Writer's Statement - Mike Nielsen
18 days before my wedding, I received a phone call from my mom’s work. She hadn’t shown up nor called in sick. On the phone she told me she had no idea why she didn’t go to work that day she just…didn’t. I left my job and when I showed up at her house to check on her, she had zero memory of talking to me on the phone one hour prior. She moved in with us the day we got back from our honeymoon. My wife and I started our marriage off as caregivers. This was the inspiration behind my short film, I Don’t Care. I Don’t Care is pilot script for a television series but, after seeing some amazing short films at the 2025 Pasadena International Film Festival, I was inspired to take one of my favorite scenes and make it into a short film. While taking a course at UCLA extension, I became friends with a writer/producer, Brian J. Leitten. We met for a coffee, talked about my idea for a short film, and from there the pieces fell together. From my director, Jay Guffey, to all the cast, crew and location, everything just worked out smoothly. I’m incredibly happy with the result. I hope this film is a message of recognition for all those caregivers out there. I know caregiving can feel like throwing water out of a sinking ship, but to be your best you must take some time to care for yourself and once in a while say, “I don’t care”.
Mike Nielsen (Writer, Producer, Actor) is a multiracial writer, actor and comedian. He began his career at The Groundlings and with some of his fellow sketch comedians, broke off and started their own group, The Mechanicals. After making their own sketch pilot for Showtime, The Mechanicals were cast in the film “Southland Tales” from writer/director Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”). Since then, you might have (probably not) seen Mike as an actor in “Manswers” (Spike TV), “It’s Your show w/ Carson Daly” (NBC), “Atom TV” (Comedy Central), and the film “Cicada!” (Winner Best US Genre Film Austin Revolution Film Festival) As a sketch comedian, Mike has performed multiple times at the Los Angeles Festival of Sketch and at The Comedy Central Stage. As a standup, Mike has performed at Upright Citizens Brigade, The Comedy Store and was a regular at the Hollywood Improv. Mike hosted multiple shows at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, showcased at the Just For Laughs-New Faces of Comedy, and ran the highly successful monthly standup show “GetALoadA” at the former House of Blues on Sunset featuring comedians such as Tig Notaro, Nick Kroll and Marc Maron. As a writer, Mike has written multiple TV pilots. From animation to dramedy, his pilots have placed as quarter, semi and finalists in multiple contests and fellowships. Mike attempted his first solo feature script with his “Home Alone” meets “Goonies” Christmas adventure, “Nick’d” and won the 2025 Chicago Script Awards category for “Best First Time Screenwriter (Feature)”. Mike writes as much from his personal life experiences as from his goofy, weird imagination. He loves and appreciates working in all genres of film and television but is absolutely terrible at writing sci-fi. Please don’t ask him to, he’ll sound like an idiot. Mike is so grateful for being a part of the 2026 UCLA FilmFest.
Writer's Statement - Mike Nielsen
18 days before my wedding, I received a phone call from my mom’s work. She hadn’t shown up nor called in sick. On the phone she told me she had no idea why she didn’t go to work that day she just…didn’t. I left my job and when I showed up at her house to check on her, she had zero memory of talking to me on the phone one hour prior. She moved in with us the day we got back from our honeymoon. My wife and I started our marriage off as caregivers. This was the inspiration behind my short film, I Don’t Care. I Don’t Care is pilot script for a television series but, after seeing some amazing short films at the 2025 Pasadena International Film Festival, I was inspired to take one of my favorite scenes and make it into a short film. While taking a course at UCLA extension, I became friends with a writer/producer, Brian J. Leitten. We met for a coffee, talked about my idea for a short film, and from there the pieces fell together. From my director, Jay Guffey, to all the cast, crew and location, everything just worked out smoothly. I’m incredibly happy with the result. I hope this film is a message of recognition for all those caregivers out there. I know caregiving can feel like throwing water out of a sinking ship, but to be your best you must take some time to care for yourself and once in a while say, “I don’t care”.
Mike Nielsen (Writer, Producer, Actor) is a multiracial writer, actor and comedian. He began his career at The Groundlings and with some of his fellow sketch comedians, broke off and started their own group, The Mechanicals. After making their own sketch pilot for Showtime, The Mechanicals were cast in the film “Southland Tales” from writer/director Richard Kelly (“Donnie Darko”). Since then, you might have (probably not) seen Mike as an actor in “Manswers” (Spike TV), “It’s Your show w/ Carson Daly” (NBC), “Atom TV” (Comedy Central), and the film “Cicada!” (Winner Best US Genre Film Austin Revolution Film Festival) As a sketch comedian, Mike has performed multiple times at the Los Angeles Festival of Sketch and at The Comedy Central Stage. As a standup, Mike has performed at Upright Citizens Brigade, The Comedy Store and was a regular at the Hollywood Improv. Mike hosted multiple shows at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, showcased at the Just For Laughs-New Faces of Comedy, and ran the highly successful monthly standup show “GetALoadA” at the former House of Blues on Sunset featuring comedians such as Tig Notaro, Nick Kroll and Marc Maron. As a writer, Mike has written multiple TV pilots. From animation to dramedy, his pilots have placed as quarter, semi and finalists in multiple contests and fellowships. Mike attempted his first solo feature script with his “Home Alone” meets “Goonies” Christmas adventure, “Nick’d” and won the 2025 Chicago Script Awards category for “Best First Time Screenwriter (Feature)”. Mike writes as much from his personal life experiences as from his goofy, weird imagination. He loves and appreciates working in all genres of film and television but is absolutely terrible at writing sci-fi. Please don’t ask him to, he’ll sound like an idiot. Mike is so grateful for being a part of the 2026 UCLA FilmFest.
