Nick is optimistic. They’ve never lived in the same place as adults, and if Bridget gets this job, they might finally get a chance to be together. But Bridget is confused. She doesn’t know how she feels about Nick. She was in love with him when they were younger, but he broke her heart, so she got over it. Now, she doesn’t know if she can find the feelings she used to have for Nick. But she wants to. After all, she loves Nick, really. They know each other. They speak the same language. It’s effortless. And yet… there’s something missing.

Bridget begins the movie with a real sense of hope that she might actually fall back in love with Nick. But as they spend more time together, Bridget realizes she’s never going to feel the way she used to feel. Nick, on the other hand, only grows more confident that this thing with Bridget is finally about to become real. The only way forward is for both of them to say all the unsaid, true and hurtful things they’ve kept buried for years. And in the aftermath, the new shape of their relationship emerges.

Is their friendship bigger than romance?

Or are they doomed to keep hurting each other forever?

Director’s Statement

I call this a “Chicken Soup” movie. It’s the kind of movie you watch over and over again. You tell your friends about it. You throw it on when you need a good laugh or a cathartic cry. It reminds you of someone you used to know. You remember them fondly. It’s a conversation you’ve had in your own kitchen at 2am. It’s trusting someone enough to say the mean thing out loud. This is a film about unrequited love, yes, but it’s also about friendship, and the precise kind of love that can survive a heartbreak.

This film is inspired by my relationship with my best friend from high school, who I’ve known since I was 14. I love him deeply. I was in love with him, when we were younger, but after several years of one-sided pining, I had to get over it. And as soon as I did, he realized he had feelings for me. It’s a tale as ordinary as it is tragic.

So many of my favorite films are about the-one-who-got-away (Past Lives, La La Land, the Before trilogy), but those stories are usually about external forces in life getting in the way of true love or whatever. The characters love each other, but they’re on different paths. The obstacles are largely external or situational. In my experience, the greatest heartbreaks of my life have not been the result of living in different time zones or having incompatible ambitions, but about a simple imbalance of feeling. One person just wants the other a little bit too much, or not enough. This particular kind of heartbreak is a ubiquitous feeling that’s underexplored in cinema. And it’s the kind of heartbreak I plan to explore in this film.

Donate Now

What is the budget?

This is an “ultra low budget indie,” which is the technical term for any feature film with a budget at or under $300K USD. The exact number is in flux, but that’s the ballpark.

That seems low. Are you sure?

The script was written with this ultra low budget in mind — we’ll be shooting a little over 50% of the film at Taylor’s house, and we have connections at several of our other locations that will help us keep costs low.

The film industry in Los Angeles has been all but completely decimated by dual strikes and the streaming bubble. It takes a small village to make a movie, and we want to pay everyone fairly for their time, labor, and expertise. Luckily, we have a plan to do that. This means keeping the crew lean, getting creative with locations, and not wasting time shooting coverage we don’t need.

How can I support this film?

There are a few different ways to support the film:

EQUITY INVESTMENT: If you’re interested in becoming an equity investor and potentially receiving producer credit on the film, email us at nothingtosaymovie@gmail.com.

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION: The simplest method is to donate through the Cinematography for Actors (CFA) Institute, which is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit. Click here to see our fundraising page. CFA accepts donations up to $10,000 USD through their online portal, and larger donations can be made via ACH, check, wire, etc.

Donations made through CFA are tax deductible.

DONATION MATCHING: If you work for a company or organization that offers donation matching, this is a fantastic way to support our film. Please let us know by emailing nothingtosaymovie@gmail.com so we can notify CFA of any incoming donation matching.

FOLLOW US: If you’re not in a position to financially support the film, your support is still invaluable! Follow us on social media, subscribe to this blog for updates about the film, and tell your friends about us.

Donate Now

Olivia is an American actress born and raised in Hurst, Texas. She is best known for her starring role of Sam Fraser in Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy, as well as starring in the Prime Video series Panic. Other credits include indie features Shithouse and The Sacrifice Game, and roles in TV series like Lucky Hank, Unbelievable, and Modern Family.

Daniel Doheny as Nick

Daniel is an actor and writer from Vancouver, Canada, best known for his starring roles in the 2018 films Alex Strangelove and The Package. He has worked in features, television and theatre for the past decade. He has written for television and film and performs his own work on stage.

Nick Tiffany as Devon

Nick Tiffany is a multi-hyphenate (writer, performer) queer from the Big Little Lies part of California. They perform improvisational comedy on Harold Night at UCB-LA and can also be found on TikTok, a wonderful Bytedance-owned platform.

@nick.tiffVogue asked me another 73 Questions again! #vogue73questions #comedy

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Jonah Ray as Cocaine Steve

Jonah Ray is a comedian, actor, & writer best known for hosting the revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000, where he led the cult comedy franchise through its modern seasons on Netflix and beyond. A longtime fixture in the alternative comedy scene, Ray has expanded into film and television with leading roles in Hidden America with Jonah Ray and the cult horror-comedy film Destroy All Neighbors, as well as recurring roles on the critically acclaimed series Maron and Better Things.

MY COLLABORATORS: I got inspired to write this script while working with Olivia & Daniel on a TV series. They had such good chemistry on-screen and were such smart and cool people off-screen. I knew I wanted to work with them again.

MY LIFE: The relationship between Bridget & Nick is largely inspired by my relationship with my best friend from high school, although the characters in the film are composite sketches drawn from all kinds of real people, fictional characters, archetypes, and imaginings.

FILM & TV: The Before Trilogy, Past Lives, Reality Bites, Drinking Buddies, (500) Days of Summer, and Normal People, to name a few. Scroll down* for some stills that feel like this movie, to me.

MUSIC: Here’s a playlist.

ART: I’m a big Edward Hopper head. I love the way he frames loneliness & intimacy.

Do you have a deck you can share?

Yep! Here it is.

Nothing To Say Deck 082025

10MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

What is your timeline?

We’re hoping to shoot in September 2026, though that is dependent on a number of factors beyond our control (including actor visas). But we’re in active pre-production and planning to shoot as early as this upcoming fall.

What is the budget? How do I give you money?

This is an “ultra low budget indie,” which means at or under $300K USD. The exact number is in flux, but that’s the ballpark.

How much money should I give?

Every little bit really does help, and we need a lot of it. If you’re not sure how much to give and want to know how far your money will go, here’s an idea of what things typically cost.

$25 - one crew member’s lunch for a day in Los Angeles
$100 - one hard drive (we’ll need a lot)
$250 - the typical day-rate for one cast or crew member
$500 - a round trip flight for an actor
$1,000 - an airbnb for Taylor’s roommates while we shoot in her house
$2,500 - the crew gets to eat
$10,000 - most of our location fees
$15,000 - legal & visa fees
$20,000 - the camera department
$50,000 - my first-born child

Read more about our budget and how to support the film here, or check out our fundraising page at the button below.

Donate Now

*Here are some of my favorite references for this film.

Watch the full short here.

Awards for You Used to Be Fun:

• Audience Award & Jury Award (Herspective Cinema), Highland Park Independent Film Festival

• Best First Time Director & Best Actress, Chicago Shorts

• Best Short Feature, Santa Ana Independent Film Awards

Selection:

• New York New Waves Showcase, New York Indie Shorts Awards

• Los Angeles First-Time Filmmakers Showcase, Lift-Off Global

Donate Now