Two women in the music industry, one a house lighting director, the other a Corsican touring pianist, meet in Los Angeles, fall in love, and try to maintain a long distance relationship while they both rise in their equally high profile careers.

    Director Biography - Christie Conochalla

Christie Conochalla is a writer/producer/director who resides in Los Angeles. As a child, Christie found it difficult to want to do anything but watch movies: the Sound of Music, A League of Their Own, Meet Me In St. Louis, there were far less interesting places to go outside the realm of narrative art from some of the truest artists. But it was Moulin Rouge which really sealed the deal for her obsession with the art of directing.

Christie moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and in 2013 received full funding from an angel donor to direct her Katharine Hepburn-esque screwball comedy "Once Upon A Zipper" which led her on her journey to finding her community of which she would find the confidence to start the process of trying to make her first feature film "Forever Not Maybe."

And along the way, being hired to direct her award winning short "August in the City." The success and community Christie found while she supported "August" has inspired her to continue meeting new people in collaboration for her desire to be on set creating new worlds for people like her who love to get lost in dreams.

Director Statement

My journey with "Forever Not Maybe" started in 2015.

I volunteered as a photographer at the "Outfest Film Festival." The films I saw, the filmmakers I met were an inspiration. I had such pride for the women filmmakers showcased in the festival that I went home and started a blog to promote them and while feeling so inspired by these women, I decided that I wanted to write a script. I wrote "Forever Not Maybe."

At that same festival I met the actor, Mandahla Rose who was in town to support her Outfest programmed feature film "All About E." After meeting Mandahla and writing the script, I asked Mandahla if she would consider being a part of this journey and she said yes. Without Mandahla the process of producing the film may have never begun.

We shot a proof of concept in December of 2015 and from that proof of concept we raised enough money through crowdfunding to shoot for five days. We did our first shoot of principle photography in June of 2016. In six days we were able to shoot a little less than half the script. I used this footage to create an official trailer to go back into crowdfunding and from that trailer we earned enough money to shoot for five more days and we did. In July of 2017 and in September 2017 I began cutting the film and pushing my way through the post production process which has been an uphill battle since day one.

Over the course of almost four years I have fought to get onset, fought to shoot as much as my original, uncompromised script as I could. Sat in post until I was confident what I was working on was exactly what I wanted to put in the world and it took one viewing of Amara Cash's film "Daddy Issues," (at Outfest) which took me back to my edit and recut my movie into this beautiful film that I am so proud to share with you.

I'm not only proud of the film, but I am proud of the journey I've walked with it since day one. The friendships I've built, the knowledge I've gained, the pride in the successes of my cast and crew.

This film is truly a special slice of life and I hope you feel that while you watch.

Thank you.

My sincerest wishes,

Christie