CALICO
VERMONT
A Seattle detective film
about workers fighting back
Calico Vermont is a mystery/thriller about a young private eye in Seattle investigating the deaths of blue-collar workers.
She uncovers a conspiracy involving the police, a shadowy millionaire, and a secretive church.
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With time running out for her client and a link to her own father’s death revealed, she must choose:
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try to crack the case on her own...
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or organize the workers.
WATCH THE PITCH VIDEO ON WEFUNDER
Reserve your investment now on Wefunder!
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We are funding Calico Vermont through crowd equity, which means you can invest in the film! If the film turns a profit, you as an investor will be paid out until you've received 125% of your initial stake. Then you will receive a 50% pro rata share of the film's net profits in perpetuity. Help bring the film to screen and get paid out forever!
We are "testing the waters" to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
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.
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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.
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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.
Nathan Quick
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 classbut how do we really fight those things? How do we get enough momentum to overcome the 1%?
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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.
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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!
CHARACTERS
Pictures are purely imagined casting only
Calico Vermont
Reeling from her father’s death, Calico has spent a decade drifting through minimum-wage jobs. But when she starts working for an older PI, she finds a way to channel her audacity and sharp instincts... and maybe finally make some lasting friends?
Pax
An organizer and blue-collar worker investigating the sudden deaths of other workers around the city. He’s resourceful, self-reliant, and recklessly willing to put himself on the line for a friend or even just a coworker.
Will Grady
Raised in a stern, insular religious environment, Will is about to marry a girl whose father—the head of the police guild—may be involved in a violent conspiracy. He reaches out to Clement to find out what kind of life he’s signing up for.
Clement Weathers
A grizzled private eye who once stirred up mostly good trouble around Seattle with Calico’s father, Eddie Vermont. He takes Calico under his wing, but his current investigation is putting more heat on his back (and soon hers) than he’d like.
K. K. Deciduous
Private equity guru. The man pulling the strings. He can get away with spitting in your face because his shell company’s shell company’s LLC owns the saliva.
LOOK & FEEL
Calico Vermont takes place in present day, but the dialogue, cinematography, and vibes feel more retro, evoking ‘70s neo-noirs and paranoid thrillers.
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The story takes us from the foggy Puget Sound and the surrounding forests...
...to Calico meeting with workers around the city...
...to the lived-in offices you think of when you hear “private eye”...
...to enemies concealed in mist and shadows...
...with Seattle acting as the backdrop along the way.
COMPS
BUDGET
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.
Total: $500K
Production Goal: $345K
Covers pre-production, production, and post-production. Ensures completion of the film and a round of key festival submissions.
Stretch Goal: $155K additional
Covers marketing and distribution costs, including advertising, music rights, film market fees, deliverable expenses, and E&O insurance.
TIMELINE
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.
January - October 2026
Funding & Pre-Production
Hit Wefunder minimum to fully fund production and post-production. Cast actors, hire crew, and book locations.
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November 2026
Production
Complete principle photography for 30 days in Washington State.
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December 2026 - May 2027
Post-Production
Edit, score, color grade, and sound edit. Host multiple test screenings and update based on audience feedback.
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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.
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Winter 2027 - Spring 2028
Distribution & Marketing
Secure distributor and plan release strategy, which may include:
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VOD & Streaming: No matter which distributor we choose, the film will be available to rent, buy, and stream digitally.
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Theatrical: Either a roadshow of indie theaters or a full theatrical release, dependent on which distributor we work with.
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Physical Media: Potential DVD/Blu-ray release.
During this time, we also plan to advertise on social media, VOD platforms, film publications, and more.
TEAM
Nathan Quick
Nathan Quick is a writer, director, and editor from the Pacific Northwest, currently based in Brooklyn. His first feature film, In the Summer Rain, played at festivals around the U.S. in 2024 before hitting streaming in 2025. Beyond his own films, he’s also an accomplished corporate video producer with clients including Microsoft, Intel, SAP, Dell, and more.
Lee Reardanz
Lee is a writer, director, and producer from Bellingham, WA. For the past several years, he has produced videos for Fortune 500 clients including Microsoft, Intel, and SAP.
Pearl Mei Lam
Pearl Mei Lam is a filmmaker and award-winning actor based in Seattle. She has worked in regional theater and commercials. In 2025, she directed her first feature film, Wild Ragerz, which is currently in post-production.
Kaley Joss
Kaley Joss is a project manager and cinematographer, originally from Seattle and now based in New York. In 2024, she produced the feature film In the Summer Rain and also served as the director of photography. Her past work experience includes grip and electric for commercial projects and post-production for Color Creative and Amazon Halo.
Gabriel Blank
Gabriel Blank is a producer and writer/director based in Seattle. He is the Head of Video Production at PowerA, a global gaming hardware leader. Gabriel oversees campaigns for industry partners including Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation.
PRIOR WORK
Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd, and IMDb
WHY NOW?
Union membership in the U.S. hit a historic low of 9.9% in 2024, and worker dissatisfaction is at an all-time high, with 66% of workers experiencing burnout. From large-scale trends like the Great Resignation and quiet quitting to the prevalence of memes about late-stage capitalism and eating the rich, the discontent of American workers is a rising tide.
People are sick of working for a minimum wage that hasn’t changed since 2009. People are done with corporations putting their bottom line above worker wellbeing. People are fed up with wealth disparity and the moral failures of the ruling class.
This is reflected in the media audiences are interested in. From the box office and Oscar success of Parasite to the anti-capitalist messages of the Knives Out trilogy, class struggle has become a central theme of popular cinema.
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Calico Vermont pairs this message with a genre that’s almost always in style: the private eye movie. From early entries starring Bogart or Mitchum, to 70s neo-noirs like Chinatown and The Long Goodbye, to popular 21st century detective shows (Sherlock, Veronica Mars), private eyes have always been popular with a wide range of audiences.
It’s time to strike (literally) while the iron is hot.
We are "testing the waters" to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through Wefunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
