As a writer and director of women’s films and novels for more than 30 years, I cannot tell you how many people from around the world have asked how they can help support our films. Hearing from women — and men — who say these stories have impacted them, and sometimes even changed their lives, remains one of the greatest rewards of my career.
Many of those viewers have become lifelong friends, donors, and investors. Some show up on set. Some pour their hearts into the work alongside us. And many fly in from across the globe to attend premieres and celebrate a finished film. There is nothing quite like sitting in a theatre surrounded by the very women who helped bring a project to life.
The Festival Years
From 2006–2012, while traveling the festival circuit with little man (2006/07), Elena Undone (2010), and A Perfect Ending (2012), we consistently sold out the 1,400-seat Castro Theatre at Frameline. Those weekends — screenings, Q&As, dinners with thirty supporters gathered around a long table — were electric. The reviews we received at festivals gave those films the momentum they needed to secure distribution and build longevity. Those moments remain some of my most cherished memories.
I have been in independent filmmaking since 1991, when I wrote and directed Claire of the Moon (1992/93) — often cited as a film that helped pave the way for lesbian-themed cinema. Claire of the Moon ran theatrically for 18 months. Eighteen months. In today’s marketplace, that kind of run is almost unheard of for an independent drama.
A Changing Landscape
Over the past three decades, representation has grown tremendously. LGBTQ+ characters now appear across mainstream entertainment — from series like The L Word, Orange Is the New Black, and Gentleman Jack, to major studio films such as Carol. Visibility has expanded in ways we once only imagined.
At the same time, the economics of independent filmmaking have shifted dramatically.
In 1993, we manufactured VHS copies of Claire of the Moon for $5 and sold them for $89.95. Even with distributor participation, independent films could sustain themselves. Fast forward thirty years: a $3.99 rental on Amazon splits revenue between platform, distributor, and expenses — often leaving the filmmaker with only a fraction of the original sale price.
The Reality of Independent Film
Film festivals, once vital financial engines for independent drama and romance, have also evolved. Programming increasingly favors issue-driven narratives, emerging identity genres, or studio-backed projects with recognizable talent. Authentic independent lesbian films now compete for fewer slots and diminished audience attendance. While festivals remain critical for exposure, reviews, and press quotes, they no longer function as the revenue model they once did.
When we traveled for nine months in 2019/2020 with More Beautiful for Having Been Broken, it became clear how significantly women’s festival programming attendance had declined. The passion for the stories is still there — but audience behavior has changed. Many women choose to experience film at home rather than in theatres.
Independent filmmakers today must develop, fund, crowdsource, shoot, edit, market, distribute, and manage their own companies — often simultaneously. We design our own graphics, run social campaigns, handle accounting, negotiate licensing, and carry projects for years before a film ever reaches distribution.
A New Model
For example, development on More Beautiful for Having Been Broken began in late 2013. It took seven years to bring that film to release — seven years of financial investment, development costs, marketing expenditures, and creative labor before seeing any potential return. Even after licensing, distributors recoup expenses before revenue flows back to the filmmaker, often 6–9 months later.
And yet, the desire for strong films BY, FOR, and ABOUT women has not diminished. If anything, it has deepened.
So after speaking with fellow independent filmmakers and members of our community, it became clear that we needed a different approach. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
We are building a new model — one that allows our community to participate directly in sustaining and growing a living library of women’s cinema. A model rooted in stewardship, shared investment, and long-term preservation.
Because these stories matter.
And the women who support them deserve more than passive access — they deserve ownership in the legacy we are building together.
(See our Funding Model in the Mission Statement.)
With gratitude,
Nicole
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Nicole Conn Films Global is an international group dedicated to the funding and supporting of quality narrative features in the 21st century.
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