Experiencing Interruptions?

Nowhere Mind

Ivan performs experimental meditation to induce out-of-body experiences that might allow him to escape the clutches of a mysterious illness. A chance encounter with two old friends may provide him with an unexpected route to a cure.

  • Ben Nissen
    Director
  • Ben Nissen
    Writer
  • Katie Clementz
    Producer
  • Ben Nissen
    Producer
  • Patriac Coakley
    Key Cast
    "Ivan"
  • Casey Searles
    Key Cast
    "Emily"
  • Andrew Graves
    Key Cast
    "John"
  • Joette Waters
    Key Cast
    "Anna"
  • David Scott Crawford
    Key Cast
    "Philosopher"
  • Armando Reyes
    Key Cast
    "Detective Martinez"
  • Peter Nerad
    Key Cast
    "Harold"
  • Corey Wills
    Music Score
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, thriller, speculative fiction, mystery, science fiction, horror
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 45 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 20, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4k Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Author's Film Festival (FICAUTOR)
    Guadalajara
    Mexico
    November 16, 2017
    Mexican Premiere
    Best Low Budget Feature
  • Bloodstained Indie Film Festival
    Shanghai
    China
    Best Drama Feature
  • Pasadena International Film Festival
    Pasadena
    United States
    March 14, 2018
    Los Angeles County Premiere
  • Ibiza Cine Fest
    Ibiza
    Spain
    January 26, 2018
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Geneva Film Festival
    Geneva, IL
    United States
    March 10, 2018
    Hometown Premiere
    Emerging Feature Filmmaker
  • Blow Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Mindfield Film Festival Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Platinum Award: Best Cinematography
  • Mindfield Film Festival Albuquerque
    Albuquerque
    United States
    Platinum Award: Best Feature
  • Irish International Film Festival
    Gorey, County Wexford
    Ireland
    Ireland Premiere
    Semi-Finalist: Best Horror Feature
  • Prairie State Film Festival
    DeKalb, IL
    United States
    June 30, 2018
  • Illinois Independent Film Festival
    Aurora, IL
    United States
  • Philadelphia Independent Film Festival
    Philadelphia, PA
    United States
    May 12, 2018
  • Chicago Horror Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    September 28, 2018
Director Biography - Ben Nissen

Ben Nissen is a filmmaker who wears many hats––some of them made of tin foil. Drawing, writing stories, and producing films at an early age, he graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2005 with a degree in Cinematography. Since then, he has produced a number of shorts, music videos, and commercials. Nowhere Mind is his first feature film.

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Director Statement

In 1971, a man by the name of Robert Monroe published the accounts of his out-of-body experiences in a book titled "Journeys Out of the Body." Monroe believed that such experiences could be attained through deliberate meditation aided by alternating audio frequencies called binaural beats. The Monroe Institute was later founded to expand the study of these experimental practices.

"Nowhere Mind" asks the question: what if Monroe’s theories hold water? And, more importantly, if an individual is genuinely able to separate their consciousness from their body, what else might that person be capable of? Stylistically, "Nowhere Mind" takes on an almost "Twilight Zone"-esque approach by focusing on the tragic impact that these mysterious idea shave on its morally ambiguous characters.