Life & Work with Niki J. Borger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki J. Borger.

Hi Niki J., please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Niki, and I’m an actress, screenwriter and producer, originally from Germany. I came to the US in September 2018. After graduating from the 1-year acting-for-film program I did in college, I started my OPT- a work visa that allows international graduates to work in their field for one year. And then the pandemic hit, and all entertainment came to a standstill. It took me a little bit to deal with the frustration. I had one year to prove that I was good at what I was doing, and within weeks it was taken away from me. But then I got to see some upsides of what was going on in the world. By May 2020 I had two films in the festival run. Both of them got into festivals around the world- all of which were now online instead of in-person. Hence, I was able to participate! I couldn’t have traveled to all these places in person, but now everything happened virtually, and I had a great time participating in virtual panels, screenings, and award ceremonies. That certainly made up for a little bit of the stress the pandemic brought to all of us.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Easy? Anybody in the entertainment industry knows – this road is anything but smooth! There are the “normal” struggles of breaking into the industry, proving that you’re good enough, when you’re just starting out, building a network from scratch, and finding your personal brand – all of that is quite hard already, which is why most people quit before they make it.

In addition to that, I started out during the pandemic. I’m international, so I had to fulfill all the requirements (and they are a lot!) to get a talent visa. Hang in there and wait, while my application was in process. The stress was taking its toll on my body, and I got sick in a way that to this day, no doctor can explain. And on top of that- a series of tragedies happened in my family back in Germany without me being able to go there and help. It was bad. But I’m very glad that’s over. I’m still here, I’m still standing, and I’m looking forward to the things lying ahead!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a co-founder of FireWolf Entertainment, a production company based in Oklahoma and Burbank. We specialize in telling compelling stories in the fantasy and action genre, similar to Game of Thrones or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What sets us apart is that our characters and their story arcs are a lot more authentic and relatable than most in this area. We go deeper into their psychology, their mindsets and beliefs, what drives them, and what makes them human (or not). We pick storylines people can relate to that might be hard and dark along the way but lead to uplifting and inspiring outcomes.

Many of our stories are grounded in history or mythology. We do a lot of research when developing a movie or TV series in order to stay as close to reality as possible. In a way, you could say we’re Dark Knighting mythology!

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
This may sound really simple, but it makes me really happy to make other people happy. Whether it’s by making them smile or touching their hearts in a way they’ve been missing. I like to inspire them! There’s so much beauty and goodness in this world. Every time I get to open someone’s eyes to that (including my own!)- it makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://firewolfent.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firewolfentertainment/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FireWolfEntertainment

Image Credits
Bart Mastronardi