WATCH: Filmmakers explore gay teens’ challenges to acceptance in new TV series on Amazon

• Jordan Fraser, 25, is a 2008 graduate of South Brunswick High School and a graduate of The Art Institute of Philadelphia. His short film ‘Changed’ which he wrote and produced during his senior year was accepted into the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2014
• Today Jordan Fraser is the co-executive producer and co-director of a new TV series that explores the experience of gay teens in America today.

Remaining true to his love of visual storytelling, Jordan Fraser, 25, is balancing a dizzying schedule as he commutes to Los Angeles to serve as co-executive producer and co-director of  "Back Stabber," a new TV series and working as a bartender at the Crabby Café and Sports Bar in Philadelphia.

Fraser said the series which premiered on Amazon on June 24, was produced on a budget of $2,000 and while Amazon did not produce the series, it serves as the distribution arm.  The revenue stream for the series is based on viewership.

Fraser, a 2008 graduate of South Brunswick High School and a graduate of The Art Institute of Philadelphia, earned a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking and video production.

His short film "Changed" which he wrote and produced during his senior year, was accepted into the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. He describes the film as a "dramedy" about a gay couple that explores the significance of family while struggling to keep their own relationship alive.

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Similar experiences

Fraser and Ryan Zamo, 27, the creator, writer, co-director and actor in  "Back Stabber," said they experienced varying degrees of bullying since they were 16, when they each acknowledged to their friends and family that they were gay. The two met on Myspace when they were teens and forged a friendship.

Zamo, a former resident of Wayne, began developing "Back Stabber" more than seven years ago as a final project in film school.

“The message it carried was always something I've fought for; acceptance, equality and loving people for who they are regardless of one’s age, race, religion, or orientation,” Zamo said.

After he knocked on doors for six years in Hollywood to find a producer, Zamo decided to produce the series himself with the help of Fraser and a group of friends.

Inspired by actual events, Zamo said the story is set in a wealthy Pennsylvania town. The main characters are Isaiah and Sam, who face the challenges of being accepted by family and friends when they become openly gay. He said while the cast of characters vary widely, ultimately they learn to love one another for who they are, not what they are.

Fraser said his hope is that the series will promote anti-bullying and acceptance especially during the high school years.

“I'm not saying high school was incredibly rough, but there were those bullying moments that nobody should have to go though," Fraser said. "I hope people watch our show and see that you don't have to go through that. You should be yourself and not hold back who you are."

While Fraser always loved film, he said there was a specific turning point at which the passion for visual storytelling was ignited for him.

“When my older brother made a slideshow of the 9/11 attacks montaged with pictures and newsreels that they played on the news, I became so emotional and wanted to make other people feel that way by inspiring them and bringing out their inner feelings,” Fraser said. He appears perfectly poised for the demanding schedule he has assumed. He admits that he has been a workaholic since he was 13.

“When I have so much passion for something I don't stop until it’s perfected in my eyes,” he said.

Despite his passion for work, he said it is the support and love of his friends and family that matters most.

“Without their support every day, I wouldn’t be where I am today mentally or physically and just thinking about them – I feel forever grateful,” he said.

He also credits his screenwriting teacher Summer Steele and his mentor Ericka Frederick for enormous support and the success he enjoys today.

His advice for anyone who wants to pursue film is to just keep pursuing it.

“It's little by little," he said. "I tend bar full time and commute to LA.  It's very rough. But I am in love with every second of my life and that’s what makes me happy.”

For more information or to watch the "Back Stabber" series, visit www.backstabbertvshow.com/

Watch Jordan Fraser’s short film "Changed" accepted into the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2014: https://vimeo.com/122366022/description

Watch Jordan Fraser interviewed on NBC about his experience at the Cannes Film Festival:www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Recent-Local-Grad-Attends-Cannes-Film-Festival_Philadelphia-262552111.html.