About Me

Thank you for visiting my page! My name is Nicole Wackerly and I am a screenwriter, director and editor. As a filmmaker, one of my main drivers is the opportunity to write and create films that make a difference. Much of this passion stems from my background as a primatologist.

Growing up in Ohio, the thought of turning my filmmaking hobby into a career seemed too farfetched, so my career choice took me to the somehow less farfetched field of primatology. After studying spider monkeys in Costa Rica and chimpanzees in Senegal, I received both an MA (biological anthropology) and an MS (ecology and evolutionary biology) from Iowa State University. Though I enjoyed the research, my field work with wild primates with my point-and-shoot camera pushed me back to true passion of filmmaking. 

I  thrive in the realm of the horror/thriller and have a deep interest in bringing environmental themes into my fiction narratives. I recently wrote, directed and edited a short horror, “The Murk,” which transforms water contamination into an ominous presence threatening a young woman and her sick mother. I’ve also written the feature-length screenplay of this film. I see fiction as a unique way to communicate important themes to a diversified audience.

I also work in the realm of documentary. I wrote, produced & edited the environmental justice film, “Troubled Tributary: Maryland’s Patuxent River,” which broadcast on Maryland Public Television in April 2022.  I intend to expand my work to include more wildlife conservation documentaries, as well.

In May 2022, I completed my MFA in Film and Media Arts at American University with a double concentration in Arts & Entertainment and Environmental Filmmaking. Since graduating, I’ve worked as the Assistant Director on several short films, as well as a Production Assistant on tv shows, feature films, indie features, and commercials.

I recently worked as a Set PA on the full season of a new Paramount+ show, Special Ops: Lioness and gained experience directing and managing background actors and handling 1st team. I also worked as an Assistant Editor on a BET feature film directed by Vivica A. Fox. As the AE, I made selects, rough scene stringouts, and a full assembly cut of the film.

I am a problem-solver by nature, am highly organized and detail-oriented, and I revel in bringing meaningful stories to life both on the page & in production. I offer services as a screenwriter, director, producer, assistant director, editor and production assistant. I am open to both freelance & contractual work. Contact me below & let’s work together!