ALICE IN THE GARDEN
Casey Niccoli
Financial support from The FOFIF x NEON to support production.
About the project: The story of an artist, as told by the artist — this six-minute experimental documentary is a visceral, avant-garde self-portrait that plays like a song: sharp quips hit on beat over a collage of images, creating a rhythmic, surreal performance piece. Through fragmented memories, visual poetry, and sonic cadence, Casey Niccoli reclaims her story of creativity, motherhood, and survival — in a form as unpredictable and defiant as the life that shaped it.
About the filmmaker: Casey Niccoli is an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist, and creativ visionary best known for her influential contributions to the alternative music and art scenes of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Based in Los Angeles, she emerged as a key figure through her work as a music video director and creative collaborator with the band Jane’s Addiction, including the legendary Been Caught Stealing video, which won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video in 1991. Her distinctive aesthetic helped define the band’s visual identity and the era’s broader alternative culture.
Niccoli is particularly celebrated for directing the groundbreaking feature film GIFT (1993), a semi-autobiographical exploration of love, addiction, and art that remains a cult classic. Her approach combines raw emotional honesty with experimental visual storytelling, blending music and film into an immersive artistic experience.
In addition to her filmmaking, Casey has also worked extensively as a visual artist, channeling her creativity into collage work, photography, mixed media, and installations. Her work often explores themes of counterculture, individuality, and the human condition, leaving an indelible mark on the creative community.
About the filmmaker (producer): A Southern California native, Lanette Phillips began her career as a music journalist before moving into music video production at Propaganda Films. Over the past decades, she has Executive Produced at Neil Moritz’s Original Films, Palomar Pictures and at A Band Apart. She has executive produced music videos for a vast array of artists including Elton John, Beyoncé, Eminem, AND Rihanna.
Her producing credits span documentary films BUFFALO GIRLS (Netflix), MYTHICAL CREATURES (Sundance Institute New Frontier Story Lab and Sundance Institute Documentary Producers and Fellows Program), RHINO (UN Summit of the Future 2024) to STAND UP TO CANCER fundraising effort and the Clinton Foundation’s
short documentary, SABINA.
Phillips has served on numerous advisory boards for conferences, international events and organizations, including UCLA, USC, the United Nations Association Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance, SXSW, AFI, Los Angeles Film Festival, Billboard Music Conference, Music Video Producers Association, the Recording Academy, MTV Music Awards Conference, WaveVR, Arts High Foundation and currently on the board of Kiss the Ground.
Casey Niccoli Instagram and Website | Lanette Phillips Website