Nicole Bettauer

Nic Bettauer lives and works where art meets social service in Venice, CA. She holds an MFA from USC School of Cinematic Arts, MSW (Dean's Scholar) from USC School of Social Work, and BA (with Distinction) from Stanford University. She completed additional studies at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her multimedia reel can be viewed @ www.NicsPics.net Nic last wrote, directed, and produced the feature film Duck, starring the sublime Philip Baker Hall (www.duckthemovie.com). Duck is the story of an elderly man who loses his home and embarks upon his own odyssey across Los Angeles. Following, and sometimes leading Arthur, is the duck who has grown to be family. Provocative, insightful, sublime, here is a character piece about two unlikely heroes who find purpose, redemption, and grace - proving, in rather surreal and ingenious fashion, that there's nothing common about decency, nor the survival of the humane. Written with lyrical prose, strong social message and subversive humor, this beautiful and moving tale reads like a cross between 'The Little Prince' and 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull.' The film has, in turn, been compared to 'Being There' and a "gentler Falling Down". duck1 n. is about a duck who saves the life of a man & duck2 v. is about taking shelter. Nic co-wrote and will direct Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalist and Academy Nicholl Fellowship Semifinalist The Circle Game, a singular love story at the heart of dual family dramas about nature, nurture, and the act of caregiving. Nic is developing and will direct The Dogcatcher by Bruce Luchsinger, the comedic adventure of a serial optimist who finally meets his expectations :) Nic wrote and is serializing Canary, the raucous, harrowing, and wickedly entertaining tale of an anti-hero detective solving a social ill, perhaps at her own expense... Nic worked as a documentarian and art facilitator for The Painted Brain, a non-profit media and outreach campaign which uses the arts to bring together and give voice to young adults living with mental illness. She worked for Diverse Journeys providing one-on-one creative supportive services to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities living independently in the community. Nic volunteers as a crisis counselor with the Crisis Text Line. Nic loves to witness, document, and advocate others' stories, to photograph decisive moments, and to travel. She embraces hearing stories as much as telling them and strives to ever be an experiential learner.