At 16, Nik was the youngest person ever to be accepted to the prestigious Los Angeles Film School. But after checking out the campus and lining up the $50,000 per year tuition, he decided to learn from experience first hand.
Before Nik graduated from high school he had written, directed, and edited two short films. After he graduated, never one to take much of a breather, he did four more. As each film was made Nik received more and more recognition, publicity, and support.
In 2003 Nik and Leo Fitzpatrick (known for his work in the Larry Clark film KIDS) collaborated on the short MYNOOT LOSS. After MYNOOT LOSS, several musicians became interested in Nik’s unique style. His first music video for the band Azure Ray has received such praise that Nik was asked to direct 12 more videos for bands such as Bright Eyes, Tilly and the Wall, Sia, The Faint, and Deerhunter.
All the while Nik was preparing himself for the undertaking of his first feature film directorial debut, “Lovely, Still.” A Christmas time fable following the life of an elderly man who has never loved. Nik cast Academy Award winners Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn and used his connection in the music industry to compile a group of musicians to compose the score and write original music. “Lovely, Still” premiered to critical acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival and has since played at festivals around the world.
Although he works with industry professionals from LA and New York, Nik opts to stay in Omaha, Nebraska with his friends and family where he continues to write and define his craft. Next month will mark the beginning of development for his next film, an adaptation of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey.
Nik is represented by Craig Kestel at WMA and Brian Young at Untitled Entertainment.
