Director's Statement

Hi! I'm Nathan Quick, and I'm a filmmaker originally from Washington State, now based in Brooklyn. I'm thrilled you're taking the time to learn more about Calico Vermont, because this project has been with me for years now, and I've reached a tipping point where my ideas for the film are bursting to get onto the screen.

In late 2021, when I was beginning pre-production for my first feature, the character of Calico Vermont walked into my head. I was busy with the other movie, so I couldn't give her my full attention yet, but she stuck around in the back of my mind.

Calico is a young private eye with more idealism than the morally ambiguous noir genre usually accepts. While her father died years ago, his skill at organizing workers lives on in her. She's naïve in some ways and a natural in others—especially when her back is up against the wall. She's lonely for now but longing for friends.

As time went on, Calico only became more interesting to me, and it's because she embodies two feelings a lot of us have nowadays: 1) anger with a broken political system and 2) the complacent sort of despair that comes from having no tangible, effective place to channel that frustration. Many of the film's themes are making headlines—wealth disparity, union-busting, police corruption, working-class discontent, a morally bankrupt ruling class—but how do we really fight those things? How do we get enough momentum to overcome the 1%?

Calico Vermont attempts to answer those questions, at least in a small way. It's about working-class people coming together and realizing the true strength of solidarity, the basic math of 99% outweighing 1%. Since I grew up in Washington, I'm interested in the labor history of the state, and it's important to me that the film takes place in Seattle—a city with a rich history of protest and collective action, from the 1919 General Strike to the 1999 WTO protests.

Of course, Calico is also a detective movie, a genre that's been a favorite of mine ever since I devoured the Hardy Boys books as a kid. I dove deep into the genre while I was writing Calico. I read lots of Chandler and Spillane, and I watched dozens of private eye movies. There are plenty of narrative, thematic, and visual traditions of noir that I plan to use in Calico, but the difference is the lack of nihilism. This isn't "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown." This is a movie that ends with a clear moral decision, a burst of solidarity, and a note of hope. That's why it means so much to me.

I hope the story resonates with you too, and I’d love for you to be a part of bringing it to the screen!

Synopsis

Characters

Look & Feel

Budget & Timeline

Our minimum raise of $345K covers the film from pre-production through post-production and the first round of festival submissions. Our stretch goal of $500K allots additional funding for marketing and distribution.

Our goal is to begin filming within a couple months of hitting our minimum raise on Wefunder. The timeline below shows sample dates, but the actual dates may vary based on how long fundraising takes.

March 2026 - January 2027

Funding & Pre-Production

Hit Wefunder minimum to fully fund production and post-production. Cast actors, hire crew, and book locations.

February 2027

Production

Complete principle photography for 30 days in Washington State.

March - June 2027

Post-Production

Edit, score, color grade, and sound edit. Host multiple test screenings and update based on audience feedback.

Fall 2027

Festival Circuit

Submit to multiple festivals including more prestigious fests, local Washington State options, and more. Promote on social media and drive up audience interest.

Winter 2027 - Spring 2028

Distribution & Marketing

Secure distributor and plan release strategy, which may include:

1. VOD & Streaming: No matter which distributor we choose, the film will be available to rent, buy, and stream digitally.
2. Theatrical: Either a roadshow of indie theaters or a full theatrical release, dependent on which distributor we work with.
3. Physical Media: Potential DVD/Blu-ray release.

During this time, we also plan to advertise on social media, VOD platforms, film publications, and more.

How will we make money?

If you've read this far, chances are you already know how the world of indie film works: revenue is never a guarantee. While we'd love to tell you with absolute confidence that Calico Vermont will be the next Blair Witch Project or My Big Fat Greek Wedding, delivering an astronomical ROI on a tiny budget, we know there are also plenty of indie films that haven't made their budget back.

That said, a production budget of $345K and a marketing/distribution budget of $155K are pretty small compared to the millions—or hundreds of millions—Hollywood invests in a single film. In terms of how much we need to make back to deliver ROI for our investors, we're setting a much more attainable target for ourselves than a lot of films out there.

Like many filmmakers, our dream would be to get the attention of a big-name distributor at a major festival and secure distribution that way. But we know that's not a guarantee, so failing that, there are many of other routes to go. No matter what, the film will be able to rent, buy, and stream digitally; nowadays there are multiple indie distributors and aggregators willing to pick up films like ours, which is how we distributed (the much smaller-budget) In the Summer Rain. Sure, we'd love to get a wide theatrical release, but even if we don't, we can hit the indie theater circuit and take the film from city to city.

We truly believe Calico Vermont has a big audience waiting for it. The timely themes of class struggle and collective action will appeal to a wide base of viewers, and mysteries and detective stories have historically been popular with demographically diverse audiences.

Finally, our production company is called Petracore Collective for a reason. We believe in a more sustainable, equitable model of filmmaking than the top-down corporate approach used by a lot of Hollywood studios. What if instead of paying millions of dollars to a single actor, everyone working on the film got paid a similar rate? What if instead of above-the-line talent being the only ones with a revenue share, every cast and crew member received equity in the film? If Calico Vermont succeeds, we ALL share in its success—cast, crew, and YOU as an investor.

How is revenue distributed?

There is a waterfall of any revenue received by our LLC (minus revenue kept by distributors, sales agents, etc.):

1. First, any third-party expenses, fees, residuals, etc. that are owed will be paid off.
2. Next, revenue will be distributed to our investors until 1.25x the initial investment is reached.
3. After that, the revenue will be split 50/50 between investors and our cast and crew.

Investor Perks

$500

1. Free digital access to the film upon VOD release

$1,000

1. Special Thanks in the closing credits and on IMDb
2. All previous perks

$5,000

1. 11x17 poster signed by cast & crew
2. All previous perks

$10,000 - Associate Producer

1. "Associate Producer" credit in the closing credits
2. Cameo as a background actor (travel/lodging not included; you must be available on the relevant filming day)
3. Copy of the shooting script signed by cast & crew
4. All previous perks

$25,000 - Co-Producer

1. "Co-Producer" credit in the closing credits
2. Get your logo at the beginning of the film
3. Invitation to cast & crew screening in Seattle (travel/lodging not included)
4. All previous perks

$50,000 - Executive Producer

1. "Executive Producer" credit in the closing credits
2. Visit set for a day with a +1 in addition to your cameo! (travel/lodging not included)
3. 2 tickets to the festival premiere of the film (travel/lodging not included; festival TBD)
4. Prop or costume item from the film
5. All previous perks

Check out our first feature, In the Summer Rain

In the Summer Rain played at festivals around the U.S. in 2024 before hitting streaming in 2025. You can see more about the film on our website or Instagram.

Invest now and be part of bringing Calico Vermont to screen!