Nova Ovum (2024)

At a crossroads in her relationship, Fran is hoping her newly discovered kink can help her and her partner El solve ALL of their problems on this planet.

Director Biography - Rob Riordan

Rob was born in LA and raised in Las Vegas. He has always written on the side as he's climbed his way up as an actor in theatre and now film. He's had the pleasure of working all over the US and overseas. "Nova Ovum" is Rob's debut short film. He wants to create work that centers the queer perspective and experience, highlighting the corners of it that the general population may not see.

Director Statement

I had this idea of isolation within a close relationship that intersected with inspiration from an interesting kink that I found online. I wondered what the conversation of introducing said kink in a sexually-troubled relationship would look like. And what if we made it both campy and pretty?! It was also important that I antagonized the male gaze and collaborated heavily with the feminine perspective on this project, so the resulting cast and crew was nearly all queer and mostly femme. 

Please tell us your motivation for making your film:

The motivation to create this film is to highlight a corner of the queer perspective the general population may not see. I had this idea of isolation within a close relationship that intersected with inspiration from an interesting kink that I found online. I wondered what the conversation of introducing said kink in a sexually-troubled relationship would look like. And what if we made it both campy and pretty?!

What is the theme of your submission?:

Queer-relationship struggles and consensual kink exploration

What was the message you wanted to convey with this project?:

Queer love transcends ALL!

Any further comments about your submission:

Being a cis male writer/director of a queer-femme story, it was important that I antagonized the male gaze and collaborated heavily with the feminine perspective on this project, so the resulting cast and crew was nearly all queer and mostly femme.

Mysterious Skin (2024) Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lp5v4oQZRw

My name is Rob Riordan, I’m an NYC-based artist and this is my debut film behind the camera as writer/director. I’ve spent many years honing my craft as an actor both on stage and in front of the camera. The need to make this film stemmed from the rise in socially conservative ideology in the US mixed with my personal experience as a masculine, queer actor typecast in roles that don’t reflect my social stance or sexuality.

While “Nova Ovum” highlights kinky LGBTQIA+ culture with Sci-Fi elements, a topic that is rarely addressed on the silver screen, the whole experience of putting together the production was focused on community building. The cast and crew was predominantly comprised of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, most notably championing the work of award-winning cinematographer Kathryn Boyd-Batstone. The result is the introduction of a hybrid genre not yet seen in the medium, bringing together elements of surrealism, camp, comedy, and drama for a wholly unique viewing experience.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I sincerely hope you enjoy the film, that it promotes discussion and that it enriches a future audience’s understanding of the queer experience.

- Rob Riordan

Mysterious Skin (2024) Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lp5v4oQZRw