Nicole Lipp isn’t one to shy away from the bold and unexpected. As a director, writer, and co-founder of Not Your Daddy’s Films, she’s spent her career carving out a space where women and nonbinary filmmakers can thrive, but her creative vision is equally as daring. Lipp’s latest work, “Mistakes You Make Before You Die”, is a dark comedy that takes the audience on a wild, irreverent ride through terminal illness, love, and an unexpected bucket list.

Born from a vivid dream, this short film proof of concept showcases her unique ability to mix humor with heartache, laughter with grief. Collaborating with her longtime friend and co-writer Jetta Juriansz, Nicole Lipp creates a narrative that isn’t about being queer, but about being human—messy, flawed, and funny. With its demented and touching storyline, “Mistakes You Make Before You Die” balances on the edge of raunchy comedy and poignant emotion, revealing Lipp’s ability to craft stories that feel both boundary-pushing and deeply authentic.

From directing fast-paced music videos to delving into the tender relationship between Lennon and Dora in this latest project, Lipp’s trajectory as a filmmaker is defined by risk, creativity, and a refusal to conform to traditional expectations. In this interview, she reflects on her journey, the role of representation in her work, and the beauty of creating in a space where humor meets heartbreak.

“Mistakes You Make Before You Die” presents a unique blend of dark comedy and raw emotion through the lens of a terminal illness. What inspired you to explore such a high-stakes narrative, and how did you balance the comedic and tragic elements in the storytelling?

I literally dreamed the idea… Like, I watched the whole movie in my sleep. When I woke up, I knew I HAD to put this dream on the screen. I love a good tearjerker and I love a raunchy fucked up comedy – this unexpected combo felt so authentic to the way I see the world. So I called my dear friend Jetta Juriansz and told her all about it – she had played Dora in my dream and I just knew I had to make this with her! We wound up writing it together and she acted in it – and THAT is what dreams are made of! 

“Mistakes You Make Before You Die” is a short proof of concept for a full length feature. In the film, Lennon (they/them) is dying from terminal cancer so their girlfriend, Dora (she/her) convinces them to create a bucket list. But Lennon puts some wild shit on that list. The film follows Lennon and Dora as they attempt to complete the weirdest bucket list ever, beginning with item #1: participate in an orgy. 

The short proof of concept is actually quite sweet! But the feature is going to be… insane. Dora and Lennon are gonna do some really demented shit… meth, violence, fraud… and so much more. I like to think of it as a dark comedy tearjerker. Kinda like “The Fault In Our Stars” meets “Bottoms”. 

I think my toxic trait is laughing at inappropriate times… that’s probably why I’m so drawn to dark comedies. That’s also probably why everything I make (no matter the genre) has comedic moments. Even the music videos and branded work I’ve directed have comedic elements to them. Finding humor in surprising places feels so deeply human to me – I think it’s what makes the hardest times survivable.

Your focus on a queer relationship that isn’t defined by sexual identity, but rather the characters’ dynamics, feels like a refreshing shift in representation. Can you talk about your approach to creating complex queer characters who are relatable beyond the usual tropes?

I feel like some of the most impactful representation is actually in stories that are not ABOUT representation. “Mistakes You Make Before You Die” isn’t ABOUT being queer… It’s a deeply human (and funny) story about two people who are in love. The fact that they’re queer colors the characters’ experiences, but it doesn’t dictate the plot. I like to think that if we had more widely and universally relatable movies/shows featuring queer people, maybe we could soften some hearts and help folks everywhere realize we’re all just humans who deserve love and equal rights.   

This film’s plot involves a bucket list journey between the two main characters. How did you choose which “quirky but meaningful” experiences to highlight, and what do you hope they reveal about the couple’s relationship and their individual journeys?

The bucket list becomes a distraction for Dora and Lennon, a way for them to avoid their imminent pain and grief. It’s less about WHAT is on the list, and more about HOW they tackle the list. It’s not simply about crossing off list items, it’s about savoring their time together, as limited as it may be. The bucket list helps them learn what makes a life worth living, and what makes a life well lived.

Your background spans music videos and narrative films. How has your experience directing for musicians like Quinn XCII and St. Lucia influenced your approach to storytelling in “Mistakes You Make Before You Die”?

I think my experience with music videos influenced my approach to the craft of filmmaking more than anything. I didn’t go to film school… I just woke up one day and randomly had this spontaneous moment of delusional self-confidence; I bet I could direct music videos. Complete audacity. I called my friend Disco Shrine and asked her if I could direct a music video for her… and she said yes! I learned everything I know on set, directing music videos, trying and failing and trying again. Music videos are so much fun, so fast paced, so creative and boundless. I love working with artists and collaborating on a shared vision and I’m so lucky that all of the musicians I’ve worked with have been wonderful collaborators – no stereotypical divas to speak of! These artists have allowed me the space to experiment with storytelling as a visual medium. And on a deadline. Music videos happen SO fast – I have gone from pitch to production to published in 10 days. When you’re working that quickly, you have to trust your instincts and you have to be laser focused. Like many music videos I’ve directed, we shot Mistakes You Make Before You Die in one day with a generous and dedicated skeleton crew. Without the countless hours working with and getting to know this crew on music videos, especially with my brilliant cinematographer Kelsey Talton, making this film would have been impossible. 

I wanted time on set to work with our phenomenal actors, Jetta Juriansz and Terry Hu, so we could capture every emotional beat and every comedic beat with honesty and heart. Working with talented actors is such a gift – I wanted to savor it as much as possible. Trusting Kelsey and our crew made it possible for me to work so closely with Jetta and Terry.

I also learned to edit by editing music videos – and that taught me so much about rhythm and pacing in storytelling and I think that’s apparent in my narrative work?

I try not to overthink any of it to be honest… I try to stay out of my head and in the work and in the ~moment~ haha! Emphasis on try.

As a co-founder of Not Your Daddy’s Films, you’ve dedicated yourself to empowering women and nonbinary filmmakers. How does your work with the organization feed into your creative process, and in what ways has it informed your vision for the future of queer filmmaking?

Not Your Daddy’s Films (NYDF) is a social impact organization committed to educating and empowering women and nonbinary filmmakers. I’m so grateful to be one of the co-founders, alongside Katherine Hughes, Kourtney Bell, Vika Stubblebine, and Carlye Tamaren, and I’m so proud to be part of the inspiring community we’ve built together. 

What started two years ago as 50ish people watching some dope short films in a bar, grew up to become the social impact organization we are running today. Now, our screenings bring in an audience of 350+ and our community stretches far beyond LA. And we’re working hard to expand the educational wing of NYDF – we host regular panels and we’re producing a podcast!

I’ve learned SO much from the NYDF community and my co-founders… Every time I meet a filmmaker at one of our screenings, on one of our panels, on our podcast, I learn about their creative process and I’m inspired to try something new or experiment in some way. I’ve watched hundreds of short films and music videos through our submissions/research and I learn from everything I watch; What speaks to me, what moves me, what bumps me, what do I love and aspire to create as an artist? Everything I’ve ever watched lives in me and inspires the filmmaker I am becoming.

“MESSY” earned you a Best Director Award, and now “Mistakes You Make Before You Die” is making waves at Out on Film. What differences or similarities did you find in your creative approach between these two projects, and how have you evolved as a filmmaker through these experiences?

The sheer amount of growth I have experienced over the past 3 years, since directing “MESSY”, blows my mind. “MESSY” was my first time directing anything narrative! I was learning on the job, figuring it out on the fly. I mean, of course I did a TON of prep for the shoot… but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The whole short film, written by Mariah Goolsby, takes place in the bathroom at a birthday party… We packed a ton of characters and chaos into a 9 minute movie. It was super stylized (my production designer Madison Price is a genius) and super high energy. It’s a fun watch and a wild ride!

“Mistakes You Make Before You Die” is just so different from “MESSY”. It’s intimate and personal and tender and kinda dark… The main character is dying from cancer. As a director, I wanted to challenge myself to reveal these characters and their love and their grief in a short, contained film. I had spent the years since “MESSY” directing tons of music videos and I was fiending for a chance to direct some dialogue haha! 

I learn and grow every time I make something. Every time I’m on set, or at my desk editing or writing, it’s a new semester of film school for me. I’ll never stop evolving and growing through my work.

Your upcoming project “Eternal Flame” has garnered significant attention. Without revealing too much, how do you approach world-building in a television format versus a more intimate film like “Make Mistakes Before You Die”?

World building for TV is MASSIVE. You have to go so deep. “Eternal Flame” is a horror series about a psychopathic billionaire who kidnaps a group of women and forces them to play a deadly version of a reality TV dating show. It’s a fucked up but feminist “The Bachelor” meets “Squid Game” situation. 

The show is really about the captive women – it’s an ensemble piece. So I spent a TON of time developing each character’s inner world in detail. My producer, Daryl Taja, worked closely with me as I was developing the series bible and digging deeper into world building. He asked such great questions and made sure I wasn’t leaving any holes in the story. 

In this process, I developed three seasons of television. That’s a LOT of story. I’ve been asked why I didn’t write “Eternal Flame” as a stand alone horror movie… I think if you rushed this story to fit into 90 minutes, you would lose so much of what makes “Eternal Flame” feminist and different from so many other horror movies. I don’t need 90 minutes of soulless one dimensional caricatures of women getting brutally murdered. But I do want to watch hours and hours of these women growing, struggling, overcoming, learning, and living. And yeah, a lot of them will die – it’s a bloody horror after all. But giving them the grace of ample screen time helps the viewer get to know them so it’s heartbreaking when they die. It humanizes the victims so we see them for the three dimensional and complex humans they are.

“Mistakes You Make Before You Die” takes place in my world – these characters could be my friends! It’s less about world building and more about relationship and character building. Fleshing out the nuances of this couples’ love story is the world building for this project. 

Not Your Daddy’s Films emphasizes community and collaboration, hosting events for filmmakers of various levels. How important is it for you to cultivate these spaces, and how do you see this kind of support influencing the next generation of filmmakers?

NYDF has exposed me to so many women and nonbinary artists and the industry absolutely NEEDS to catch up. We know that there is an abundance of diverse talent out there – we serve as an incubator for women and nonbinary filmmakers. Too many powerful men have claimed the lack of diversity in mainstream media is due to a lack of talent. We know that is not true. Come to one of our events and you’ll see it for yourself. Our diverse community of Daddys gives me hope for the future of filmmaking because the Daddy mentality is one of lifting each other. There’s no scarcity mindset with us – when one woman wins, we all win. By growing this community and nurturing up and coming talent, we’re making tangible changes in this industry that will create opportunities for so many creatives to come.

There’s a raw authenticity in your work. How do you draw from personal or universal experiences to shape your narratives, particularly in “Mistakes You Make Before You Die”?

Thank you so much for saying that! Honestly, I don’t know… I work really intuitively I guess. I mean, I do a ton of pre-pro work and planning so that when I’m on set, I can just follow my gut and create a feeling. 

Looking ahead, how do you envision your role evolving in the film industry, and what types of stories or themes do you feel drawn to explore in future projects?

I just want to make things. I want to be on set, I want to work with people who inspire me, I want to tell stories! Exciting stories! Entertaining, moving, shocking, damn good stories of all kinds!!! I’m honestly not picky… My friends make fun of me – they say I just love moving pictures. Because I really love TV and movies SO MUCH. I know how hard it is to make something, to tell a good story. So I appreciate everything I watch (and I watch a LOT). And I want to be part of making the art that I love so much. 

My absolute dream would be to direct an episode of “Sex Lives Of College Girls” or some new and meaningful YA. I’m really obsessed with YA… Like “Heartstopper”, “Never Have I Ever, Sex Education”. YA is so good right now.

That said – I write what comes to me… so I’m currently in pre-production on my next short film, “The Toe”. And it’s so not YA haha! It’s a disgusting body horror about a guy with a really bad ingrown toenail… but his wife’s grandma is dying. It’s an absurd metaphor for grief and the way we emotionally support our partners. And I’m currently selling feet pics online to fund the film.

Also, I’m attached to direct my first feature, Influenced, with producer Chad Burris! I’m excited to finally direct something long form… and the script (written by Alix Lerner) is SO good. It’s a subversive dark comedy about a mom-fluencer. It’s gonna be a wild one.

I want to make SO MANY FILMS! I hope I’m directing until the day I die. And each project will be wildly different from its predecessor. I’m drawn to anything that moves me, anything that makes me laugh, anything that keeps me up at night. I can’t choose just one “type.” Wow… I am such a bisexual libra.

Credits:

Written by Kacey Perez | @studioblume_

Photography courtesy of Nicole Lipp | @flowerhitsthebigtime