Emily Elizabeth Thomas is a writer, director, and producer from Austin, Texas, whose work is rooted in a singular blend of girlhood and grit. Through visually ambitious, emotionally grounded storytelling, she explores womanhood, rebellion, resilience, and the complicated ways women survive impossible circumstances. Across genres, her films challenge traditional ideas of femininity with a punk spirit, celebrating the strength, vulnerability, and imagination of women and girls. At the heart of her work is a belief that stories can remind us of our own resilience.

Emily made her feature directorial debut with ‘Keily: Homecoming Dweeb’, adapted from her viral vertical web series ‘Keily’, which developed a cult online following for its offbeat, heartfelt portrait of teenage girlhood. The feature reimagines the high-gloss spirit of the mid-2000s romantic comedy through a distinctly modern, female gaze, pairing heightened visual style with tender emotional sincerity. The film premiered at the historic Saban Theatre in Los Angeles with a red carpet premiere hosted by 2000s rom-com star Jesse Metcalfe.

Alongside her narrative work, Emily has built a career directing visually distinctive commercial campaigns for brands including Disney, Bacardi, Garnier Fructis, Maybelline, ESPN, Samsung, and Southwest Airlines. With a highly attuned cinematic eye for visual storytelling, an exacting approach to production design and costume, and a gift for eliciting authentic performances, she crafts heightened worlds where spectacle and emotion exist in equal measure. Her work has featured acclaimed actors and cultural icons including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Martha Stewart.

Emily is currently packaging her second feature, MADGiRL, a surreal coming-of-age drama exploring inherited trauma, identity, and the onset of schizophrenia through the eyes of a seventeen-year-old girl, in partnership with Innovation Foundation. Through bold visual language and emotionally immersive storytelling, the film continues her exploration of womanhood, resilience, and the extraordinary inner lives of girls and women.

A lifelong lover of archival fashion, independent movie theaters, and well-worn bookstores, Emily now lives in Los Angeles, where she can usually be found writing, wandering antique shops, or chasing 70mm screenings.

ADVERTISING
Free The Work Creator Showcase Feature | We Are Sexy, 2022
SHOOT Online | New Directors Showcase, 2021
ADC Awards, TV/Film/Video Craft in Writing (Shortlist) | The Gathering, 2020
One Show, Best Branded Entertainment (Shortlist) | The Gathering,  2020
Ad Age Pick of the Day | The Gathering, 2019
Shots Best of the Month | The Gathering, 2019

MOVIES
Vail Screenplay Content, Finalist | MADGiRL, 2023
New York International Screenplay Awards, Finalist | MADGiRL, 2023
Santa Barbara International Feature Screenplay Awards, Finalist | MADGiRL, 2022
Showcase: Most Powerful Films on Gun Violence | We Are Moving Stories | Lola: Girl Got a Gun, 2020
Best Indie Short | Independent Short Awards, Untitled Marfa Project, 2020
Best Cinematography | Victoria TX Independent Film Festival | Untitled Marfa Project, 2019
Best Film Noir Short , Finalist | Indie Short Fest | The Other Woman, 2019
Crossroads Award for Emerging Directors | The Victoria TX Independent Film Festival, 2018
Best International Short | Oslo Independent Film Festival | Lola: Girl Got a Gun, 2018
Best Professional Short | George Lindsay UNA Film Festival | Lola: Girl Got a Gun, 2018