The Foot Longing
Palm Springs, California | Film Feature
Comedy, LGBTQ
When a closeted foot-fetishist loses both his husband and his longtime job as a shoe salesman, he plunges into hilariously awkward ‘foot longing’ dates and a wild Palm Springs adventure, only to discover that true acceptance (and love) can only come from embracing every part of who he is.
The Foot Longing
Palm Springs, California | Film Feature
Comedy, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $43,055 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
154 supporters | followers
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When a closeted foot-fetishist loses both his husband and his longtime job as a shoe salesman, he plunges into hilariously awkward ‘foot longing’ dates and a wild Palm Springs adventure, only to discover that true acceptance (and love) can only come from embracing every part of who he is.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Foot Longing is an independent feature film fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, a 501(c)(3), which means any donation for this crowdfunder can be tax-deductible.
Great! But... what's the film actually about?
What if the guy with a foot fetish isn’t a punchline…
But a widower learning how to feel again?
What if he’s bisexual, and instead of being punished for it, he gets to be messy, funny, sexy, and fully alive?
And what if his best friend, who happens to use a wheelchair, is the most emotionally grounded person in his life… and genuinely doesn’t think his disability is a big deal?
A little more about this comedy feature film:
When Chris, a meticulous shoe store salesman, loses both his longtime husband and his job, his carefully ordered life is tossed heels over head.
As he struggles through grief, his long-buried fascination with feet (what he calls his “foot longing”) begins tiptoeing into the foreground.
Chris’ best friend Greg, a disabled gay man who’s no stranger to fetishists drawn to his wheelchair, pushes him to step into his fantasies and finally hop over his shame.
What follows?
A mystical relationship guru.
A peanut-oil disaster.
A leather pool party in Palm Springs where vodka and vulnerability mix a little too easily.
At its core, this is a story about a man who has to fall apart before he can truly feel again.
Through the chaos, Chris must shed his shame, embrace his desires, and discover that true acceptance, from others and himself, might just start from the feet up.
Why Are We Making This Film?
The Foot Longing began with a simple challenge.
A friend who runs a film festival once said that for indie filmmakers, the same question always comes up: Who is your audience? He said that someone should make a rom-com about a foot fetish: after all, it’s the most common fetish in the world.
That idea stuck. Partly because it was smart.
And partly because… I like feet.
But more importantly, I didn’t want to see yet another character with a foot fetish who’s defined solely by it: creepy, flat, or played for cheap laughs.
A huge Star Wars fan, I read a book that inspired George Lucas: The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell. What if that journey that inspired an entire universe could be pared down to one of self-acceptance?
As I started writing, I dug uncomfortably deeper: intersecting with what was already present in my life: grief, friendship, desire, and the question of how you learn to feel again after loss.
At its core, The Foot Longing is about reclaiming the parts of yourself you’ve been taught to hide: told through comedy, warmth, and characters who are allowed to be flawed, funny, and fully human.
That’s why we’re making this film.
-Chris McNeany
How this campaign moves the film forward (the promise)
Our campaign goal is $48,950, which is about 21% of our total budget of $231,650.
If we reach our goal, your funds will help towards paying for:
- Cast & crew payroll (including legally compliant payroll processing)
- Production gear (camera/lighting packages + sound essentials)
- Locations + permits + insurance
- Wheelchair accessibility for Greg (on-set access needs)
- Digital storage & data management
- Wardrobe
- Craft services (feeding cast/crew)
In short: this money directly supports the work of making the movie—people, places, and production infrastructure.
PLEASE NOTE:
For this campaign, AI was used to generate images for the story section, wishlist, and incentives. AI will not be used in the production of this film. We just used AI as a tool to create more specific images of what we are aiming for in the campaign.
The Foot Longing is a fiscally sponsored project of Film Independent, a non-profit independent media arts organization. Film Independent will receive grants for the charitable purposes of The Foot Longing, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Foot Longing must be made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $8,250
We've cast both SAG as well as Non-Union Actors. For this we need to get a SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement and pay our actors fairly.
Accessibility Needs
Costs $2,600
Ensure wheelchair accessibility for producer/actor Greg Boaldin: helping us create an inclusive set.
Production Staff
Costs $18,700
Just like the cast, we'd like to pay our crew a fair rate. This includes: Line Producer, PAs, Cinematographer, Grips, Script Supervisor, etc
Wardrobe
Costs $1,000
Although most of the wardrobe will be provided by the cast members, we will need a few specific pieces.
Digital Storage
Costs $1,800
We need to store all the footage we shoot on external drives with backups in case anything happens to one drive.
Craft Services
Costs $5,600
We need to keep the cast and crew fed! Filmmaking on an empty stomach isn't funny.
Film Permits and Locations
Costs $6,000
We have secured a few of the locations for the film, but we will need to rent some of them. We also need to pay for location permits.
Lighting Package
Costs $5,000
We need to rent a grip and lighting package for the majority of the shoot.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Chris McNeany
Chris McNeany wrote/produced/starred in the award-winning bisexual comedy short film “More Than He Knows”, which has over 23,000 views on Amazon and over 4.8 million views on YouTube. The role he is most proud of is caregiver to his grandmother when she had pancreatic cancer, and his mother when she had terminal brain cancer. He is no stranger to loss and grief, and decided it was time to write about it.
Stephen Koncelik
Stephen Koncelik has over 25 years of experience in film, TV, and video production. In addition to creating award-winning web content like "The Totally Rad Show", Stephen has worked on a number of feature films, TV series, documentaries, and independent films. After moving to Palm Springs in 2017, he started the video production company Coachella Creative. Stephen is excited to bring his unique perspective to the project having been immersed in the Palm Springs LGBT, as well as fetish communities.
Greg Boaldin
Greg Boaldin co-wrote the Lionsgate gay romantic comedy, “My Fake Boyfriend”, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He’s also helped develop series for NBC, Showtime, FX, and Amazon. His Hollywood journey began when friends challenged him to enter an open mic contest at a comedy club. He won. That led to work as a “stand up” comic and a writer / performer with a sketch comedy troupe. Greg’s outsider perspective as a disabled gay man gives him a unique insight and a passion for projects that make a positive impact.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Foot Longing is an independent feature film fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, a 501(c)(3), which means any donation for this crowdfunder can be tax-deductible.
Great! But... what's the film actually about?
What if the guy with a foot fetish isn’t a punchline…
But a widower learning how to feel again?
What if he’s bisexual, and instead of being punished for it, he gets to be messy, funny, sexy, and fully alive?
And what if his best friend, who happens to use a wheelchair, is the most emotionally grounded person in his life… and genuinely doesn’t think his disability is a big deal?
A little more about this comedy feature film:
When Chris, a meticulous shoe store salesman, loses both his longtime husband and his job, his carefully ordered life is tossed heels over head.
As he struggles through grief, his long-buried fascination with feet (what he calls his “foot longing”) begins tiptoeing into the foreground.
Chris’ best friend Greg, a disabled gay man who’s no stranger to fetishists drawn to his wheelchair, pushes him to step into his fantasies and finally hop over his shame.
What follows?
A mystical relationship guru.
A peanut-oil disaster.
A leather pool party in Palm Springs where vodka and vulnerability mix a little too easily.
At its core, this is a story about a man who has to fall apart before he can truly feel again.
Through the chaos, Chris must shed his shame, embrace his desires, and discover that true acceptance, from others and himself, might just start from the feet up.
Why Are We Making This Film?
The Foot Longing began with a simple challenge.
A friend who runs a film festival once said that for indie filmmakers, the same question always comes up: Who is your audience? He said that someone should make a rom-com about a foot fetish: after all, it’s the most common fetish in the world.
That idea stuck. Partly because it was smart.
And partly because… I like feet.
But more importantly, I didn’t want to see yet another character with a foot fetish who’s defined solely by it: creepy, flat, or played for cheap laughs.
A huge Star Wars fan, I read a book that inspired George Lucas: The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell. What if that journey that inspired an entire universe could be pared down to one of self-acceptance?
As I started writing, I dug uncomfortably deeper: intersecting with what was already present in my life: grief, friendship, desire, and the question of how you learn to feel again after loss.
At its core, The Foot Longing is about reclaiming the parts of yourself you’ve been taught to hide: told through comedy, warmth, and characters who are allowed to be flawed, funny, and fully human.
That’s why we’re making this film.
-Chris McNeany
How this campaign moves the film forward (the promise)
Our campaign goal is $48,950, which is about 21% of our total budget of $231,650.
If we reach our goal, your funds will help towards paying for:
- Cast & crew payroll (including legally compliant payroll processing)
- Production gear (camera/lighting packages + sound essentials)
- Locations + permits + insurance
- Wheelchair accessibility for Greg (on-set access needs)
- Digital storage & data management
- Wardrobe
- Craft services (feeding cast/crew)
In short: this money directly supports the work of making the movie—people, places, and production infrastructure.
PLEASE NOTE:
For this campaign, AI was used to generate images for the story section, wishlist, and incentives. AI will not be used in the production of this film. We just used AI as a tool to create more specific images of what we are aiming for in the campaign.
The Foot Longing is a fiscally sponsored project of Film Independent, a non-profit independent media arts organization. Film Independent will receive grants for the charitable purposes of The Foot Longing, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Foot Longing must be made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $8,250
We've cast both SAG as well as Non-Union Actors. For this we need to get a SAG Ultra Low Budget Agreement and pay our actors fairly.
Accessibility Needs
Costs $2,600
Ensure wheelchair accessibility for producer/actor Greg Boaldin: helping us create an inclusive set.
Production Staff
Costs $18,700
Just like the cast, we'd like to pay our crew a fair rate. This includes: Line Producer, PAs, Cinematographer, Grips, Script Supervisor, etc
Wardrobe
Costs $1,000
Although most of the wardrobe will be provided by the cast members, we will need a few specific pieces.
Digital Storage
Costs $1,800
We need to store all the footage we shoot on external drives with backups in case anything happens to one drive.
Craft Services
Costs $5,600
We need to keep the cast and crew fed! Filmmaking on an empty stomach isn't funny.
Film Permits and Locations
Costs $6,000
We have secured a few of the locations for the film, but we will need to rent some of them. We also need to pay for location permits.
Lighting Package
Costs $5,000
We need to rent a grip and lighting package for the majority of the shoot.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Chris McNeany
Chris McNeany wrote/produced/starred in the award-winning bisexual comedy short film “More Than He Knows”, which has over 23,000 views on Amazon and over 4.8 million views on YouTube. The role he is most proud of is caregiver to his grandmother when she had pancreatic cancer, and his mother when she had terminal brain cancer. He is no stranger to loss and grief, and decided it was time to write about it.
Stephen Koncelik
Stephen Koncelik has over 25 years of experience in film, TV, and video production. In addition to creating award-winning web content like "The Totally Rad Show", Stephen has worked on a number of feature films, TV series, documentaries, and independent films. After moving to Palm Springs in 2017, he started the video production company Coachella Creative. Stephen is excited to bring his unique perspective to the project having been immersed in the Palm Springs LGBT, as well as fetish communities.
Greg Boaldin
Greg Boaldin co-wrote the Lionsgate gay romantic comedy, “My Fake Boyfriend”, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He’s also helped develop series for NBC, Showtime, FX, and Amazon. His Hollywood journey began when friends challenged him to enter an open mic contest at a comedy club. He won. That led to work as a “stand up” comic and a writer / performer with a sketch comedy troupe. Greg’s outsider perspective as a disabled gay man gives him a unique insight and a passion for projects that make a positive impact.