Filmmaker is crowdfunding a portion of his Blue Whale movie

Tulsa-based filmmaker Jonathan Rossetti wants to make a coming-of-age independent film set at the iconic Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma, and he has set up a crowdfunding campaign to hire a casting director.

Rossetti launched up his campaign this month on Seed and Spark. He hopes to raise about $10,000 within two weeks. He had raised $8,000 as of Thursday night.

Here’s Rossetti’s pitch on the fundraising site:

Rossetti said he wants to use the $10,000 to hire a casting director.

“We’re confident in the script and the team that will ultimately bring this project to the big screen and it’s imperative that we attach the right actors for the right roles,” he wrote on the Seed and Spark website.

The campaign offers several goodies for those who pledge money, ranging from a Blue Whale tote bag to a swim party at the Blue Whale for four people.

Here’s the summary of Rossetti’s film:

Sixteen year old Daniel Doolin, an outcast in his own home, passes the long summer days lost in his comic books. His mother Hen, overwhelmed with shame from her youthful transgressions, sits meekly by as her husband Trigger and step-daughter Beazy relentlessly tease Daniel. When 16 year old Janis stops in their small Oklahoma town, Daniel is immediately smitten with the girl from California. Janis inspires Daniel to pursue his dream of writing a comic and challenges his family’s conservative beliefs. As the summer comes to a close and Janis heads back to California, Daniel’s life will be forever changed when his mother finally reveals the truth of who his father is.

Rossetti announced in spring 2015 he would make a film at the Blue Whale. indie films often take years to raise funds and attract the right talent before shooting.

Rossetti also directed, produced and co-wrote the 2013 independent film “Home, James,”  shot in Tulsa.

Hugh Davis built the Blue Whale in 1972 on a spring-fed pond off Route 66 near Catoosa. The concrete-and-rebar behemoth served as a focal point for a public swimming hole for a while. It closed in 1988 and fell into disrepair. The Blue Whale was restored in 1997, and its grounds have seen steady improvements in the years since.

(Hat tip to Mark Gasson; image of the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma, by Ayleen Dority via Flickr)