in overcoming his personal fear and the obstacles others have put in front of him not only changes his life but elevates everyone he comes in contact with.
Vision Quest
CHARACTERS
Casting has begun to find the ensemble that will make this film come alive. Here are our prototypes for our main characters:
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion have made great strides, people with disabilities are still isolated from fully participating in society.
SQUEEZE allows us to feel the struggles and victories of a neuro-divergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting and love, and will hopefully pull at your heartstrings. It is a movie that transports and entertains first but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience.
The victory in the film is not winning a match, it is staying in the fight.
When Tony raised a son, 4 in 10,000 people were diagnosed with autism. Tony and Adam had to forge a path to get Adam included so he could flourish. Tony and Carrie have spent 25 years together writing and performing plays and screenplays inspired by true events. Now they are finally ready to write about one of their own true events.
Tony has insight into the history of inclusion and the ongoing challenges for neurodivergent people. We have put together a strong team of artists and advocates to bring this inspiring story to the screen. We want to encourage people to include the nearly 2% of the population diagnosed on the spectrum, not only because it is the right thing to do but because we know it will elevate everyone in the process.
We have a full-length feature script inspired by this story with more characters and more compelling story elements. We decided to make a short to tell this moving story in an abbreviated form and to attract investors and producers who want to see the whole story come to life on screen. Once the short is made we plan to submit it to Oscar-qualifying film festivals. We have put together a team of filmmakers that will not only tell a compelling story but put their own unique spin on it to create a beautiful cinematic film with high production value. We want SQUEEZE to be completely engaging and to change how people see the world.
When we reach full funding with you being the key to that goal, we are ready to go into production. Our location has been donated by a Hudson Valley high school that is thrilled to be part of making this story come to life. The casting has begun, the team is in place, all we are waiting for is a green light. We plan to work with local wrestling groups and organizations who support the neurodivergent community and their families. We want you to be part of the community building by sharing the text below with everyone you know.
RAISING AWARENESS
- Less than 5% of children with disabilities live with a single father.
- In 1980, when Adam was born, 4 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism.
- In 2023, 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
TIMELINE & COST
We plan to film SQUEEZE in August in the Hudson Valley because we love the heat of the summer. LOL We are working with a school district to coordinate shooting in their wrestling gym and main gym when their regular students are not there which just happens to be the hottest part of the summer. So far so good. We plan to use SAG/AFTRA actors and are working with a production team and crew that are at the top of their game but love this project so much they are charging us the minimum. You can see the dollar amounts in the wishlist but here is how it breaks down by percentage:
We hope you are feeling inspired by our film, the story behind it, and the awareness it will bring. Please support us by completing one or all of the steps below:
Be our hero! Choose from the "Incentives" list (on this page above) and make a donation.
Send an email to at least five of your friends, colleagues, and even a few strangers! To make this easy, cut and paste the following:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Friend (hopefully your friend has a name),
I just became a part of the community supporting the making of "Squeeze", a short film inspired by a true story about how wrestling changed the life of a neurodivergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting and love, and will make you laugh and pull at your heartstrings. The goal is to make a movie that transports and entertains first, but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience.
I hope you will learn more about the film and support it in any way you can. Spreading the word is as important as donating. Here is the link to learn about the film and how you can help: https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Help us spread the word by posting this on social media:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi everyone! Please join me and my friends in supporting the making of "Squeeze", a short film inspired by a true story about how wrestling changed the life of a neurodivergent young man. It deals with courage, parenting, love, and will make you laugh while pulling at your heartstrings. The goal is to make a movie that transports and entertains first, but in a way that hopefully educates and enlightens the audience: https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
https://seedandspark.com/fund/squeeze
https://www.facebook.com/squeezethemovie
https://www.squeezethemovie.com/
PLEASE NOTE:
We are proud SAG-AFTRA members who support the strike for SAG-AFTRA and our WGA writers. We have checked with the union and our Short Project Agreement is not affected by the strike. The union will be issuing waivers to projects like ours that are not affiliated in any way with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production
Costs $4,800
We have a great production team dedicated to the project and we should compensate them
Cinematography
Costs $7,100
We need a camera, right? DP can help. A gaffer would be fantastic and some equipment is super!
Talent
Costs $6,096
We are committed to working with SAG/AFTRA talent under the Short project agreement.
Art/Production Design
Costs $3,800
From the set to the poster to the whole look of the film, this is what movie making is about.
Post Production Sound and Picture
Costs $3,800
:We'll fix it in post!" We will also make the movie come alive in post.
Locations
Costs $1,000
Location, location, location! True in life and movies!
Transportation and Accommodations
Costs $1,350
If we can't get them there, we don't have a movie.
Food
Costs $2,400
A well fed cast and crew is a happy cast and crew!
Insurance and Legal Stuff
Costs $1,500
Not only does it protect everyone, it's the law.
Marketing and Festival Fees
Costs $2,200
If people don't know it's exists, they won't see it. We want this film to have impact.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
DIRECTOR
Mike Clarke | Liverpool, UK
Armed with a camcorder, Mike Clarke was shooting short films he had also written at the age of 11. His work caught the attention of film critics and was featured in one of the largest movie magazines in the world. Since then his first full length feature A Light Through Coloured Glass, recently won over 30 festival awards for best film and best director. He is drawn to SQUEEZE through the lens of being a father of an autistic child and his love of good story telling.
WRITER
Tony Curry | Seattle, WA
Tony Curry is an award-winning actor, director and playwright. Divine Hysteria: Armageddon Outta Here, the first of his Hysteria Trilogy, was produced Off-Broadway in New York. He was the recipient of the Artist Trust Fellowship for Playwrights for Unidentified Flying Object, his solo show about raising Adam. Curry now teaches for Seattle’s Village Theater and acts as playwrighting mentor in their youth curriculum’s new works program.
"Raising Adam, was not only the biggest challenge of my life but it also gave me the greatest rewards. Adam made me believe in miracles." Tony and Adam are ready to tell their story in hopes of sharing the love and humor they have found in their life journey together.
WRITER & PRODUCER
Carrie Gibson | Beacon, NY
Carrie Gibson has founded two touring theater companies and spent much of her adult life touring original work on social issues to schools, and communities throughout the U.S. Carrie’s credits include Bones, Scream Queens, Superstore, All Rise, Hollywood, This is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, Lucifer, ACS: Impeachment, FBI: Most Wanted, a recurring role on the Netflix comedy The Politician and the must-see movie, King Richard. She has been in a number of independent films on both coasts and just recently shot a recurring role on Barry.
Having written and performed with Tony for over twenty-five years, Carrie has always been moved by Tony and Adam's positivity and strength as they encountered the many obstacles people with disabilities face in this country. They always came out stronger and in the process made whatever group they were a part of more inclusive. Carrie believes in the power of SQUEEZE to inspire empathy and inclusion.
PRODUCER
Ophir Ariel | Beacon, NY
Seasoned producer and founder of Blend Pictures, Ophir has been line producing and directing for over sixteen years. As a father himself, he was drawn to the story of the Father-Son relationship at the core of the film. He came on board to pour more light on how opportunities given to children on the spectrum early in life can have far reaching consequences. Growing up in Israel watching American wrestling added to his desire to make a film about the subject.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Elsa Rinde | Brooklyn, NY
Elsa is a Brooklyn based production and scenic designer for film and television, and is coincidentally related to one of the writers, making this her first multigenerational project.
COSTUME DESIGNER
Alicia Austin | Brooklyn, NY
Alicia is a Brooklyn based Costume Designer for Film, TV, and Theatre. aliciajaustin.com