Nicole Conn said it all: “… but for me it more accurately conveys the totality of that experience – where time seizes and you’re making love over and over and over again and it is literally an ocean of emotion….”
Because once you know love like this, there is no turning back. Soulmates.



“Filmmaker Nicole Conn (Claire of the Moon, Little Man) is doing her part to put lesbians in the record books, one extra-long kiss at a time.

Her new project, Elena Undone, follows a well-known lesbian writer who falls for the wife of a pastor. It was conceived by Conn and her partner, Marina Rice Bader, on a weekend getaway when Bader asked, “Why aren’t there more lesbian movies out there?” The two decided to “give it a go,” and Elena Undone was born.”
- Karman Kregloe

Rebecca has a very unusual secret, one that not even her best friends know about. The last person on earth she expects to reveal it to is a high priced escort named Paris. What starts as a comedy of errors ends up a uniquely erotic journey. Rebecca’s unconventional efforts to find herself are raw, evocative, and often times humorous, but always very real, very human. Sometimes a perfect ending is not what you expect it to be.

So in less than 48 hours, your film is supposed to magically appear – this same film that for the past 16 months (yeah, long gestation!) you’ve literally almost destroyed every living and inanimate object on your single-minded mania to make this movie that is now taking over the planet and has taken every last toll on you is suddently just going to be TA DA having it’s premiere – it’s birth. It’s a little unnerving!   Plus Barbara Niven, Fontessa and Melanie (my dearest pal and erstwhile manager) and Marina are all in different parts of the world and we’re all in knee jerk what are we supposed to do here.  So we decide, “how bout raise a glass and cheer on our damn good film?” over the speakerphone.  For Gabrielle it was champagne tulip-glasses filled with Sprite.  For Barbara Niven and Fontessa it was a bit o’ bubbly with more kick.   At 5:30 LA Time we told ourselves to “break a leg.” Including Jessica, Melanie, Marina and of course everyone connect to Camp Ape and our Soul Kiss Family —  everyone who we really had no idea where they might be…. so at least we made ceremony where ceremony was called for.  

Don’t know if you could have a more surreal world premiere as a Women’s Centerpiece in a prestigious festival – one we would have been ever so delighted to play had we been finished.  MGLFF holds fond memories for me.  ”little man” won HBO’s Audience Best of the Fest Award — a documentary winning that very special first award speaks to the intelligent and sophisticated, literary movie-going Miami audience.

In fact, MGLFF has one of the highest documentary programming in relation to most other LGBT Festivals.  For that reason alone I applaud them. But I especially applaud them for taking a chance on a WIP of “A Perfect Ending.”  It’s hard to let something you’ve spent your heart’s blood and soul on go out when you know that while the color is semi-fixed, you (the director) did the sound mix and it sorta kinda (no it just really sucks) and we also have probably 30 percent music cues so you run the risk that your WIP is going to cause the audience to run out of the theater like the crazed teens did in the “Blob”  (and we all know how they turned out — no careers whatsoever!)

I’m thrilled to report that when the reviews started coming in, they were far more than I could have hoped for: “The ladies at MGLFF are digging the hell out of A  Perfect Ending!”  That was a good sign.  One of our Major Donors reported in from her 15 pals who attended: “LOVED IT…They all laughed in all the right places —  they thought both leads were “Smokin’ Hot” and that “the story was really good.”

THEN - 
According to The Miami Mollys – the Miami ladies “erupted into applause at the ‘climax’ scene” !!!

I could breathe.  I could stop acting brave for the girls!   I’m just so overjoyed  1) To Repay all our Donors with a product of which they can be so very proud 2) That Jessica Clark was so beyond teachable, reachable and brought so much of her kindred tortured elements that are so raw and beautiful 3) That the entire cast was just one DNA-Festival of the Fair and Fairer: the most amazing group of people ever… it doesn’t get better! There were friendships forged for life- with Fontessa De Ridder, one of the Producers who’s now also one of my dearest friends… Much like Melanie, my manager, who’s my rock and every time I start heading off the reservation she’s like, “uhm, Nicole…last I checked we’re still on Earth.”   And with Janelle, our other producer who has brilliantly brought so many of the gems of this film together as the great connector.  

But the two women who I most thank is Marina, my heart, soul-mate and greatest partner who pushes me often beyond my limits but always nabs me back again. And finally but definitely most importantly- endless gratitude to Barbara Niven for being the insanely courageous talent that she is, for her commitment to her craft, her Gena Rowlands-once-in-a-lifetime performance and for giving me the opportunity after 25 years of our working together on a piece that goes far beyond this film and has so much to do with so many aspects of who we both are and our mutual journey. This feels like our greatest gift to each other and what a blessed way to honor it so…love and gratitude…xoNicole

My name is Kerry Hinson.  Last night my husband, children and I sat down to watch a family movie… usually my husband doesn’t like to watch documentaries, but yours caught our eye – ”Little Man” …. we were unsure if we wanted our children to watch, but by the time we started our 8 year old and 6 year old begged us to finish watching it .. and we did …. I must say your strength is amazing. As a mother I know I would have tried anything if it had been my child, and that’s what you did.  My husband -who never gets into documentaries- was on the edge of his seat and we routed everytime something unexpected happened… We kept praying through the whole thing, I didn’t know quite what I was going to say when I wrote you… but now I do, Thank You!!!   Thank you for sharing the reality of the NICU, the reality that bad things happen all the time but wonderful outcomes can happen.  Thank you for sharing your compassion, love and mothering instict with the rest of the world… I truly admire you

-Kerry Hinson

Hi Lovelies.. Since everyone has been commenting on the music so much I wanted you to know I had the honor of meeting Kathy Fowler (along with daughter/filmmaker Jessie) this weekend who you will all soon know as the “amazing love scene voice.” Kathy is Lisa Gerard and then some!! I am breathless every time I hear the absolute STRENGTH (you can hear the history of woman throughout time in her limitless range — from haunting primal to exultant ecstasy) as she sings Faure’s Pavane in “A Perfect Ending.”

Kathy is the wife of one of our two brilliant composers, Bob Fowler who arranged the Pavane for Kathy as well as the end credits music you hear on the 2nd Sneak Peak OML.com brought to you a few weeks ago.

The first piece of music is by our other equally genius Stephen Ridley and you’re hearing part of the opening sequence, which if I don’t say so myself is quite dazzling.

Now I know I’m the most demanding director in the world when it comes to music because I truly believe it is the soul of the film. Ask Bob and Stephen…they’ve both wanted to thrash me several times over! But between the exquisite score, the two leads a veritable feast of GORGEOUSNESS, and my DP Tal Lazar’s incredible eye you will understand why I refer to this film as a Cine-Sation…visually, auditory, and I can promise you…you will definitely FEEL the film, especially if you are able to see it in a theater. As Dean our sound guru says, the film is SCRUMPTIOUS. I totally concur. Happy Weekend to you all…xoNicole

OMG… what a weekend…My dear friend, Fontessa DeRidder (pictured above), an insanely beautiful, talented writer/director (who has been one of the people I most rely on for feedback) and who is one of the Co-Producers of “A Perfect Ending” was here watching my universe as I was in ultimate chaos zone.  At the very final moments of editing frantically to do my FINAL LOCK of APE when we heard the first of 17 knocks at the door of my home office: David: “can I go to the Y Dance?”, Gabrielle: “I’m hungry!” Knock Knock: Lauren, wide-eyed with ecstasy that she’d found the perfect pencil skirt at Forever 21.  Back to my computer… Then, Alex: “Dude, can my bf, legit, no legit, dude (and other similar vernacular that, roughly translated means, “Since I’ve been so good can my beau come to family night?”  Daisha: “Is this dress too tight?”  “You dancing?”  “No”  “Then it can pass” (like me – in my fashionably shabby-director wear should EVER give dressing tips!) Fontessa just kept laughing with each successive knock and said, “I don’t know how you do it…with them running in and out every other second” -Fontessa is not yet a mother… all you moms out there know… you just do, cuz you can’t live with ‘em, you can’t beat ‘em!  (So teasing PC people.)

Finally, I have the LOCKED master of “A Perfect Ending” completed (well without sound or color finished) but after thousands upon thousands of hours of editing, I can actually say I’m absolutely at peace, happy and so beyond proud of the collaboration that has become what I believe is my very best work to date.  To celebrate, I did what Mommy CoCo does to get REJUVED… I had a good long snuggle with my “little man” who cracked up from a bday card he had been sent until he literally couldn’t catch his breath and then settled down for a “Brothers & Sisters” -A-THON with the fam… The girls had never seen it so we just vegged, pigged out on Panda (not me – and trust me – it’s so not because I’m a health nut but I loathe fast food) and basically watched an older version of our dysfunctional and motley crew but with better hair and makeup!  Afterwards, Gabrielle taught me pool on the iPad and we racked like pros until almost 3 in the morning… specialnite… so long since I’ve been able to do just “stuff.” — And then until 7 am I just took in how grateful I am for EVERY single person who has been involved with this film… the list is several miles long… you all know who you are… I am so humbled, honored and happy…. Hope you all had similarly(but perhaps less weird) delightful weekends… xoN