Filmmaking With Pride

By Maxime Munoz

Erika Nilsen is a senior film major in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at Purchase from Oceanside, Long Island. She's not too far from home but miles away culturally.

When not immersed in a film project, she’s carrying on with her presidential duties of the Humans of Asian and Polynesian Ancestry club. Currently she is working on her senior project film, a queer love story that speaks to her deeply.

Erika Nilsen. (Photo by James Anderson)

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love hanging out with friends and watching different movies that inspire me for my own work. I also love being engaged on the Purchase campus.

What made you become interested in film?

Before I transferred to Purchase, I began as an environmental science major at Cobleskill University. I wanted to do more creative stuff, so I picked up production and film classes and thought, this is what I want to do, then I saw Purchase had a film program.

What is it like being in the film conservatory?

I made a film over the summer and submitted it, which got me accepted. I knew it was a hard thing to get into, it's very competitive. I learned to love it. It gave me skills on collaborating and critiquing as well as learning about the industry.

How did you come up with your senior project?

Over the summer. I originally wanted to do a documentary about moss. I made a few environmental films last year, one about ant life and another about seagulls. This year I wanted to work more with actors so I changed my idea. I don't know how much I could yap about moss.

Could you summarize what your film is about?

Cupid drag queens bring a lesbian couple together. I originally wanted it to be experimental, but it turned more narrative, which I am not mad about, it definitely has experimental elements. For example, the intro will be in the form of a storybook.

Why is this story important to you?

I am a lesbian filmmaker, my story’s plot connects with me. I want to show that queer love is not that different from straight love. It can be dangerous and vulnerable just the same. Also, because of the state of the country, I wanted to make something that would have a lasting impact and that I could bring to film festivals. I love Purchase and how accepting it is; that was another reason I wanted to create it here—it's a safe environment for that.

What went into the planning?

Over the summer, I created the logline and storyline. Last semester, I was in pre-production and had to make a production bible book which talked about safety guidelines and had to get approved. Mine took so long to be approved.

How did you cast your films?

I definitely used my friends for casting. Alyssa Millman and Vanessa Adamian portray the couple in the film. Millman, who graduated from Purchase in December 2024, and Adamian, a current Purchase student, are actually a couple off-screen. So it was so cool that they really wanted to work on it as well. I was like, this is perfect! Doing safety planning stuff for the kissing and wedding scenes was so much easier. Johnny Bayne, a junior screenwriting major, plays one of the cupids. Bayne and I met through the Belfast travel abroad program. We talked a lot about drag while we were there so it inspired me to incorporate it in my film.

Alyssa Millman, Eli Bettmann and Vanessa Adamian filming a scene at the altar. (Photo by Erika Nilsen)

What is your relationship like with your advisor [John Young] for this project?

Young really loved the idea that I was basing a story on queer identity. We meet twice a month for our meetings, but he's also my professor, so I see him all the time. When we meet I keep him updated with what I am doing and talk about the timeline of the film as well as budgeting. My grant was more than what I needed, so that's cool!

Do you feel supported?

Yes and no. No, because we didn't have an experimental film professor this year, and that's why I was struggling a little bit. Last year, I was in Joel Anderson's [professor of cinema studies] class, and he helped me so much with experimental things, but he now teaches in Ithaca. Most people are doing narratives but I'm only one of two doing experimental, meaning no script.

What roadblocks have you run into?

Scheduling everyone. That's been really tough, but we get it done.

What have you learned?

I learned to be patient with the process and not rush it. My goal was to finish it all by October [laughs]. A few people wanted to do that too, it's a common theme that happens to seniors. But you really gotta slow down the process.

Cupid's aim. (Photo by Erika Nilsen)

What are your goals after Purchase?

I want to work in an art community space, I think that would be meaningful. I love working with other artists, too, and making mixed-media things. Something in editing could also be fun. I want to find a small business who needs marketing because that is more of a stable thing, then see where the wind blows.

What advice do you have for students about to embark on their own senior project?

Be open-minded and collaborate with others. Also participate in class, that's a good one, and have at least one professor you really connect with. Do what you want and create a project that will help you in the long run.